A thick ring of black charcoal was once a defining feature around the eye of many a celebrity.
Heavy lashes, a two-toned eye shadow and a light contour has been a staple of make-up looks for over a decade.
But it appears the smokey eye look is dying, and A-listers are now opting for a more natural eye on the red carpet after Gen Z declared eye-shadow is ‘dated’.
At this year’s Met Gala, the likes of Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lopez and Sienna Miller opted for light make-up around the eye, going eyeliner free and opting for just a lick of mascara.
But could a bare look emphasise bags and wrinkles, meaning celebrities look older?
So is it a refreshing change from an overdone look?
Phoebe Dynevor at the Meta GalaGigi Hadid at the Met GalaAt this year’s Met Gala , the likes of Gigi Hadid , Jennifer Lopez and Sienna Miller (pictured) opted for light make-up around the eye, going eyeliner free and opting for just a lick of mascara
Celebrity make-up artist Edy London, who runs EDY London Lashes, and boasts the likes of Rita Ora, Lily Allen and Ellie Goulding as clients, told FEMAIL the look can work well if done correctly.
‘My favourite look has finally came back into fashion,’ she said.
‘Ditching eyeliner is the way forward for youthful looking eye.
‘You can frame your eye focusing on naturally enhancing your eyeshape with subtly darkening eyelashes and adding a gentle curl, for example with natural looking eyelash extensions. Good eyelashes will help open up the eyes and look more lifted.
‘Drawing eyeliner can make eye appear smaller, especially drawing thick line. A hooded eye can appear even more hooded with eyeliner – especially in mature women.
‘I have noticed women recently are willing to expose their natural skin and freckles which I think is fantastic!
‘Bare skin, or just a light coverage will make skin appear look younger. Instead of caking up thick foundation, concentrating on the blusher in the apple or the cheek and highlighter will help to lift the face a little. Of course, it needs to be the right shade of pink for each individual.
Celebrity make-up artist Edy London , who runs EDY London Lashes , and boasts the likes of Rita Ora, Lily Allen and Ellie Goulding as clients, told FEMAIL the look can work well if done correctly.Anya Taylor-Joy is pictured at the Furiosa photocall without a smokey eyeBrie Larson at the Met GalaElle Fanning at the Met Gala
‘The right brow also massively contribute to overall rejuvenated appearance, the right arch can help lift the eye and stand out.
‘Picking right shades of lipstick in bold colours that complement natural undertones plays an important role in youthful looking skin.
‘Pink, Red , coral shades enhance the natural warmth of your skin. The contrast in colours will make the wearer skin appear look younger,’.
Tricia Cusden, makeup expert and founder of Look Fabulous Forever added: ‘We have seen the ‘smokey eye’ look become somewhat less popular over the past few years, especially with celebrities like Pamela Anderson favouring a bare face or ‘light makeup’ look like she had at the met gala.
‘The thing with a smoky eye, especially on older skin, if not done right it can make you look older that you are and accentuate certain features.
‘For example, using shimmer or glittery eyeshadows can settle into the lines around the eyes and can draw more attention to that area – whereas matte eye shades flatter older eyes as they cover creases rather than draw attention to them.
‘I often think people assume because it’s a ‘smoky’ eye you have to go super black or super dark but a more subtle smokey eye can work really well regardless of your age.
‘My top tip for pulling off this look would be to always use a primer and a good blending brush – a primer will ensure that your colour lasts longer and doesn’t migrate into fine lines and a good brush is key to blending the colours evenly.’
Jennifer Lopez is another celebrity that’s opted for a lighter eye make-up look at the Met GalaJessica Biel also ditched dark eye make-up for a a pink and orange lookPamela Anderson ditched her make-up last year and now often appears make-up free
Edy’s advice on using the right make-up brush
Edy London, an eyelash extension specialist with a salon in central London added that she still has scepticism about the reopening, after not being able to open her business in the summer when hair and nail salons were allowed to accept customers.
BLENDING BRUSHES
‘Blending brush is designed mainly for smokey eye, or to blend the colour on the crease to soften the look. It is not designed to apply the eye shadow directly.
ANGLED BROW BRUSH
‘Angled Brow brush, often people mistake it for an eyeliner. Brow brush is way too thick to create a fine line on your eyelid.
APPLICATOR BRUSH
‘Applicator brush is for applying only, the look should be always perfected with a crease and blending brush or just blending brush!
USE A BRUSH FOR THE COVERAGE YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE
‘It’s all about the coverage and finish you would like to achieve.
‘For light and medium coverage, use a buffing brush.
