![]()
With the holiday season in full swing, we all have office parties, family gatherings and get togethers with friends to attend and of course we want to look our best.
The right dress, perfect hair and of course, make up that makes us glow from the inside out.
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall who’s the fairest (skinned) of them all? … Uh, me.
Without makeup, my skin is pure white paste and when I’m walking around looking pastey, I generally feel just as washed out as I look. So when I’m attending a holiday event (or any event for that matter), the right make up is a MUST.
This month, I teamed up with Mary Kay and Conde Nast to try out one of the three Mary Kay holiday looks from the December issues of SELF, Allure and Glamour. The look that was sent for me to try out was Flapper Chic, which included a smokey eye… and I’m not going to lie- it made me nervous.
Smokey eye? With this milk white skin? I had my doubts that I could pull it off, but after a little playing around with the products sent, I found a way to make smokey eyes work for pale, brown eyed gals like myself.
Below are the results and step by step instructions of how to get the look.
(Oh, and I totally intended to do a video by the way, but…well… my makeup video tutorial skills need a bit of work. It’s my goal for the new year to get better at those.)
Flapper Chic- Smokey Eye For Brown Eyes + Fair Skin

Step 1: Prime your face
Mary Kay® Lash Primer $15.00
Mary Kay® Foundation Primer Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 $16.00
Mary Kay ® Eye Primer $12.00
Time Wise® Age-Fighting Lip Primer $23
Step 2: Highlight
Mary Kay® Facial Highlighting Pen, $18 (I used shade 2)
This highlighter is AWESOME. One of the best ones I’ve used.
Highlight under your eyes, as well as the bridge of your nose up towards your forehead making a “w” of sorts at the start of your forehead. Blend with finger tips or cosmetic sponge.
Step 3: Blush And Bronzer
Add Mary Kay® mineral shy blush ($12) to the apple of your cheek, sweeping upward towards the end of your face.
Sweep your brush across the Mary Kay® Dessert Sun Mineral Bronzing powder ($12) and add directly beneath blush area, as well as your forehead, bridge of your nose and chin.
Blend well with blending brush.
Step 4: Le Smokey Eye
- Line it.
Starting with the Mary Kay® black eyeliner (which is crazy smooth, by the way!), line the top of your lid at the lash line starting in the middle of your eye out to the end. You can add a small wing here if you’d like.
**SECRET TIP to make your eye appear larger**

You ladies, are seriously going to thank me for this tip (if you didn’t already know it).
To make your eyes appear larger, line the bottom of your eye 1/2 way along the lash line, starting at the outer corner to the middle of your eye. When you’ve reached the middle, begin to line the remainder of your eye along the water line.
This tip is especially helpful with a smokey eye look, as the dark colors can sometimes make your eyes appear smaller.
- Color It.
- Using the shimmery white from the Mary Kay At Play™ Baked Eye Trio ($10) cover your entire eye lid, right down to the inner corner of your eye.
- Mixing a small dab of the gun metal shade (middle of the trio) with the shimmery white, add to the inner corner of your eye and along the bottom lash line. **If you have fair skin it is important to remember that a little dab will do it. Too much of the gunmetal color is not what you’re going for- believe me!
- Dab your crease brush into the darker shade in the bronzer duo, and add all along the crease area to make your eye pop a bit. Blend.
- CAREFULLY dab your brush into the black color of the trio and add a very small amount to the outer corner of your eyes. Blend upward. Again, the key here it to use a VERY small amount.
- Finishing Touches
Add Mary Kay® Lash Loving Lengthening Mascara ($15) and Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus® Lip Gloss ($14)
and Viola!
My top 3 Mary Kay® Products from this look were:

|| Left To Right, Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus® Lip Gloss ($14), Mary Kay® black eyeliner, $12, Mary Kay® Facial Highlighting Pen, $18 ||
Disclosure: This was a sponsored post created in partnership with Mary Kay and Conde Nast.
