AW14 Trend: 5 ways to nail sexy, smudgy eyeliner

This is beauty that’s been around the block and is waiting at the bus stop the next morning. Inky eyeliner is worn in (not worn out) and artfully smeared and smudged to create a smouldering, slept-in effect. Charlotte Tilbury created a sooty, sexy eye at Tom Ford while at Topshop Unique charcoal liner was blended under the lashline instead of on the upper socket. Liner was equally imperfect at Antonio Berardi, where Gucci Westman  layered black liner with a moss green kohl pencil, topping both with Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream to make models look as though they’d been partying all night. The Missoni girl definitely had…

Missoni

This eyeliner might have started off as  graphic , but it’s had a big night and been rubbed off on the pillow. What’s left behind is a soft, blurred square shape on the upper and lower lashline, courtesy of Lucia Pieroni for MAC.

Lashings of  Fluidline eyeliner in Blacktrack , £15.50, were traced from the outer corner of the pupil to the outer corner of the eye and through the lashlines, leaving a gap at the outer corner so that the upper and lower ‘squares’ were separated. Liner was blurred by buffing  Carbon Eyeshadow , £13, over it with  217 blending brush , £19, and further rock chick kudos added thanks to curled doll-like lashes coated in  Haute & Naughty Lash , £19. False lashes were cut to size and applied to any gaps in the upper lashline and the ‘I woke up like this’ finish was finessed with  NC15/NW20 Chromagraphic Pencil , £14, smudged along the waterline to make eyes appear wider. The end result may ooze nonchalance, but it’s the little details that make this look smoulder.

Topshop Unique

Topshop Beauty Consultant  Hannah Murray  took eyeliner back to the playground for AW14:

“The look is reminiscent of those cool girls at school. It’s effortless, simple, lived in but still quite tough. We’ve taken inspiration from Margot Tenenbaum, the rebellious schoolgirl with attitude. There’s a bit of darkness about her but she’s still beautiful with an air of superiority, all the girls want to be her”

Assume a haughty attitude and grab the nearest kohl pencil- you’re going to need it. Hannah rimmed eyes with  Topshop Beauty Kohl in Coal , £4, smudging heavily underneath the lashline à la Margot and faintly lining the upper waterline to create subtle definition on the upper lid. Lashes were clogged, sooty and reminiscent of break time bad girls- coat the top lashes only with as many layers of mascara as you dare and don’t forget to push the tip of the wand into the root to achieve dramatic lash lift off. A* for effort.

Tom Ford

Mr Ford’s AW14 collection referenced ‘urban life in London’, and we recognise many aspects of said life (or perhaps more suitably, nightlife), in Charlotte Tilbury’s makeup look for the show. The concept evoked ‘girls crawling out of bed after a night of partying in their Tom Ford gowns’. Our dresses may not be designer, but our     beauty aesthetic certainly is- this about as sexy and insouciant as eye makeup gets. We expect nothing less from Charlotte, frankly.

This is no mere bleary eye- achieving this Carine Roitfeld-esque look is all about artful blending. Tilbury smudged  Tom Ford Eye Defining Pencil , £26, along the outer edge of the eye from the top to the bottom, adding opaque intensity with  Tom Ford Absolute Gel Eye Liner , £26. The eyelash curler got sidestepped and mascara was applied to roots only to let the bold liner take the limelight.

Peter Som

Catwalking.com

At Peter Som MAC beauty consultant Tom Pecheux also referenced ‘slept-in’ eye makeup (AW14 really is the season for lazy cleansing regimes and lie ins). MAC  Fluidline eyeliner in Blacktrack , £15.50, was once again a go-to, smoked out with dense, dark green eyeshadow. Eshew sharp edges and blend, bleed and smear to your heart’s content- this is a look that gets better with wear and over time, no matter how many drinks you sink. Don’t scrimp on mascara either- more is more where eyes are concerned but keep skin fresh and clean. A light base, touch of blush and simple balm are all you need to offset this ‘naughty’ night-to-day look.

Antonio Berardi

Trust  Gucci Westman  to comandeer a ‘New York cool’ look- she’s one of the most hip, laid back makeup artists on the scene. She was inspired by a ‘downtown street girl with a touch of Joan Jett’, and the groupie green eyeliner screams ‘I’m with the band, but I’m putting my own spin on things’. The fusion of pencil and shadows textures and blend of green and black tones make this look modern and alluring- achieve it by ringing eyes with  Revlon Photoready Kajal Eyeliner and Brightener in Emerald Empire , £5.99, going over it with  Revlon Colorstay Liner in Black , £6.29. To muss it up a little without an impromptu sleepover, dab a little  Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream , £26, on top of the liner. Finish with a few coats of  Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Potion in Blackest Black , £9.99, before booking the red eye to NY. You’ll fit right in.