Edy says her number 7 buffing brush works perfect with thin textures for example with Trinny London BFF cream or light foundation Armani Maestro. It can also be uses with creams and primers.For heavier foundations for example Estee Lauder Double wear, Edy recommends using buffing brush which allows to buff the product into the skin with seamless finish. For full coverage use a flat foundation brush.Edy says her number 8 brush is dreamy for applying blush if you have struggled in the past with finding one, Blush brush should only be touching your skin gently with the tip of the bristles.Edy says this brush can be easily used with cream concealers or cream/powder eyeshadows for example Trinny London as well as powder highlighters especially around lip area
Celebrities have recently opted for more natural looks both on the red carpet and out and about.
Alicia Keys famously stopped wearing make-up in 2016, while Pamela Anderson ditched her make-up last year.
Star have also opted for a more relaxed look on the red carpet, little black dresses are being replaced with a more daring sheer black dress on the red carpet this season.
A-listers and homegrown stars have all opted for the look, from Kendall Jenner to Katy Perry and Ice Spice.
The look – more festival fashion than classic red carpet – often sees stars baring their underwear in a see through dress.
In April, Sheridan Smith turned heads at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall.
The actress, 42, whose musical Opening Night was recently cancelled two months early, wore a sheer black dress by Rebecca Vallance as she posed outside the famous concert hall.
Her dress reached right down to the ground and was adorned with shimmering rhinestones.
She wore a pair of black heels to add a few inches to her stature and accessorised with a glamorous costume necklace and earrings for the evening.
The best make-up for your least favourite facial feature
FEATURE: Small eyes
MAKE-UP TRICK: Use fake eyelashes, contrasting liner and eyeshadow and apply highlighter
Edy advises using a bright inner corner eyeshadow to help open up the eye with maximum effectShe recommends using MAC’s She Spark Dazzleshadow with a tiny precision brush that gets into your inner corner
Edy revealed: ‘Of course I am going to start with the eyelashes. A pair of lashes that will open up your eyes upwards are perfect choice for someone with small eyes or a monolid.
‘A great trick to make your eyes look wider is by contrasting inner and outer corners.
‘An example would be to create an extended eye liner on the outside corner, followed by dusting your inner corner with a light reflective textured eyeshadow to really help open up for maximum effect.
‘Even if you have a mono-lid, or your crease isn’t very defined, you can create one.
‘This simple step is one of the key techniques to enlarge your eyes.
‘Using a small pencil brush along the socket, choose your preferred contour colour to buff it in along the socket.’
The beauty expert continued: ‘Applying highlighter under the eyebrows will give an instant lift and create an illusion of more space in this area.
‘Using black eyeliner on its own can contribute to an eye appearing smaller, so if you are wanting to close the eye in this is where you would start.
‘However using eyeliner to open up the eye can also work by using a white or beige pencil on the inner eye line helping to keep the eye bright and open.
‘Adding definition across the top with a darker colour will help set this look off.’
FEATURE: Rounder face
MAKE-UP TRICK: Use your hand as a guide to place contour product right in the cheekbones
Using your hand as a guide, hold it flat against your face from the top of your ear and point the fingers towards your lips – this shows you where to place the contour product with your brushUse a short, flat, dense, rectangular chisel brush, which allows you to place product right into the cheekbones, and drag it upwards towards the side of your face. Make sure to focus the product on the outside of your face, higher up the hand guide you did before applying, rather than closer to the lips
Edy explained how the trick, when done with ‘precision and the correct techniques and brushes’, could make a ‘huge difference’ to your appearance.
She advised: ‘Grab a flat rectangular brush to help chisel some cheekbones, and start off by using your hand to find the perfect place to put the product.
‘Make a line with your hand from the top of your ear with your fingers towards your lips – this is where your contour should be placed.
‘Put the short, dense chisel brush, using a contour cream or powder that is a few shades darker than your foundation, horizontally into the area with the line you created.
‘Try to keep the brush closer to the side of your face rather than closer to your lips – you want to extend the bronziness up your face rather than inwards.
When the product is applied, turn the brush sideways to help blend it upwards and into your foundationDrag the brush upwards towards the top of your ear so there is no harsh lines
‘To help blend, turn the brush vertically and use whatever product is left on the bristles to move the contour outwards and merge it into your foundation nicely.
‘This will mean you have a smooth-looking contour with no harsh and dark lines.
‘Make sure you extend the contouring up onto your face, by adding a little to your temples and top of your forehead, as neglecting the rest of your face can make your make up look incomplete.
‘Focusing on your best features draws attention away from your imperfections, so don’t forget to enhance the areas of your face that you are most proud of.’
FEATURE: Sharp brows
MAKE-UP TRICK: Highlight under your brows to help feminize the face
Edy explained: ‘Concentrate on enhancing the feminine features of your face – lift your eyebrows and enhance your lashes!
