When I’m at home working during the week, it’s rare that my makeup routine takes long. However, for holidays and special occasions, I like to take it up a notch. There are endless ways to “dress up” your look, from highlighted cheeks to a pop of red lipstick, but my go-to has always been a sultry smoky eye paired with a nude lip. I love this combination because it creates a sense of depth and draws attention to the eyes, and the nude lip adds softness to prevent the look from seeming overdone.

For Valentine’s Day, David and I decided to go out to lunch to avoid the evening crowds. Though I normally wouldn’t apply a smoky eye during the daytime, I thought I’d wear and share this look for any of you ladies who have a fun date planned tonight or this weekend. Below you’ll see all the products I use, step by step, along with how to apply them and smoky eye mistakes to avoid.

1. Prime

Apply a healthy coat eyeshadow primer all over the lid. Bring it all the way above your lid and into you intend to fill them.

2. Build a Base

Use a fluffy brush to apply a mid-tone eyeshadow over your lid from lash to crease, then sweep it down lightly around your lower lash line. Applying on the lower lash line will make your eyes look big, trust me! I like to use a soft brown, but you can use a soft black or purple for a deeper smoky eye.

3. Curl your Lashes

I love my Kevin Aucoin curler and do this before applying eyeliner to avoid smudging.

4. Define with Eyeliner

While I’d normally use black eyeliner to fill in my tear line and top lids, for daytime, I used brown. I love Dior’s brown for its pigment and staying power.

5. Smudge and Blend

Use a small shadow brush to blend the eyeliner line all the way around, especially the tear line. There shouldn’t be a harsh line on your tearline in the end.

6. Highlight

Choose a light colored shadow with a touch of shimmer and highlight your brow bone and underneath the eye, using it to blend our and eliminate any harsh lines from the darker shadow.I like to use a soft gold/nude and this blending brush. Then, use one fingertip to pop it on the center of each eyelid.

7. Lipliner

Lightly line your lips for definition. I love this Charlotte Tilbury in Pillowtalk.

8. Lipstick + Gloss

My favorite nude lip for a smoky eye is a layered combination of MAC lipstick in Myth with Tarte Lip Paint in Hella.

9. Under-Eye Concealer

Do not skip this step! It lightens up the look and makes the heavier eye makeup less intense and more pleasing to the eye. Swipe a lightening concealer lightly underneath each eye and use your fingers to blend.

10. Mascara

Use something that provides thickness and volume and is VERY black. I love this Bobbi Brown option and this crowd favorite from Too Faced.

What’s your favorite way to dress up your makeup? I’d love to know in the comments or on Instagram, and let me know if you have any smoky eye questions below!