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Pick a base color. Select a light, medium, and dark shade of the same color.
One of the more popular base colors for a smokey eye look is black or gray. You may go for black or gray as your base if you want a more traditional smokey eye for a night out. Black or gray also be a good option if you are planning on wearing a colorful outfit and want your eye makeup to be more neutral and dark. Another option is to go for a base color that is more colorful, such as blue, purple, green, or pink. This may be a fun way to add some color to your look. Brown can also be a good base color for smokey eyes. Brown can create a look that is still dramatic but not as dark as black. Purple eyeshadow complements those with brown, hazel, and green eyes. Blue eyeshadow complements those with green or blue eyes. To do the gradient smokey eye, you will need three eyeshadow colors, ranging from light, medium, and dark of the same color. You will then layer these colors side by side to create a gradient of color on your eyelids. For example, if you chose black as your base color, you will need light gray, dark gray, and black eyeshadows. If you chose purple, you will need light purple, medium dark purple, and dark purple to create the gradient look. For pink, red, or peach shades, use a medium or dark brown as the darkest shade in your smokey eye look. You may be able to find prepackaged powdered eyeshadows that come in three to four different shades of the same color for a smokey eye look. You can use these packs or "quads" to create the smokey eye, but having separate eyeshadows allows you to choose from a range of colors and shades. If you prefer cream eyeshadows over powdered eyeshadows, you can use them for this look.