Easy, neutral smokey eye - tutorial

I recently got a request from a friend to show how to create a smokey eye, so here it is! I apologize (again) for the bad artificial lighting in the photos, but that's all I have during this time of the year :D

First, here's what I used to create the look:

- Warm Palette 88 Eye Shadows by Coastal Scents

- Beauty Base Eye Shadow Primer by Lumene

Optional: other products to complete the look - black liquid eyeliner or gel liner, brown eye liner pencil and mascara

Brushes:                                                                                                                                          

     

I used five different brushes, but you can manage with just the regular shadow brush (4) and a blending brush (5).  Brushes 1&3 are from Coastal Scents, 2 is by Maybelline, 4 is by Ibero and 5 is by M.A.C "217". If you like to do eye makeup a lot, I really suggest you get it because it's an amazing brush for blending and I honestly don't know how I managed without it before :D

Finally, the actual tutorial:

 Here you can see the shadows I used from the palette (I'll be referring to the shadows by the numbers you see here in order of what I used)

                                                                                                           

- I started by applying the eye shadow primer all over my lid up to the brow and lightly powdered on top to set it. Also, I already have a bit of mascara on because I just got home from school and then did this look :D

 - Here I used shadow (1). all over the lid and a bit to the crease with the regular shadow brush "4". You could also use brush "1" to do this.

- Take a medium brown shadow (2) and apply it to the other half of the lid and slightly to the crease, using the same regular shadow brush.

( -Optional step, I used this latte colored shadow (3) and blended it softly with the M.A.C blender brush to the crease to help smoke out the darker colors we're going to add next)

 - Time to start creating the smokey effect. I used a dark brown shadow (4) and applied it to the outer corner of my eye and up to the crease with brush "3".

- I like using black (5) when creating a smokey eye but if that's too harsh for you, just go with a grey or a really dark brown shadow. Apply it carefully to the outer third of the lid, but make sure the dark brown still shows up. For this I also used brush "3" but you could do it with the regular shadow brush "4".

- Lastly, blend the crease colors together with a light brown eye shadow (6) using the blender brush "5" (to blend, use light circular motions or a "windshield wiper"- motion over the crease) and add a matte cream color (7), brush "1" to highlight under the brow and to help with the gradient even more.

- I completed the look by using a brown eye pencil on the lower lash line, then dark brown shadow (4) on top of it and added a bit of the black shadow (5) to the outer corner of the lower lash line, both colors with brush "2". I also lined my upper water line with black gel liner, and did a thin black line with liquid liner on the lid. Then just add two coats of your favorite mascara (add false lashes for some extra drama!), and you're done!  :)

Here are a few photos with both eyes done and how it looks further away:

I hope this tutorial was helpful, and sorry if it's a bit complicated but if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to answer them! :)