Season after season, one look floods the runways of New York, Paris and Milan: the smoky eye.

The smoky eye is both the most requested makeup look, and the look that clients have the hardest time achieving on their own. This is likely because people have entirely over-complicated it. In reality, it can be quite simple: an eyeliner smudged out, with a coordinating shadow on top of it, blended out.

Another misconception is that all smoky eyes are black (or charcoal).  However, smoky eyes can be any color- bronze, plum, slate, navy- and often times a colored smoky eye is softer and more flattering than a dark charcoal or black for most women.

This season, brown smoky eyes were all the rage. Designers like Burberry, Proenza Shouler, Derek Lam, Blumarine, Loewe, Givenchy, Rachel Roy, Cushnie et Ochs all showed versions of this look.

Our version, the Ace of Spades, pairs a hazy, matte brown smoky eye with a warmly contoured cheek and a glossed nude lip.

To achieve the Ace of Spades look, begin by lining the upper lashline with a cool, dark brown pencil. Smudge the line up and out with a small blending brush, like a Squirrel Precision Blender ($26).

Next, press a cool, matte brown shadow like Bark ($15) all over the lid with a brush that is the same size as your lid. Our pick? The Chisel Deluxe Fluff ($12.50), a flat, half moon shaped shadow brush.

Take a soft Taupe shadow ($15) and blend the edge of the lid color out to create a hazy effect. Choose a tapered brush that fits easily into the crease, like a Smudge it and Smoke it brush ($27).

Using an angled liner brush, line the upper and lower lashlines with Bark ($15), the same color as on the lid. Blend the lower lashline out with the Taupe shadow ($15) to soften the line.

For extra sultriness, rim the waterline (inner rim of the eye) with a Brown or Black pencil (both $13). This is the quickest way to take your smoky eye from day to night.

Fill in the brow with your perfect shade of Wonderbrow ($18), a gel-wax that comes in 7 true-to-life hair colors.  Filling in the brow creates more of a “frame” for a smoky eye, and helps create balance.

Warm the face softly with a flesh tone blush or bronzer, like Impulsive ($15), a rosy bronze.  Apply below the cheekbones with an aDesign Angled Cheek brush ($27).

Finish the face with a healthy dose of Beauty for Real gloss in Go Nude ($24), a cafe au lait gloss with marine collagen for a plumped pucker. Wen wearing a smoky eye, keep the lip soft to maintain a balance and keep the focus on the eye.

Need a little help achieving the Ace of Spades look? Come in to the studio for a one-on-one lesson with an Authentic Beauty artist, or stop by Champagne and Shadows (the last one in 2012!) on Friday October 19, from 6-9 to try on the look.  Attendance is complimentary, as is the makeup and champagne!