Mascara Tips

Mascara coats our lashes, making a beautiful frame for our eyes.  It can lengthen, thicken, and darken.  It can run off and smear when we cry, or stay on until make up removers manage to get if off.  It comes in bright colors and the blackest black.  It’s available at every price point from expensive to cheap, and is always found in my make up bag.

Here are a few tips to get the most out of your mascara:

·        Use an eyelash curler before applying mascara. If you prefer to curl after application, make sure that the mascara is dry.

·        I don’t know why we do this but resist the temptation to pump the wand in and out of the tube of mascara, it introduces contaminants to the tube and also causes it too dry out faster.

·        Apply by starting with the wand at the base of your lashes and working out to the tips.

·        Wiggling the wand at the base of the lashes is said to make your lashes look thicker.

·        Wiggling the wand as you coat the lashes from base to tip will help keep the lashes from clumping together

·        Use even, consistent strokes to prevent globs being deposited on your lashes

·        Try creating your own clumping wand with an old mascara wand:  Clean thoroughly with make up remover and let dry.  Then continue to clean as you would your other makeup brushes and applicator.

·        Use the old mascara wand to separate any lashes that are stuck together.

·        Black mascara works for nearly everyone, but if you think it’s too harsh try brown/black.

·        Want to try some colored mascara? Apply one coat of black, let dry, and then a coat of color, this way it won’t look too harsh.

·        When applying a second coat, whether of the same color or different, make sure that first coat is dry.  (I tend to put on mascara at the very last minute, so this is always a problem.  But if the first coat isn’t dry, the lashes are just going to clump together.)

·        Keep eyes open really wide (unnaturally so) for a few moments before blinking.  This will help make sure the mascara is at least partially dry, and can help reduce smudges around your eye.

·        To help reduce under eye smudges, powder the under-eye area before application.

·        If you get a smudge, remove carefully with a Q-tip:  When dry, press the Q-tip onto the smudge with a bit of pressure, then rotate a half-turn. This will remove most smudges quickly and cleanly.

·        Find a wand/applicator that is easy for you to use, and that delivers the look you want.  There are applicator shaped like combs, and brushes of varying sizes, shapes, and configurations.  You can find applicators with straight wands and with a bend at the end. 

·        Replace your mascara after 3 months, or sooner if it smells “off” or looks dry.  (You can use a sharpie marker and write the date that you open the mascara right on the tube or cap.  That way you will know when it’s time to be replaced.)

·        You may have a favorite mascara, don’t be afraid to experiment.  A new color or new applicator brush might give you a totally amazing look.

Hope you enjoyed these mascara tips!

Thank You for reading!