Fail-safe smoky eyeshadow sets

The sooty, sexy and bold dark eye make-up often seen on models and celebrities is tricky to replicate.

Thankfully, the latest eye make-up palettes are made for smoky-eye novices. Each comes with at least four complementary shades in different textures to define, highlight and widen the eyes. There are nude colours as well as inky dark ones and they match all skin tones. These palettes are also made for day-to-night looks.

1. Urban Decay Naked Smoky, $83, from Sephora stores

It is clear why beauty junkies are obsessed with the Naked line of shadows: There are 12 complementary colours - from metallic to shimmery to sparkly to matt - in a single palette.

This one comes with nude, grey, bronze, brown and black shades as well as a double-ended eyeshadow brush and a smoky eye guide. One can create a wide range of looks with this value-for-money product.

The first 100 to purchase a Naked Smoky palette at Sephora Ion will also receive a deluxe-sized Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

2. NARSissist Matte/Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette, $90, exclusively at Sephora stores

Comprises eight shades - four matt and four shimmery - as well as a creamy black liner with gold dust. The Mandchourie shade, a light denim blue with gold flecks, will add an interesting touch to the lids.

3. Chanel Entrelacs Eyeshadow Palette, $102, from Chanel counters

This compact features five nude satiny and matt shades. The powders are embossed with pretty stained-glass patterns.

4. Lunasol Selection De Chocolat Eyes in 03 Chocolat Raisin, $77, from Lunasol counters

Inspired by chocolate, this series of eyeshadows - four shades of brown in matt and shimmer - smells faintly of cocoa powder too.

5. Bobbi Brown Greige Eye Palette, $107, from Bobbi Brown counters

A limited-edition palette with eight shades of sparkly, shimmery, metallic and matt greyish-beige hues that flatter Asian skin tones.

6. Dior 5 Couleurs Cosmopolite Eyeshadow in 766 Exuberante, $104, from Dior counters

A sophisticated combination of three matt and metallic nude shades, a sparkly gold and a rich navy blue.

This article was first published on August 20, 2015.
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