5-Step Party Eyes

While a bold-red lip is always tempting during a season packed with parties, it’s rarely as straightforward as it seems, what with all of the mirror-checking and constant reapplication involved. A smoky eye, its sultry and mysterious counterpart, gets an undeserving reputation for being difficult and intimidating, and can seem unapproachable if you don’t have experience. While no one ever said it was easy, spending time mastering a foolproof technique before the holiday parties are in full swing is well worth the effort. To wit: Once you have the basics down, you can create looks with varying degrees of impact, in a variety of shades, and commit to making it a steady, reliable standby.

The beautifully soft and universally flattering stare above is the handiwork of red-carpet makeup artist Mélanie Inglessis, created exclusively for VIOLET GREY. The French artist is sought after, in part, for her ability to create the perfect smoky eye. (Her client roster includes Kate Hudson, Olivia Wilde, Rosamund Pike and Lea Michelle.) Below, her step-by-step technique for building a deep, defined eye without harsh edges, and the products she used to create the party-ready look above.

“It takes arriving at a certain point in your career to not feel like you have to show off your skills at every single job,” makeup artist Mélanie Inglessis told VIOLET GREY. “When you’re just starting out you always want to push the envelope, but it’s not always appropriate for the situation. Sometimes I just take a step back because the dress is there or the hair is there, and I don’t feel as if I have cheated if I don’t do much.”

Not that she needs to prove her skills. The Paris-born artist’s alma mater is London College of Fashion (the school incubates top-tier talent from a variety of creative disciplines including Stella McCartney and Kate Lee), and she assisted artists like Val Garland, Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath before hopping the pond to begin a successful editorial and celebrity career Stateside. And while her charmed start in makeup would suggest otherwise, she did not, in fact, have childhood aspirations or connections in the industry. Instead, her curiosity started in her early 20s, when she literally wandered into the university’s admissions office one night after work at a local bar. Enter a passionate work ethic and fast-forward more than a decade, and Inglessis’s client roster is a who’s who of Hollywood: Olivia Wilde, Kate Hudson, Rosamund Pike and Cameron Diaz.

Of course, Inglessis still likes to go big, flexing her signature — “fresh, natural skin and a cool, rock ‘n’ roll smoky eye” — when the occasion calls for it. Her clients happily oblige her in whatever she feels is best, naturally. “I’m lucky enough to work with beautiful ladies who trust me and trust what I do,” she says.