Where There's Smoke

Ms. New Beauty spends most of her days in school, debating some of the most pressing issues facing our society. But, when she comes home, she needs to put her mind on autopilot. Once she gets in the house and gets settled, the television goes right to the mindless television. And, reality shows tend to be the most mindless offerings available. Most reality shows are horrible, but Ms. New Beauty really thinks that The Hills is a standout program. She knows that watching these rich kids bitch and moan about the simple little dramas that fill their lives should be annoying, but she loves it. She is glued to the screen as soon as Natasha Bedingfield finishes the theme song and then calls up her girfriends to debate the finer points of the past thirty minutes once the show goes off. So far, the girls have all agreed that Spencer is indeed "the ultimate cheese," Heidi is a bad friend, and despite skipping the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Paris for the summer, Lauren is a really cool girl. After watching this show for months, Ms. New Beauty has found herself being influenced by some of the girls' style, specifically, the loads and loads of black eye liner and smoky eyes. These girls always have on black eyeliner. Rain, sleet, snow or hail, those lids have a nice dark rim. So, MNB dug through her crates and found her favorite eye liners and smoky eye tools.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

I've taken to wearing my black eyeliner night and day. Black eyeliner for day used to be hailed as overdone, but I really think that its more a sign of unabashed glamour. I love it. I strut around with my eyes lined in the darkest black like every bit of my day is a huge event. And, this eye pencil makes that so easy.

24/7 Glide-On is the perfect pencil for New Beauties with "Shaky Hand Syndrome." I cannot apply liquid liner to save my life but I don't need to worry about that anymore. This pencil is so soft and creamy that is glides easily along lids with no problem. You can smudge the line to create a softer effect if a sharp black line is too much for your daytime activities. But, it's formulation is so ingenious. It's soft and creamy for about 30 seconds, and then dries to a waterproof all day finish. No worries about blinking your eyeliner off.

$15, available at Urban Decay counters.

Stila Smoky Eye Palette

The smoky eye is one of the prettiest makeup techniques that can truly be adjusted and tweaked for every person, every skintone, every situation. But all that versatility definitely comes at a price. The smoky eye looks so deceivingly simple, but it can be very tricky to pull off. I shied away from the smoky eye effect for years, preferring to not do it at all rather than mess it up. But, I've recently conquered the smoky eye (take a glance at my profile pic for proof) and Stila has come up with the perfect product for anyone still unsure of her Smoky Eye Skills.

This palette comes with the quintessential smoky eyeshadow shades - champagne to highlight your brow bone, silvery gray to cover your lids, and a dark gray to contour the crease - and a black eyeliner to pull everything together. But the best part, and you know we love a "best part" here at Ms. New Beauty, is the instructions that come with it. The palette doesn't just have an instruction sheet or diagram to show you how to wear the colors. You just push a button and a recording plays of a Stila makeup artist talking you through the smoky eye. Step. By. Step. I know I'm not the only one wishing that I had started my own makeup company, thought of this idea years ago, and made millions off of it.

$40, available at Stila counters.

And, just in case you still need a little help mastering the smoky eye, check out this very insightful photo tutorial over at The Dazzling Girl.

Smoke up your eyes, and do it up for daytime, just don't forget that Ms. New Beauty told you!