Say hello to our new beauty blogger! Shabana Patker-Vahi is a beauty junkie, make-up hoarder and skin care fanatic. She’s been in beauty for over a decade with L’Officiel, Vogue (India) and most recently as the Beauty Editor at Femina. I was instantly charmed by her the first time we met and thrilled she’s going to be giving us beauty tips & tricks! xoxo

Shabana Patker-Vahi
Shabana Patker-Vahi
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor

From the legendary Elizabeth Taylor to today’s czarina of chic Natasha Poonawala, feline eyes are the epitome of style. Let’s face it ladies, we spend a lo-hot of loot on war paint that elongates, beautifies and makes our peepers pretty much irresistible. Most Indian women admit to feeling ‘naked’ without a line of kohl and I have friends who actually look ill when they wean off the black pencil.

Natasha Poonawala
Natasha Poonawala

So coming to a pic I saw the other day of Natasha Poonawala, we do see a LOT of her on the Page 3 circuit, I was, for once, very pleasantly surprised to not be blinded by bling, and could focus on her look which was bang-on trend – cat eyes, volume uplift and she skipped the requisite red mouth in favour of a pale, almost ice lip. Full marks for twisting the trend and making it work! My only gripe with this look is, I wish she’d lopped off the gel/acrylic talons in favour of short, soft-squared nails.

Adele
Adele

So here’s how you get it. Now, cat eyes are NOT the easiest, but with patience and persistence and an industrial supply of tissues, you will get there! Of course the easy way out is to get a professional to do it, but then you miss out on the fun of sweat, swearing and smudging:

  1. Curl your lashes with an eyelash curler. Smooth a light, even layer of foundation all over your eye socket. This prevents a messy black bleed. Blend well, and keep the layer light, you don’t want cakey flakes in your crease. Yuck.
  2. Line your upper and lower inner lids i.e. inside your lash line with a kohl pencil. The lower is easy-peasy, but the upper lid will twitch and your eye will water, so if it’s super annoying or you’re flooding your lenses, skip it.
  3. I would suggest the first few times you try this with a damp eye pencil, and graduate to liquid liners when you have a steadier hand. They will give you a far better finish but can be horrendously messy while you’re practicing. Choose a waxy pencil (you can tell by running the tip between your thumb and forefinger) and dip it in a bowl of water. Evenly draw a line across your upper lashline from the inner corner of your eye to the socket bone beyond the outer corner. Thicken progressively.
  4. Extend a line from your lower lashes and meet the upper line at the bony interface. You could stretch your eye a little to stop clumping, but don’t overdo it or you’ll warp the shape. Keep practicing, it’ll happen.
  5. One you’re happy with the shape, bring on the mascara. An ear bud pressed lightly at the inner corner of your eyes will mop up spills, and you’re good to go!

PS. After you’re done getting it on, taking it off is equally important. An eye makeup remover is essential though in a pinch, baby oil will do. Ciao!

FYI Shabana runs grooming and personality development workshops called ‘The Cloakroom’ – Look and feel your best from the boardroom to the bedroom and everywhere in between! For more info or to take a class, email her at shabzcloakroom@gmail.com.