Jennifer Aniston Proves Where There’s Smoke There’s (Too Much) Bronzer

Friends star appears on a recent red carpet with quite the face of makeup

By Janna Mandell Jan 17, 2014 8:25 PMTags
Jennifer AnistonJ. Countess/WireImage

Now that's what we call the perfect smokey eye.

When we first saw photos of Jennifer Aniston at a recent red carpet premiere, we were immediately drawn to her ultra-flattering eye makeup. 

America's Sweetheart didn't make the usual tragic mistake of going overboard with the shadow and eyeliner (yes, we're talking to you Taylor Momsen and Avril Lavigne) that ends up looking more heroin chic than red carpet chic.

Not only did the shimmery gray eye shadow perfectly match her dress, but it literally made Jen's blue eyes (rumor alert: Jen's eyes are actually brown; she wears blue contacts) jump out of the photo.

We were, however, disappointed to see the future Mrs. Justin Theroux go a bit overboard with the bronzer. We know the self-proclaimed sun-worshipping starlet loves the way she looks with a tan. Unfortunately, the orangey bronzer puts her dangerously near oompa-loompa territory.

Get the Look: Before we fix Jen's botched bronzing, we want to share how to recreate her smokey eye perfection. Start by prepping the upper eye area with primer or concealer to ensure your makeup doesn't absorb into your skin.

Cover the entire upper eye area with a cream-colored matte eye shadow. Then, with a small eye brush, apply a thick line of shimmering gray eye shadow like Urban Decay Eyeshadow in S & M along the upper lash line. Blend the eye shadow upwards towards the crease in a back-and-forth motion (this will give you a gradient effect). Dip an eyeliner brush in the eye shadow and line the lower lash line. Then, smudge line with smudger or with your ring finger.

Next, line your entire upper lash line with a kohl black eyeliner pencil like Prestige Eyeliner Pencil in Black. Then apply the eyeliner in the waterline and along the outer half of the lower lash line.  Gently smudge lower lash line with smudger or your ring finger. Finish by applying two to three coats of your favorite volume-building mascara.

Beauty Bailout: Well, we think this goes without saying but Jen is obviously using the wrong bronzer color. The color she is wearing is way too dark and has too much orange in it. It also isn't blended correctly – you can see stripes of makeup along her cheekbones.

If we had done Jen's makeup, we would have used Orlane Bronzing Pressed Powder Soleil Cuivre 02, which gives all skin tones a natural warm glow.  We would have used a medium sized powder brush to apply the bronzer along Jen's cheekbones, up towards her temples, along her hairline and where the sun naturally hits her.  Finally, we would have blended the bronzer using the powder brush in small circles.

While we may not have approved of Jen's bronzing bonanza, the sultry smokey eye saved this look.  Now if we can only convince her to get rid of that tacky shiny pink gloss…baby steps people.