I have been blessed to serve as Leanne Marshall’s make-up designer since our relationship began on Project Runway several years back. Since we met, I have been lucky not just to work with her, but to hold her as one of my most cherished friends.

For her winter 2011 collection, Leanne dazzled the audience with her trademark show stopping pieces but she branched out by making a  handful of stunning and utterly sublime, ready to wear pieces. To compliment her beautiful collection, we settled on a unique, structured smoky eye and a classic red lip.

The Eyes:

Step 1: Line the inner rims of the upper and lower lash line with a black cream liner.

Step 2: Using the same cream liner, line all around the upper and lower lash lines.

Step 3: At the tear duct, pull the gel liner down to a point (if you want to make this look less severe, simply take off this point). Then, below the outer corner, begin to pull the color out to another point. The look shares some similarity with a cat eye but its placement is very different. In a cat’s eye, the color starts at the outer corner of the upper lash line, with this look, it starts below the lower lash line and flicks up with a lesser angle.

Step 4: Using a black shadow, start just below the brow above the inner corner of the eye. Apply the color down to the lash line. As you
make your way toward the outer corner, let the color start at the crease and gradually get lower.

Step 5: Use a smoky gray to hombre the color up to the brow.

The Lips: A classic red will make this ultra dramatic look really pop!

Don’t use any blush, bronzer or gloss with this look. With so much drama, any more color will take it from fabulous to clownish. To learn  more about Leanne visit leanimal.com or read her blog at petalsandwaves.blogspot.com.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Werner.