Tutorial: Daytime Smoky Eye with Le Metier de Beaute Penelope

A little less than year ago, I procured my first Splendid Frost Kaleidoscope Eye Kit. I puzzled over its construction, gasped at the texture, and distrusted that the colors were supposed to go together (matte gray, light pink, and midnight blue. What?). I ordered it based on reviews, so I already heard about the couches de couleurs technique. I layered the shadows from top to bottom on my eyelids and called it a day.

My current proximity to Bergdorf's has led me to too frequent visits and one too many makeovers from Dustin. I am grateful for this because he is very knowledgeable in his craft. Every time he touches a brush to my face, I drop a little coin into my learnt-a-new-technique jar.

However, I know there are a lot of people out there who do not have access to a Le Metier de Beaute counter, and a quick Google search shows there aren't many kaleidoscope tutorials lying around the web. I remember how, as compared to now, I was absolutely clueless about that fold-out palette that came in the mail. I wrote this in the hope of sharing the knowledge I've accumulated from all those hours sitting on a Bergdorf lavender chair. The procedures outlined below is my attempt to emulate as closely as possible Dustin's method of application, with a couple of tweaks of my own.

I hope this tutorial will be of some use to you. Let us begin:

Products used:

• Face (not pictured): Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Shade #2, Guerlain Terra Inca Sublime Radiant Powder

• Eyes: Burberry Eye Shadow in Trench, Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eye Pencil in Champagne, Penelope Kaleidoscope, Liquid Liner in Noir, Diorshow Iconic Mascara

• Lips: Le Metier de Beaute Lipstick in Thailand, Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss in Bondi Beach

The main focus of this tutorial is to demonstrate the Le Metier de Beaute couches de couleurs technique.  

happiness comes in the form of a fold-out kaleidoscope

Here's how I looked when I first started. In this picture, I've already prepped my face with Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge in Shade #2, concealer, and shaded in my eyebrows.

Start by applying a base/eye primer. I usually use the Champagne eye pencil all over my lid and blend it out with my ring finger. 

L-R: blended, not blended

Once your base is set, proceed to layer the first three shades of the kaleidoscope on top of each other with an eye shadow brush.

First, the golden brown shade

Then, the lilac shade

L-R: first shade, first and second shade layered

And finally, the taupe

I like to work the green into the crease for more definition. Tip: If you used to be like me and not know where your crease is, place your finger on your lid area and feel around for your browbone. Your crease is directly below it.

Draw a thin black line on the top lashline.

Dip a liner brush into the fourth shade in the kaleidoscope. With it, go over the black line.

After that, dip your liner brush through all four layers of the kaleidoscope. Gently pull it through the bottom lashline to complete the look. 

Use an eye shadow one shade lighter than your skin to highlight the area underneath the brows. Apply mascara onto lashes.

Finish up the rest of your face by applying blush/bronzer/contour and a lipstick and lipgloss of your choice. I recommend pairing this eye look with lighter lip shades.

Contoured

LMdB Lipstick in Thailand

LMdB Lip Gloss in Bondi Beach

Done!

L-R: how it looks on a monolid, how it looks on a double lid

I wore this look with a quintessential summer outfit.

... and tried to curl my hair ala Bombshell Blake, but that woman has magical powers (read: professional stylists with teleportation abilities) so I just took what I could get.

One last close-up:

Fin