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When you think of eye makeup, the first thing that might come to mind is two words: Smokey. Eye. There are loads of tutorials out there with so many different approaches to master this sought-after, universally pleasing look. Whether you’re after a natural, soft smokey eye or a more dramatic red carpet-inspired look, there really is something out there for everyone! It’s all about what technique you use to get the perfect look. Just when we thought we tried them all, a new how-to started buzzing around Pinterest, and it had us asking, “to hashtag, or not to hashtag?” Yep, apparently, drawing two ##s on your lids with eyeliner is the secret hack to an easy-on and gorgeous smokey eye.
Now, this is one of those situations where I immediately have an opinion — I’ve been doing makeup professionally for years — but I feel like just handing over the “do” or “don’t” isn’t that fun. So I called in Kelly, our DIY Editor, to put this trending beauty hack to the test. I gave her the following instructions and then let her do each step on her own to see what her experience was and to see if my POV was accurate or not. And now, on to our latest Beauty Mythbuster!
Start off by drawing two slightly angled vertical lines on the outside corners of your eyes that extend to the top of your lids using a black eyeliner that has a smudger sponge on the other end, like Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Pencil in Black ($6). Then cross over those lines with two horizontal lines that end in the center of your eyelids.
Step 1: Draw on a #Hashtag
Don’t worry if your lines aren’t perfect — just make sure they are close to symmetrical on both sides.
Check in: How It Should Look
Flip your eyeliner over and use the smudger to try and blend the eyeliner into your eyelids. The objective is to get the liner to blend lighter as it gets to the inside corners of your eyes. It helps to hold your eye in place with one finger while you smudge to avoid pulling on your eyelids too much.
Step 2: Smudge Away
Use a cotton swab to clean up any mess-ups.
Step 3: Clean Up
Kelly was a 100% NOT into this method. She said it was really uncomfortable to rub her eyelids with the smudger in an attempt to blend the liner down well. She feels like it would be best to practice using eyeshadow that is easier on your eyelids instead of hurting her eyes trying to blend the thick eyeliner.
Outcome: Yea or Nay?
If you look closely you can see that she was not able to blend the product in very well at all actually (good try though, Kel!).
I am the first to boast about a beauty hack that can save you time or make your life easier
grab your fluffy brush and a neutral hue and practice blending into your eyes to get your perfect smokey eye.
