Carrie Underwood Talks DIY Smoky Eyes, Wigs and Manicures

(Reuters)

No matter where you stand on country music, it's fairly undeniable that its reigning sweetheart, Carrie Underwood, is pretty darn charming. The bubbly blonde has exploded since her initial "American Idol" fame and turned into one of the genre's biggest names, scoring awards and landing deals left and right — including her latest with beauty brand Almay.

By now you've likely seen the TV commercial of her applying the perfect smoky eye directly into the camera, and amazing news: She is actually doing her makeup in the ad. "It was like a mirror with a hole cut out of it, and they had put a reflective surface on the camera," she explained to us during an interview in Nashville. "I know my face pretty well, but it was still a little hard."

Those who know the star probably aren't surprised, as she's known for doing her own makeup while on tour. Her non-diva tendencies don't stop there, either. She spilled on the sweet get-togethers she has with her closest girlfriends and how she's her mom's personal beauty guru.

POPSUGAR: First off, any tips on doing the perfect smoky eye yourself?

Carrie Underwood: I think practice is important. If you have a day that you're not really doing anything, like some random Sunday, just play a little bit and try something new. Whatever that new thing is, whether it's a smoky eye or trying to do a little more with eyeliner. Just try new things, and every time you'll get better and better.

PS: Have you always been good at your own makeup? Did friends ask you to do theirs when you were younger?

CU: I've always loved it. I will say, there was a lot of trial and error, as so many teenagers go through when they're figuring everything out. People will ask me to [do their makeup, but] it's so different — drawing on someone else is different than drawing on yourself. I'll do my mom's sometimes, because she'll ask me, "How do I use this? What do I do with this?"

PS: You've said doing your own makeup before a concert is therapeutic; what about your nighttime skin routine?

CU: I feel like it is now. I have friends who sleep in their makeup, and I'm like, "How?? How do you do that?" [They say] it takes too long, and I'm like, "Really? It's just in your life!" It almost helps you get ready for bed, because your body knows that this is what you do before you go to sleep. So it's like Pavlov's theory — it helps to have the same routine.

PS: Do you ever leave your makeup on at night?

CU: No. No matter what, even if we have a super late night for some reason or an award show or whatever, I have to wash my face.

PS: Does your makeup routine vary a lot from a regular day to a rehearsal to a night out?

CU: It's definitely amplified for a date night or a girls' night out or even for a show. A show is even more so, because I feel like I have to. Because of the lights and everything, I have to wear a lot more makeup, but my day-to-day beauty routine is so simple. It really doesn't have to be complicated! Date night is just more amped up — I do the smoky eye thing and maybe a little brighter lip.

Click here to read the rest of the interview at POPSUGAR Beauty.