Photo Tutorial: Dark Brown Smoky Eye Using Maybelline Chai Latte Quad
I bought the Maybelline Chai Latte Eye Shadow Quad after reading rave reviews of it all over the Internet. But to my disappointment, 3 out of 4 colours of the quad don’t work for me. The beige highlighter is hardly pigmented enough to show up on my skin, so all it does is litter shimmer particles over my eye area. The light brown matte lid colour does nothing for my eyes. If at all, it seems to dull down my natural eye lid colour (in my opinion). The coppery crease shade I could use, but not in my crease. Somehow I could not digest the idea of using a shimmery shade in the crease. This was also confirmed by one of Rashmi’s posts where she mentioned how a MAC MUA told her not to use shimmery eye shadow in the crease (thanks Rashmi!). I find the copper shade too shimmery to use all over my lids. The matte dark brown I use for filling in my eye brows.

I’m rebuilding my makeup collection and this quad is my only eye shadow palette in this innings. I wanted to make this quad work, but only one shade seems workable for me – the matte dark brown. So I thought of creating a smoky eye using just this eye shadow.
The tools needed for the job are:
- Maybelline Chai Latte Eye Shadow Quad
- Lakme High Definition liquid eye liner
- Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara

Step1: Prep your eyes by applying an eye shadow primer on the lids. Apply concealer around the eyes. I’m not using either in this tutorial.
Step 2: Pack on dark brown eye shadow using an eye shadow brush or the applicator that comes with the quad all over your lid and slightly above the crease. Blend. Extend the shadow slightly outwards, towards your temples. Blend. The shade looks very dark in the pan, so I was apprehensive of using it all over my lids, but it turned out fine.
Step 3: Starting at the outer corner of the eye, sweep a thin line of the eye shadow below the lower lash line and stop before the tear ducts. Reduce the thickness of the line as your move inwards. Smudge it a little bit.
Step 4: Apply a liquid eye liner along the upper lash line. Keep the line thin and wing it upwards ever so slightly at the outer corners of the eye. I’m using my Lakme High Definition eye liner (price Rs. 165). As much as I hated it when I bought it, it has grown on me. It has a hard felt tip applicator that does not pick up much of the product, but it does give a very precise application and very thin lines. I’ve found it especially useful to line my lower lash line. It is water resistant and stays put on the upper as well the lower lash lines for hours without smudging or cracking. Also, it is very black.
Step 5: Using the liquid eye liner, line the lower lash line only up to about three quarters of the lash line, steering clear of the water line. I’ve been seeing a lot of looks lately where they don’t take the liner all the way to the inner corner of the eye. Lining the eyes corner to corner on both upper and lower lash lines can make smallish eyes look tiny. Leaving out about a quarter of the lower lash line seems to create some space and prevents the eyes from looking caged inside the eye liner. Also, keeping clear of the waterline helps to open up the eyes, in my opinion. I love kajal, but since I’m using a dark brown eye shadow here, it is easy to drown my small eyes in a sea of black and brown. Hence, thin eye liner and no kajal. 🙂
Step 6: Correct any errors using an ear bud dipped in baby oil or Olive oil. The gap between my crease and brows is plenty and in this look, I don’t want that area to stand out even more. So I’m avoiding any highlighting of the brow bone. Some highlighter to brighten up the inner corners of the eyes would look nice though, given all the matte shadow flying around the eye area.
Step 7: Apply mascara. In this look, I’m aiming more at creating thickness along the lash line and not so much at lengthening the eye lashes since dense lashes would go with the smoky look better.
Step 8: Complete the look by applying a nude lip stick or lip gloss. My recommendations for lip sticks would be Maybelline Color Sensational Autumn Rush (pinkish brownish nude), Revlon Colorburst Peach (true peach) and Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude (erase your lips nude).
This dark matte look need not be restricted to night outs alone. I call this my “overcast day” look. The days in Bangalore have been dark and cloudy lately, with no rain. Something like Sleepy Hollow, for those who have seen the movie. I’ve found this dark and cloudy (smoky) look to go well with my surroundings. 🙂
Have you used Maybelline Chai latte Quad? Please rate in the Box below?
Sleepy Hollow Image Source
I actually like the lid colour for a nude work-safe look a LOT! And of course, this matte dark brown is lovely. Try using the copper as a brow bone highlight (works well on tan skintones) and in the inner corner of your eye. And yes, the white shade SUCKS.
Nice tutorial :))
.-= ki.´s last blog ..Quick tips =-.
i am dying to pick chai latte sonal
Jhonny depp :drool: :beauty: :blush:
oh i got distracted
i loved the way u put a slim delicate line of black…nice
Don’t die just yet Neha. Buy the quad. 🙂
Thanks Ki. 🙂
I super super love this quad. And I like the highlighter colour mainly because it’s so understated. I can wear it easily during the day without looking OTT. And lid colour gives a perfect wash of colour on my lids.
But somehow never took out any use of the crease colour. Don’t like the shade anyway. :silly:
Loved how intense your eyes look with the brown. :yes: :yes:
Thanks Rati, I guess skin tone does make a difference on how colours show up eventually. I’m glad the light brown shadow works for some of you guys. 🙂
HEy I love this quad for all the colours… The matte colours are very understated and work well for me if I want bold lips….
I use the shimmery brown alone as eye gloss…. He he.. meaning I pick it up lightly with a blending brush and lightly apply it all over the lid right upto the brow bone.. Then a little kajal and a pinkish nude lip colour and i am ready within a minute.. Try it.. 😀
.-= Mrunmayee´s last blog ..Grand giveaway at IMBB!!!! =-.
You go girl! :yes:
hi sonal. i loved the wayu did ur eyes… the dark brown shade really worked on u.. u hv beautiful intense eyes lady…. :inlove:
Thanks Sush. 🙂
Hey! Sonal,
What a coinsidence, I just picked up this quade y’day and wht do I see. A tute^ from you… :-)) awesome!!! now I am waiting for a chance to try this out… :-))
The only thing that I am concern about is since I have light eye, if the brown making my eyes too scary :vampire:
Hey Rajol, congrats on being a proud owner of this quad! 🙂 Try out the look for yourself and see, I say. 🙂
Hi Sonal, nice tute. I have this quad too and I was super excited to get it, but I have been a bit disappointed. I like all the colours,but they don’t work too well for me. The highlighter looks fine on me. As for the main lid colour, it is almost the same exact shade as my own lid, so it’s barely noticeable :(. But I use it anyway – it mattifies my lids. The dark brown looks too dark and muddy on me. And the gold doesn’t look too good either…oh well, this was my first quad. Hoping to buy better next time.
And btw, your eyes look really nice 🙂
Yeah, the lid colour almost matches my eye lid colour too. 🙁 Somehow the coppery shade is not my favourite either. I would have preferred finer shimmer in it.
Hey Sonal…..I could do with this dark matte look coz the weather in Hyderabad is so englandy…. 🙁
Do try it, jomol! 😀
Very Nice Tutorial Sonal. I for sure am gonna try it this weekend 🙂 . And am getting so many different ideas to use the quad. Thanks for the tut
Thanks Lavanya! I’ve learnt so many things from the comments as well. I’m going to try them all! 🙂