India, Oct. 23 -- I have always liked the look of a smokey eye, but creating one myself felt intimidating. Getting black kajal to blend without looking too harsh, choosing the right eyeshadow shades and making both eyes look balanced can be tricky when you are still learning makeup. I wanted an easy way to achieve that softly defined, slightly smudged eye look without spending too much time on it.

After looking for recommendations online, I bought two products: the RENEE Fearless Eyeshadow Palette and Lakme 9-5 Eyeconic Smokey Kajal. I wanted to see whether they could help me create a soft smokey eye without needing professional makeup skills or a long list of products.

Both turned out to be useful additions to my makeup routine. What w...