A Black Beauty Classic

Charlotte Torpegaard, Beauty expert, Beauty Editor and blogger | 01 July 2009 | Beauty

Style icons from top model Kate Moss to actresses Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson has embraced them long ago. The make-up artists love them, the cosmetics industry creates entire collections around them and the models flash them on catwalks and in campaigns and magazines. The dark slightly smeared out eye make up which were given the name Smokey Eyes in the 1990ies has become a classic equally to the red lipstick.

The concept of black eyes isn’t new and is in reality stolen from men who blackened their eyes in the desert in order to protect the skin from the sun. But women quickly adopted the concept. With her characteristic black eyeliner, which she equally to her jewels, never went without, Helena Rubinstein, created a look in the beginning of the last century that related a lot to the dark eyes we love to flash today.

Diva Marlene Dietrich was also known for her dark eyes. She used soot from burned cork mixed with Vaseline to create the smeared dark look. This was her very distinct version of Smokey Eyes or chimney eyes as they are often referred to.

Smokey Eyes are sexy and you can make them exactly as sexy and dark as you desire, as it’s no longer just about black eye shadow and a lot of mascara. More than ever the make up artists adds a palette of other colors to the sexy eye look, which are given a new flavor every year. More metallic, greyer, more sophisticated, more eyeliner, more smeared or browner.

It doesn’t have to be hard to do yourself. Once I was tipped of by make up artist Gucci Westman whom among others do make up on Natalie Portman and Drew Barrymore, both having desirable sexy eyes. Dip your finger in Eight Hour Cream or another greasy lip balm and thereafter, on top, draw a little dark brown or black eyeliner. Rub the finger along the lashes on your top eyelid, add some black eyeliner on the wet border of the eye and end with lots of black mascara. Voila! The result is very much like a rock star and the more It’s smeared, the better.

From the book " Skønhed kommer indefra, men lidt læbestift skader jo ikke" by Charlotte Torpegaard, Published by MagnoliaPress/Artpeople,