Makeup Artist Shares The Dos & Don'ts Of Recreating Pamela Anderson's Iconic Smoky Eye Makeup Look

Before she decided to ditch makeup to go fully makeup-free, Pamela Anderson rocked a dramatic eye look. She was definitely one of the eight celebs who perfectly nailed a smoky eye, which really complemented her platinum blond hair. It had been a signature look synonymous with the "Baywatch" star for decades, so it comes as no surprise that she was a master of applying the smoky eye. Not only did it make her eyes pop, it also amplified her sensuality and allure.

It's only natural you'd want to recreate the makeup look that helped establish the Golden Globe nominee as one of the most iconic sex symbols of her era. But there are specific steps to do and to avoid to perfectly execute Anderson's bold eye makeup. From applying an eye primer to selecting the correct shades, we spoke to celebrity makeup artist Caroline Hernandez to provide a detailed guide on how to recreate Pamela Anderson's iconic smoky makeup look.

When you apply makeup to your face, you want it to last as long as it can, especially a dramatic smoky eye. According to Caroline Hernandez, eye primers are specifically formulated to fix this particular issue. In her professional opinion, Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion remains one of the best eye bases on the market. "Apply enough to cover the lid, but apply it sparingly," she says. "A thin, even coat works best."

While eye primers are a go-to in this scenario, Hernandez noted that there are alternative options for making your eyeshadow stick to your lid. You can opt to use a waterproof eyeliner pencil and smudge it out along the lash line, though the downside is that there's little room for error since it dries down quickly. If the latter method isn't to your taste, then liquid eyeshadows boasting long-lasting formulas, such as R.E.M. Beauty's Starlet Matte Liquid Eyeshadow, do the job just as well.

It might seem like the natural thing to do to have your eye makeup applied last, but in actuality, this is a common misconception when it comes to the smoky eye. The main reason you should always do your eye makeup first, before even applying foundation, is due to the possibility of experiencing fallout from your eyeshadows, especially darker shades. The high risk of leaving a dark, unsightly streak across your cheekbone is high, and much harder to fix when you have your base makeup on.

If you do experience fallout, there's a nifty little trick to resolve it, and it doesn't involve sweeping it away with your makeup brush. "I like to take a little under eye cream on a Q-tip and swipe along the under eye to clean up any mess, while not leaving that area without any hydration," Caroline Hernandez exclusively shared with us.

All the shades Pamela Anderson used look amazing on light-to-medium skin tones, but what about deeper skin tones? For those, we need to step away from grays and cool-toned browns. Instead, Caroline Hernandez recommends using colors that are wearable as a bronzer, which the makeup artist states would be the perfect transition shade. "[Use] a rich or deep terracotta, or warm brown, using a fluffy brush to blend around the edges of the lid color," she says.

For even deeper skin tones, dark, rich browns aren't enough to do the job. In fact, Hernandez points toward deep, reddish-purple shades to make your eyes pop. "For very deep skin tones, I love to look toward the more deep plum/burgundy colors." The makeup artist suggests MAC's Shady Santa shade as one of the most ideal formulations available.

Pulling off the perfect smoky eye can be quite tricky, especially when you're handling more shimmery shades for the look. Pamela Anderson loved to add a pop of silver on her browbone for a bit more pizzazz, but there's an art to executing it perfectly. In fact, Caroline Hernandez cautions against applying this shade to bare skin directly due to the nature of the formulation. "Frosted eyeshadows tend to crease easier than the mattes," she warns, before circling back to the importance of using an eye primer.

"The Last Showgirl" star herself isn't above giving advice, and she's certainly picked up a thing or two over the years, as seen in Pamela Anderson's makeup transformation. In Anderson's mind, more is more, which highlights why she advises piling on more shadow. "Just don't be afraid to put [makeup] on. Then blend away. It gets better throughout the night," the "Chicago" star exclusively shared with Harper's Bazaar, per HELLO!. We can't see why she's wrong.