(Get it?! Sounds like Jedi Master?! OK, I’m officially a dork.)

With the holidays right upon us, I’ve been playing around more and more with my beauty routine.  One of my favorites to pull out for both work events and parties with friends is the cat eye.  I know we (as in the female majority) are obsessed with long, full, lashes, and the cat eye is the perfect way to achieve that mischievous, sultry look.  I have to admit this has taken me a while to perfect, and I still tweak the cat eye from time to time, depending on the occasion.  After a LOT of trial and error, here are some of my must-haves for getting sexy feline peepers:

Bold eyeliner: I have done both liquid and pencil liner here, and as long as you have a great product you really can do either.  For a pencil liner, the black crayon from Wet & Wild just will not do the trick.  I recently discovered tarte aqua gel liner and fell in love.  This stuff does not move, and the pencil is a lot easier for me to make a straight line.  If you have to go liquid, a budget-friendly option is Maybelline’s Line Stiletto liquid liner.  It’s like a calligraphy pen for your lashes.  Make sure to make a bold line with either product, and stretch the line out beyond the lash line to where your longest eyelash will hit when curled up.  HINT: pull your lid LIGHTLY to the side when applying liner.  It helps keep a straight line.

Light/dark eyeshadow: Depending on the look you’re trying to get, you can go light or dark eyeshadow here.  That’s why I like to have a palette handy.  Urban Decay’s Naked 2 is a good place to start.  If you want to go retro, just do a neutral sand color with a bit of light, chestnut brown on the lid to keep focus on the lash.  For a bold, smokey cat eye, use a variety of browns and grays that meet your cat eye line just outside the lid.  Very Audrey Hepburn meets Angelina.

Volume mascara: I love my mascara so so so much.  While many of my friends have invested in false eyelashes, I find that if you do your due diligence, you can find a mascara that will do the same amount of work as falsies without the hefty price tag and upkeep.  One of the most popular (and most sworn by) is Diorshow.  However, I have been using Maybelline’s  Volum’ Express Colossal mascara every day for almost three years. You can build it big, or keep it soft. I get compliments on my lashes all the time.