'I wrapped the first season of Odd Mom Out, a series that premiered on Bravo on June 8. It's really fun. We shot it here in New York, which was a dream. The showrunners are Sex and the City writers, and it sort of has that classic New York feel. It’s about Upper East Side ladies, so we got to shoot around the city—I was born on the Upper East Side and spent my childhood around here. Before that, I was in LA. I actually moved back here for that.

We had a cast party two nights ago, and I did not leave myself enough time to get ready for that…but I think I still managed to pull it together. The dress code said ‘for cocktails,’ so it could have been for cocktail attire or you’re just drinking cocktails like out of a Solo cup. I think it just depends on the party. This one was intimate. I’m always like in awe of those SNL parties—I feel I’m never going to have that experience at, like, a cooperate retreat or anything in my life. SNL was wild in that, it was so late at night, everybody was decompressing from the show. The parties would sometimes go until like, 9am. They were very different from the party we just had where I threw on a black jumpsuit, black leather jacket, did my red lip—Tom Ford. I'm only in it for the packaging with that one. Then I just go. Some people were in cocktail attire, and some people were in jeans. I was in the middle, and it was all great. Tomorrow we're having another party and it's at 1 OAK. I haven't been there in years. I’m hoping for at least bottle service.

When it comes to events for work, I usually have hair and makeup done for me, but being a perfectionist, I like to have some control in the process. I’m not going to say if I do this or not, but shaving your face is one thing that, I don’t know, maybe I do sometimes. [Laughs] I know that it exists and that people do it and love it. TV is in HD now! So you’ll see yourself and ask, ‘Wow, do I have a skin tag on my left cheek?’

If I'm just going out to dinner, I’ll do a red lip. I'm very into Tom Ford Lip Color in Wild Ginger—I really like the way it stays on. I dress up for events, but if I'm just going out to dinner with my boyfriend I put on some sexy black jeans and heels—that is pretty much the extent of it. Obviously I put a little more effort than daytime, like, putting on a lip or doing my eyes. Nars Semi Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red is another go-to. Lips are easier for me…I always feel really tired if I have a really smoky eye that’s kind of all-around, so I’ll just do mascara with the Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara, which doesn’t irritate my eyes at all. And maybe I’ll do some liner with Stila Stay All-Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. It’s so easy. I have trouble with a pot of gel liner. I’m also always afraid my face is going to blow up. I use Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream, which I discovered through my dermatologist after my eyes were swollen shut from sunscreen. It’s really amazing. I use it every day. It illuminates your face.

Sometimes I'll stay in the same makeup from work to go out at night, though. It gets really matted down because they're constantly powdering you throughout the day—I don't normally wear that much powder, but if you take a little off, it works really well for an event. Same goes for my hair. I usually can’t dry all my hair myself because it’s really thick, so I’ll just throw in some Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray to make it look good again.

But the night after I go out, I have to be out of commission. [Laughs] My ideal night would be something outside in a garden sort of patio situation with a lot of lights, a lot of food, and a lot of booze. There’s a restaurant, Gottino, that I really like to go to. It has a little patio in the back. A girlfriend of mine has a cool patio with lanterns that’s great for gatherings. I’m OK with mixing it up between low-key things like that and then something like 1 OAK the next week. My boyfriend’s friends are great, but I like to go to drink margaritas with my girlfriends. I like dark, candlelit places, so basically TGI Fridays. [Laughs] My boyfriend and I did that once at Penn Station, actually. It wasn’t dark, it was fluorescent, and like, hairballs everywhere.”

—as told to ITG

Abby Elliott photographed by Tom Newton on June 3, 2015. Catch her on Odd Mom Out on Bravo, Mondays at 10pm EST.