A smoky eye is quite possibly the most staple of all make-up looks. We love it because it's got attitude and a subtext all of it's very own. It's also fail-safe. A trusted fall back and most of us can do it with our eyes closed (well, certainly after a few wines anyway).

But that time-worn classic, the stuff of guitar-wielding front women and nubile French teenagers has been turned on it's head, quite literally, this season. That smoky intensity, is now relegated to the lower lash line. And the woman responsible? It's none other than Hannah Murray. A make-up artist of the highest ranking and Topshop's make-up consultant who crafted this inverted upside down smoky eye look especially for the Unique Spring Summer 2014 show.

She describes the look as 'tough' where 'heavy destroyed kohl lines the lower eye.’ Her weapon of choice is the Grunge Stick (more of which later) which she describes as 'a hybrid of a cream/powder/kohl, so it has staying power but blends easily and gives just the right amount of grunge.'

But what we really want to know is, is it as wearable, as easy and as indispensable to our make-up repertoire as our beloved smoky eye of old? The team try it out and report back on their findings below.

 

Elin, junior fashion editor, tried Guerlain Fard Metal 02 Bronze Ora, £20.50 and Clinique Cream Shaper for Eyes in Black Diamond, £15. 

'An upside down smoky eye is a genius idea – it’s a modern update on a flattering classic, who doesn’t love a smoky eye? And it works with gravity too so it’s perfect for a night out. Don’t judge this first attempt too harshly, I think it needs a bit more practice and maybe the addition of a clear gloss on the eyelids. The pencil eyeliner I used was beautifully soft, went on nice and easily. The eyeshadow was a great colour, and the stubby applicator means it will fit in the smallest of clutch bags. Will be practising this one more at home, but in theory it’s thumbs up to the upside down smoky!'

 

Laura, staff writer, tried Nars Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Dark Rite, £18 and Laura Mercier Longwear Eye Liner in Noir, £17.

'Chunky shadow pencils are such a brilliantly easy way to achieve a smoky eye – particularly the more adventurous under-eye version where you don’t have the socket line to follow. The petrol blue of this NARS pencil is a nice alternative to simple grey and blended into a lovely smudge with a brush. The nice thing about the smoky under-eye is that because your eyelid stays bare, the look is brighter and less panda-eye, so really wearable. Finished with a line of creamy kohl in the under-waterline, it’s just as intense too.' 

 

Joanna, beauty director, tried Topshop Make-Up Grunge Stick in Unkempt, £7 and Max Factor Excess Intensity Liner in Charcoal, £6.99. 

'I will unashamedly admit that anything that makes the spurious process of drawing on a smoky eye that bit easier gets my wholehearted appraisal. That's where shadow sticks have come up trumps; none of the fildly, over-precise workmanship of proper eye shadow but far less labour-intensive than smudging kohl pencil across your eyes. And, though it feels counter-intuitive to say so, the shift in positioning of all the smoky action actually gives the impression of looking slightly wider-awake. Or at least, more modern. It matters not if the smoky eye migrates a little throughout the day, it should look imperfect and a bit schoolgirl-ish. Gone are the days of heavy Cindy Crawford smoky eye, blending, these days, it's about taking those old eye make-up tropes and subverting them death, which oddly, is far easier to do than the fancy stuff.'

 

Ellie, beauty intern, tried Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in 08 Curvaceous Coal, £17 and Revlon Photoready Kajal in Cleopatra, £5.99.

‘I don’t often wear much eye make-up and honestly I’m hardly a smoky eye veteran either. Why draw attention to your grey hollows by applying even more grey to them? It just spells disaster for someone as impatient as I. The make-up itself was the saving grace of the whole experiment. The Revlon pencil was thick and pleasingly waxy, while the Clinique Chubby Stick was incredibly easy to use (and idiot proof judging by the size of it) and could be built up nicely. Still, the upside-down smoky eye struck me as something a little bit different that’d definitely be sticking with, if nothing else in the interests of being original.