Where There's Smoke, There's Fire (in other words, smoky eyes are hot)

The Smoky Eye look seems to be "in" again for fall (wait, has it ever been "out?"). This really is a great look-- it's classic, it's foxy, it highlights the eyes, it's versatile (you can do it with basic black or charcoal gray, or be more playful with blues, greens and purples). And taking the time do perfect your eye-makeup is often a better way to go when you're dressing up as it's more likely to stay in place than your lip color.

I have to say, though, that I'm not a big fan of this trend of pairing smoky eyes with non-existent lips. Yes, it is important to be low-key with the rest of your make-up when going bold with any one feature, or else you risk looking kind of... trampish. However that doesn't mean you have to look as if you've completely erased the other features from your face altogether. Or like you're dead. Take Mischa Barton, here, at left-- her lips just look.. wierd. Often when I've seen this look on celebs (often on Jessica Simpson or Keira Knightly, right) their eyes look very bold and dark but the rest of their face is pale and uni-color. Not a good look, in my opinion. It's just too severe, and often looks kind of un-feminine. I'll look at their face and think they look kind of sickly.

There's nothing wrong with a soft pink or peach blush. Or with a bit of lip gloss. Your lips do not need to match your skin tone. If nothing else, at least let them be their own naturally rosy color, with a bit of lip balm on top or something, instead of caking them under tons of nude-colored lipstick. Lips should still look natural.

As wonderful as the smoky eye is, it is also quite tricky to master. Lucky for us, Elke Von Freudenberg, makeup artist to the stars and fellow blogger, has outlined the steps needed to perfect this look. Enjoy! And please remember-- after you've mastered your smolderingly fantabulous eyes, finish it off with a spot of gloss. And some blush. Thanks!

(and thanks to Juliet over at Beautynomics for the how-to link!)