So, I kind of forgot to mention one particular muse of mine when I posted about celebrity beauty last time. I’m not exactly sure how that happened, because she actually is the first one that comes to mind when I think of incredible eye makeup. Honestly. One of her looks even served as the inspiration for my own wedding makeup! I don’t know how I managed to forget her. Perhaps I had hair on the brain more than makeup that day I posted, but frankly, she deserves a post all her own.
Oh, Keira Knightley. What can I say about Keira? I admit that I relate to her brown hair, brown eyes, medium-toned skin and boyish figure, but her red carpet makeup for the past couple years has been out of this world and I’d kill to relate to that. Her main go-to when it comes to makeup for big appearances is a smokey eye, which happens to be my favorite as well. What makes her smokey eye looks so special is the beautiful blending of different shades of deep brown and gunmetal shadows, along with pearly shimmer on her inner and outer corner eyelids. Top it off with some black eyeliner on the inner rims, and then just sit there for two hours applying fifty million coats of mascara.
Add a little flush to the cheeks and a light shade of whatever to the lips, and you’ve got something pretty close to perfection. I just love how her warm, chestnut hair color complements the dramatic eyes, too. I know she typically uses Kate Lee for her makeup, and lately I’ve been seeing a lot of Bobbi Brown references when searching for the products used on her. It’s never a surprise to hear about Chanel products being used on her too, considering Keira’s been the long-time face of Chanel Mademoiselle. Below is the exact makeup look I used as a reference for my wedding day. It’s from one of Knightley’s premieres for her 2010 film Never Let Me Go.
The focus is obviously on the lashes here, and the shadow isn’t quite as dark. There’s more of a mauve, metallic feel to it as opposed to sooty. My own wedding makeup ended up consisting of a smokey eye using a deep eggplant shade and a rich espresso, along with Keira’s trademark shimmer in the corners of the eyes and on the places where light hits her face. And of course, I can’t ever resist a full, well-groomed set of eyebrows.
I cannot wait to see how Knightley turns out on the red carpet for her upcoming premieres and press junkets for Anna Karenina. And if she snags some nods during awards season, my (smokey) eyes will be glued to the telly! xo, MR
thebrightblush 
Hi there! Def agree with you about Keira’s makeup. Do you know what the product by Chanel she uses to add shimmer in the corners of her eyes? Where else would you apply this shimmer? Thank you!
Hi!
I’m having a hard time nailing down exactly which product was used for the shimmer on Keira. However, some products I’ve used to give a similar effect include a cream shadow duo by NARS called Thebes (not sure how available it is), and a MAC eyeshadow called Nylon. You want something pearly, perhaps a touch more gold than silver. I like using a cream shadow brush and putting a little on the top of the cheekbones, above the eyebrows, in the inner and outer corners of the eyes, just at the cupid’s bow above the upper lip, and a touch on the chin. The point is to place the shimmer on the places of the face where the light hits. Highlighters work well for this too (Tarte Macracuja Blush and Glow highlighters get great reviews), but I just like using a smaller brush when applying shimmer so I can be precise. Let me know what you use!
xo, MR
And I’d definitely try to find a cream, if you can. Shimmer always turns out better when it’s in cream texture, unless you’re just worried about the inner and outer eye corners. Powder works well, in that case.
Yeah, I found her makeup products for the never let me go pic AND the first pic, and she uses Chanel for the first and Bobbi Brown for the 2nd pic. The quintessential English rose!
I also love Emma Watson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley makeup. Could you find out what they’re wearing (in any pic.?) ?
Hi Kristy!
I’ll have to do some digging on Emma and Rosie’s makeup, but I can guess that Rosie probably wears a lot of Burberry makeup because she’s the face of Burberry Body. I’ll have to pick a look I really like and see what I can find!