So it’s probably not a surprise that I’m a big Mad Men fan. I mean, the clothes, the drinking, the furniture? Incredible. I was hooked from the moment Betty brought out the same servingware my grandmother had with celery and cream cheese appetizers. Okay, and also when she starts shooting pigeons with a shotgun.
Anyway, lots of people don’t like Betty, and I totally get why: She’s a terrible mother. But she also lives in a terrible society that is terrible to stay-at-home mothers, so I cut her more slack than most. Plus, I love when she brings out her glamourous Grace Kelly side and she does it up with the hair and makeup.
Nothing says ’60s fashion to me so much as a perfectly done, black cat-eye. I love bringing a subtle version out for day-to-day wear, but I also have a secret when you really want to up the drama.
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Review
I hadn’t heard of this London-based brand before receiving the Skinny Liquid eyeliner in a monthly Birchbox, but this little guy has quickly become one of my indispensible beauty tools. Its really long felt tip makes it easier to vary the thickness of the line and make the quick flick up at the end to make the perfect cateye. And at $15, it’s a steal. Mine has lasted with fairly regular use about five months so far–though I have a feeling I’m going to need to get another soon.
How-To Do the Cateye
Start about three-fourths the way into the eyelid and start with the thin tip, drag it and increase the pressure just slightly to get the thickness you want, then release the pressure and move back to the thin tip for the dramatic curl up, lifting up just on the tip of the pen. You can vary the pressure to get a thicker line for a more dramatic look, or use just the lightest touch for a workday-appropriate kitten eye.
The Lazy Girl’s Cateye
So when you really want to do it up, definitely try Eye Rock Designer Liner. Another Birchbox find, I saved these for months waiting for the perfect occasion (which turned out to be a bachelorette party in Atlantic City, natch). They weren’t the easiest to apply (I totally wrecked one trying to put the first one on), but once they were on, it was ON. All the other ladies couldn’t believe how dramatic they looked, and it definitely fun tapping my inner Betty Draper. I liked the three various option as well–I started off with the most subtle and worked up to the two-pronged cateye on night two.
If you’re travelling, bring along a pair of nail scissors to trim them to the right length before trying to apply, as I found them about a centimeter too long (and I feel like I have huge eyelids). At $12, coming in at $3 a pair, these are definitely a splurge, but definitely endorsed for girlfriend clubbing shenanigans.