SPONSORED FEATURE  A smokey eye is the epitome of timeless glamour and understated cool. Whether you pair it with a bold red lip for a vintage look, or embrace your inner rock chick by adding a sprinkling of punk, a wash of dark grey eyeshadow can really ramp up your eye makeup any day of the year. Even though it's a look that never seems far away from the catwalk, red carpet or cover of a magazine, it's still something that evades a lot of us as we struggle knowing where to even start. It's easy to get in a muddle and end up looking more like a teenage goth than a glamorous vixen, so I've broken down the steps (with a little help from the experts) so you can nail it every single time - just in time for the new season.

STEP ONE: Create a uniform base across the eyelid, using either a touch of your foundation and a dusting of powder (using something like the QVS Foundation & Powder Brushes,) or an eye primer. This will not only even out any colour imperfections and minimise creasing, but provide a great base on which the rest of your makeup can stick to. The most important thing is to create contrast and ensure the colours pop! 
STEP TWO: Take a lighter shade of grey, black or brown eyeshadow and sweep it across your entire lid using a fluffy brush (such as QVS Eyeshadow Brush,) taking care to buff it in to the skin. This is the basis of your look and will provide a subtle difference in colour that makes the overall result seem professionally polished. My t...