‘The right brow shape feminizes your features.
‘Lift your brow by maximising the space between your lash line and your brow by tidying and shaping up your brow area.
‘Fill in and define your eyebrows with an angled brow brush.’
She continued: ‘Once the area is neat use a highlighter or a concealer on a brow bone directly under the brow which will help create lift.
‘Long lashes are the key to a feminine look.
‘You can achieve that by either using strip lashes, lash extensions or layers of thick, dark volumising mascara.
‘Don’t forget about lower lash.
‘Eyebrows are a very expressive feature of the face, in fact it is the first communicator through our face expression.
‘Throughout time, eyebrow trends have rightly gained their place in history. From decade to decade we have seen all kinds of shapes and sizes which have been iconic in uniquely adding glamour, drama, and expression to its era!’
FEATURE: A large forehead
MAKE-UP TRICK: Use a big dense brush and a contour product to play with your face shape
Contouring, with the model using a large, dense brush, can help change the shape of your faceBlend bronzing products up your cheeks and around the sides of your face, including your temples and top of your forehead, to create an illusion of a slimmer face
Edy explained: ‘As much as a hair style can help with changing your face shape appearance make up can too.
‘Contouring plays an important role in how you can avoid non-invasive treatment and still effectively hide imperfections.
‘Like with the sharp contouring to help slim your face, you can create a plumper contour effect by using a large, dense rounded brush to lightly put product in the same area.
‘It means your cheekbones look lifted with less intensity than what the chiseled brush creates.’
She explained: ‘Contouring does not always mean structure and definition. You can use these techniques for quite the opposite also!
‘Adding a pop of colour onto the apples of the cheeks helps to brighten up the complexion giving a soft and natural, healthy and youthful appearance.’
FEATURE: THIN LIPS
MAKE-UP TRICK: Put your lipstick on the sharp end of a lip brush to overline your pout
You can overline your lips using the sharper side of a flat lip brush, going just slightly over the line of your cupids bow and lower lipEdy also advises exfoliating the lips before applying any product to them, helping the application process
Edy suggested: ‘Using your favourite lipstick, overdraw your lips a little bit with the sharper side of a flat lip brush, and carry on by filling it in with the wider side.
‘I recommend matte lipstick for over-lining as they are less likely to bleed into the creases around your lips.’
Meanwhile she continued: ‘Exfoliating your lips never disappoints.
‘It helps the lip to appear larger as well as helps to get rid of dead skin in preparation for longer lasting lip product.’
She added: ‘Over lining lips always work. Use a concealer on already over lined lipstick with a end of a flat lip brush.
‘Add a clear gloss to the centre rather than all over to give a subtle plumpy pout.’
Meanwhile the professional suggested that ‘less is more’, continuing: ‘Sometimes just adding definition to an uneven lip line or balancing out a fuller bottom lip to the top for example can make all the difference.
‘Small and subtle can be just as effective in creating beautiful and natural even fuller lips.
‘For those who were already blessed with fuller lips, they can exaggerate the volume with a clear gloss.’
FEATURE: A large nose
MAKE-UP TRICK: Draw out shadow lines to create an illusion of a smaller nose
Edy explained: ‘Once you have prepped your base with a primer and foundation, you can start with your cream or powder contour, choosing a colour 2 or 3 shades darker.
‘To make your nose appear look slimmer, use a small domed brush and draw out shadow lines either side of the planes of the nose, making sure to keep the lines as straight as possible to avoid creating a crooked nose.
‘You don’t want a brush that’s too pointy as it can make very harsh lines that are not so easy to blend.
‘Use a brush to blend the colour down the sides of the nose buffing and blending so that no obvious lines can be seen.
‘The centre plane of the nose should now appear highlighted and thinner.’
She continued: ‘You can brush some of the darker colour across the tip of the nose if you wanted to create less length.
‘To really set the look off the effect, apply a light reflective setting powder on the lighter area.
‘Each brush is perfectly designed for each stage of the contouring process.’
Stage and screen star Sheridan stopped to greet fans and have her picture taken with them on arrival.
She carried a mirrored silver clutch purse shaped like a pair of lips with her.
Meanwhile, Katy Perry left little to the imagination as she hit the red carpet at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The pop star, 39, looked ready for Coachella as she put on a very daring display in a sparkly fishnet dress, which left her black underwear on full display and allowed a glimpse of her incredible figure.
The sides of the sultry black number were left completely open and only secured with red velvet ribbons, showing off her long legs.
Katy could not resist spinning around on the carpet while posing up a storm, to show off her revealing outfit from all angles.
The singer boosted her height with a pair of heeled black knee-high boots and added a pair of futuristic sunglasses.
