Any tips on how to achieve a subtle smokey eye without looking like a raccoon?

I always wanted to make a smokey eye but it always came out too dark and didn't look right. Should I use a black eye shadow, or a more gray color? Any ideas?Any tips on how to achieve a subtle smokey eye without looking like a raccoon?
1. Start with the eye makeup first before applying foundation. It's easier to clean up any fallen shadow without messing up your entire makeup. This also avoids the dark raccoon look under the eye. With a circular sponge, loose powder was used to ';set'; the skin.





2. First start with a sheer nude color all over the eye. Go from your eyelid your to eyebrow.





3. Next, apply a dark brown or plum eyeshadow from your lid to your crease. Since the look is smudged and smokey, I use creme shadows and apply them with either my fingers or a synthetic makeup brush.





4. Next, line the entire eye with a dark brown or plum eyeliner. For this look, pencil works the best. If you want a more glamorous eye, line the inner rim of your eye as well.





5. Then put on two-three coats of black mascara.Curl your lashes to to give you that wide awake look.





It Should look great =]Any tips on how to achieve a subtle smokey eye without looking like a raccoon?
try buying a 4 pack of eyeshadow where this is 4 different contrasting colors together








prep your eyes with concealer can be used to cover up undereye circles or just the bluish discoloration just under your inner eye. To cover dark undereye circles, apply three dots of concealer under each eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Pat, never rub with your ring finger (this finger tends to have the softest pad) until it disappears.


Apply eye base to your lid Eye base is the secret to keeping your shadow in place for hours. Without properly priming your lid first, your eyeshadow will likely end up a greasy line in your crease.


Apply shadow. It's great to use a three-toned shadow and build from lids to brow. Allowing them to blend into each other like a rainbow is gorgeous, according to celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal. Start with a light color that almost matches your lid. Sweep the color across the lid and up to your browbone. Follow with a medium color across your lid only. Build on this with a darker color in the crease. Blend the colors well.


Follow with eyeliner Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Wet a slanted brush, then dip in a dark eyeshadow. Line eyes as close to the upper lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge the bottom line with a Q-tip or your finger. You don't want a prominent line. For a smokey eye, use a brush to pat in a dark eyeshadow along the upper lid and below the lid. You don't want a stark line, instead you want to blend it so it's 'smudge-y.'


Brighten your eyes with a highlighter This step involves only the inside part of the eye. With a gold or pink highlighter (white is too bright), draw a v-shaped shape that follows the inner corner of your eye from top to bottom. Blend with your fingers. This will help make eyes 'pop.'


Highlight your brow Take the same highlighter and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger.


Curl lashes An eyelash curler will make even long lashes look more gorgeous. For added effect, you can heat the curler under a blowdryer for a couple seconds. Test curler before applying to lashes because you could burn yourself.


Apply mascara Place the wand of your mascara brush at the bottom of lashes and wiggle back and forth. Follow with another few sweeps of the wand. Apply to bottom lashes as well.
Go straight to Sally Beauty Supply and buy some sparkly gray/black eyeshadow. The tiny ones by the front counter that are only 99 cents. I have the sparkly black and gray and I layered them for prom/dances.





I personally like this look:


Start by curling your lashes, and applying two coats of mascara. Apply eyeliner. Take a make-up sponge [those triangular ones you use for foundation] and use the tip to apply the sparkly black to your lid only to your crease. That made my eyes stand out and I got compliments on them.





Although, if you have a little extra money, go for some higher-end sparkly black like from Victoria's Secret. The kind from Sally smudges easily even when concealer is applied underneath.





Hope I helped!
a subtle smoky eye can be achieved by first applying a pale pale color with shimmer all over the lids then use a dark shimmery gray shadow in the crease but blend thoroughly using an eye shadow brush, minimize shadow pigments from falling on ur cheeks and ruining ur make up by first dusting just under ur eyes with loose powder and then when ur finished applying ur shadow, gently brush away the loose powder. good luck. xoxo.
use gray and some eyeliners come with a q-tip like sponge on the end. line your eyes and then rub the line in in a upwards motion.
THere's some gr8 video's on YouTube!