Q I love dark smoky eyes but I'm prone to dark circles and when I do wear the look, I look like a panda. What do you recommend?

A The most logical would be to avoid doing dark smoky eyes. But I'm partial to the look because it's so sultry and sexy, yet too many Asian women shy away from it. So there are some ways in which you can cheat and still pull it off.

Since you have dark circles, you need to even out your skin tone. A good concealer is key.

I like MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF35 ($25 from Tangs Orchard), a creamy concealer which is easy to work with because it's more moist.

Use the pad of your ring finger to pat in concealer gently around the eye area, camouflaging the discolouration. This will also act as an eye base to help eyeshadow adhere better so it doesn't smudge, which could also add to the panda effect.

Next comes the eyeshadow. Steer away from charcoals and dark matte shadows and go for metallic shades like bronze, gold or copper instead. This still gives you that smoky effect and the shimmer helps to brighten the eye area.

One shade to try is MAC Bronze Shimmer Eye Shadow ($26 from Tangs Orchard).