Get the Look: Jessica Szohr’s Inky, Smoky Eyes

There are many different ways to achieve a smoky eye, and one of the most intense is rimming eyes in a black eyeliner, as seen on Jessica Szohr at the premiere of ‘The Internship‘ on Wednesday.

However applying eyeliner on the waterline–the part of your lid right above the lower lashline, and right underneath your upper lashes–can be tricky for the at-home makeup artist, since some liners create too large a line and others run, since the waterline is, in fact, watery!

So we went straight to the pros to find out the best way to line the waterline (also called tightlining).

Makeup artist Nikole Morrow-Pettus says it’s best to use a waterproof, creamy eye pencil and gently pull down on your eye to expose the lower waterline making sure you stop before the tear duct, so you don’t clog it.

For the upper lid, look up, so you can see the upper waterline easier.

And to get the specifics on recreating this look at home, Jessica’s makeup artist Mai Quynh shared how she made Jessica’s eyes smolder:

First, she applied Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour Shadow in Caviar along Jessica’s lash line and up to the crease.

Next, she mixed the taupe and black colors from the Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeshadow Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Femme Fatale 100 and applied them to her crease. Then she smudged the black color along the bottom lash line.

Then came the waterlining! Mai rimmed the top and bottom lids of Jessica’s eyes with Becca Automatic Eye Pencil in Majorca.

And finally, she brushed on two coats of Diorshow Black Out Mascara.

Of course with such intense eyes, it’s important to keep the rest of the makeup subdued, so Mai used a subtle wash of tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Blushing Bride on the apples of Jessica’s cheeks and NARS Satin Lipstick in Tolède–a soft rose colour–to keep the lips fresh and subtle.