You have no idea how excited I am for the sixth season of Mad Men. I'm so excited I could buy a gun.
Actually, I'm so excited I spent all morning perfecting a makeup look inspired by one of my favorite characters of all time, Betty Draper Francis. I'm obsessed with selfish, fabulous ice queens, so, naturally, I'm obsessed with Betty.
I'm not sure if I love Betty Draper Francis because I have a big ole girl crush on January Jones, or maybe it's that I have a big ole girl crush on January Jones because I love Betty Draper Francis. Does it matter? Doesn't matter.
I know most people hate Betty or prefer Joan or Peggy because, let’s be honest, she’s really awful. Even I identify more with Megan, but hear me out on this: Betty Draper Francis’ character is a total product of her time, and January Jones is absolutely flawless as the vapid and chronically unhappy housewife. Could you imagine if you grew up groomed for one purpose and one purpose only--be someone's pretty wife? And once you nail that trophy-wife status, your husband treats you like a doormat, neglects you, and cheats on you with every woman in Manhattan. Oh, and then you find out your husband has been using a fake identity this whole time and you don’t even know who the hell you married. So here you are with no professional future (because no one ever encouraged you to develop professional skills), no domestic happiness (because your husband, despite his insane good looks, really sucks), and no social life (because you were also never encouraged to develop a personality). You'd be pretty crabby, too!
When I look at Betty Draper Francis, I see a woman who never got a chance to live her life as she truly wanted to live it. Her life was already laid out and dictated to her from the time she was a little girl, and that's really tragic.
Although Betty has many fantastic character flaws, her makeup and hair are always on point. God, I wish I was her! Looks-wise, I mean. I'll pass on the unfulfilling life. So, to celebrate the season-six premiere of Mad Men, here's a handy dandy tutorial on how to Bettify your face.
You may want to start with having blonde hair. I mean, it's not mandatory, but it helps. Get a wig?
As for your face, concealer is a must. Betty Draper Francis wouldn’t be caught dead with pimples or under-eye circles. I used Smashbox's Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer stick. It’s easy to apply, covers great and blends into your skin seamlessly.
Even though I have a strict “no drugstore makeup on my face ever” policy (sounds like a policy Betty would have, right?), I was in a pinch and used Almay Intense i-color Defining Liner in Onyx. It goes on pretty smoothly and leaves a thicker line, which was perfect for this look. I also liked that the color was muted, coming off more as smoky than super defined. I even used it to line my crease because it looked kind of cool.
I've found that dark shades that are more smoky or purple blend in better on pale blondes, especially if they have lighter eyes, so I topped the liner off with a shimmery, dark purple shadow. I used a discontinued shade, but you can use literally any brand's dark, shimmery purple.
I wanted to go for a big lash look so I used Too Faced Better Than False Lashes, which uses a layer of nylon particles in between coasts of mascara. I wouldn't say my lashes actually looked better than false lashes, but it was still a somewhat dramatic look. Plus, it comes off surprisingly easy with water.
I used a little bit of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Crème Colour Concentrate in Grandma on my cheeks. I applied it by making a fish face and blending it with my fingers slightly under my cheekbones to give my face a little color. I like it because it claims to be vegan and cruelty-free. Get it if you’re into that kind of thing.
I topped my face off with LUSH Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder. The powder really helped bring the whole look together and turned the blush more coral than pink – which was the shade I was going for.
As for lips, nude or light pink lipstick. I’m rocking my current favorite Rouge in Love in 307 by Lancome.
So what do you guys think? Did I pull it off? Let me know if you have any questions for getting the look yourself!