Tuesday 18 March 2014

An ode to the feline flick


I wouldn’t call myself a cultural maverick, exactly, although my continued ignorance of absolutely anything Breaking Bad might suggest otherwise. But one area in which I really do go against the zeitgeist is in my complete indifference to our four-legged feline friends.

Yes, despite all of the Buzzfeed lists and Youtube videos and the terrifyingly real cat cafés that appear to be springing up all the over place, I still remain immune to the (supposed) furry charms of the nation’s number one pet.

Aside perhaps from a pair of Charlotte Olympia kitty flats (now THEY’RE cute), the only other feline related fad I can truly get down with is that of the eyeliner flick. Except fad is probably the wrong term for it, because this makeup technique has been around for decades, and is still going strong years after its 60s hey day, thanks to the likes of liner enthusiasts like me. Oh, and possibly Alexa Chung.

Ever since the day I first shelled out £1.99 of my not-so hard earned pocket money for a tiny Miss Sporty tube of liquid eyeliner (though ‘Miss Sporty’ I most certainly was not), I’ve been hooked. After the initial 50 or so wobbly attempts, and who knows how many cotton-buds, I’d achieved the dream; a precise, thick black line, forming my face as the world now knows it.

I say that because barely a day goes by without me sporting my trusty flicks – my face just doesn’t seem right without a thick swoop of liquid eyeliner, kicking up at the corners and meaning as a mere mortal I can actually claim to have something in common with the likes of Monroe, Bardot and Anna Karina - all fully-fledged liner devotees.

At the moment, I’m using the Benefit Magic Ink liquid liner (£15.50) which I’d recommend for its jet black shade, precise brush and good staying power (though laughing/crying fits do result in the occasional smudge). Past successes include the Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Eyeliner (£5.29), which is far better than its modest price tag would suggest, and the MAC Penultimate Eye Liner (£14), which has a super thin brush for achieving the best possible point to your flick.