this post is a little ridiculous.
Can we shift gears today?
Stick it in neutral and discuss some really basically unimportant topic?
It’s something I’m pretty certain I’ve never before addressed in a real life conversation, let alone a blog post.
The topic is just this ….
mascara.
Right. Yes. Mascara.
You see, I do not qualify as a girly-girl.
My mom never really wore make up.
I never really wore make up.
When I was about sixteen I experimented with this trendy new clear eye lash lengthening product that looked like clear nail gloss for your lashes.
One morning in high school I slathered the gooey stuff across my lashes.
By afternoon I was wiping crusty flakes of lash dandruff from my cheeks.
It was as gross as it sounds.
Since then about once or twice every year I start thinking I should try out mascara.
I know better than to attempt any other make up style face product. I’m not in for foundation – it makes me feel weird and I don’t care for the extra layer on my skin. Eye shadow feels too dramatic for my real life and I don’t care for lipstick stains on anything so I’m a chap stick only girl. (When I feel wild, I pick a tinted chap stick.)
But mascara.
Well, that seems a little fun sometimes.
Which leads me to my question.
Is there truly a variety of mascara that is actually waterproof or cry proof? (You know, since I embraced my crying side, you just never know what a day will hold.)
Here’s my trivial dilemma.
Obviously my research has been sporadic, but with every mascara I have tried, black smudges appear under my eyes at some point through the day. Is that normal? I don’t want to look like a football player by lunchtime. I look around at the mascara-clad eyelashes of other females. I don’t see weird black smudges under their eyes. Even when I patiently remove the mascara in the evening, I can discover those unattractive smudges the next day – sometimes even two days later. That’s weird. Is that just me?
So. Seriously friends.
If you have some mascara words of wisdom that you’re holding out on – can you let me in on the secret?
15 Comments
karen
i’m a little late to the game, but this post and all the comments have me cracking up!! i love mascara and feel like my eyes are invisible if i don’t have any on. gotta love those blonde lashes and brows,eh? i never buy expensive mascara. i typically use either maybelline or cover girl. and always brown or brownish black. side note: i’m always highly annoyed with companies that only make black or dark black mascara. as far as removal, please, for the love, ladies, take your make-up off every night!! it’s only takes about 2 minutes and your skin will thank you!!!! i use a store brand of eye make up remover or baby oil or vitamin e oil or olive oil or whatever i have available that day. i wash my face with face wash and then put a little oil on a cotton ball and with a few swipes, it’s all gone . . . eyeliner, mascara, shadows, smudges, etc. so, now you have my two cents. but, now i’m really wanting to try that blinc mascara. it sounds very scientific and cool!!! ; ) i also feel like you should give us an update with photos included!!
laceykeigley
An update with photos? I don’t think I can handle that!
I want to try that blink stuff too -sounds like a science experiment.
kelsey peters
I am addicted to mascara and eyeliner. I dint wear any other makeup, but if you see me in public without these two products then you know that I am on my way to the E.R. I feel just as strongly about wearing pajamas in public. However that’s a topic for another day. On this particular question however, I have learned to avoid waterproof mascara…except for certain circumstances. In high humidity, waterproof is worth it. Also in high heat when you think you might sweat through the day. The regular kind has a tendency to ‘melt’. Also, for removal I used to by various types of removers until I was let in on a secret…lotion. it is by far the best I have used at removing makeup of any sort, including waterproof. It is also cheap. I don’t buy the fancy face creams and fun scented stuff…just the very basic store brand cocoa butter lotion or invented lotion works. Just smear it on (with your eye closed, of course) and then wipe off with a bit of soft toilet paper.
Rachel
Maybelline’s Great Lash (green tube with a pink top that you will see at almost every checkout lane) consistently gets great reviews from users and makeup artists, alike. Both Margie and I use it, and we have dramatically different makeup routines and eyelashes, and we both like it. It may help to only put the mascara on your top lashes if it is getting smudgy, and in my experience, it is worthwhile to invest in an eye makeup removing product that is a little more pricey (I like the Mary Kay one over the store brands). To be honest, though, both she and I can get lazy about taking it off and often sport it for a second day. It is pretty good for not running even though it is not waterproof (though you can buy it in waterproof if you’d prefer). Good luck!!
laceykeigley
Thanks! I have learned to not apply it to the bottom! 🙂
And yes- I can get lazy too. About a lot more than mascara!
Melissa
This exact thing happens to me! You’d think that at thirty-two I would have figured it out by now but nooooo. I also hate that when I wash it off in the shower, I lose precious eyelashes. So, no mascara for me. Except the once-a-year idea I get that I would look lovelier with darker, longer lashes.
If you figure it out, let me know!
laceykeigley
I don’t have it figured out at forty! 🙂
But I think I have garnered great suggestions here. I guess we can all experiment now.
shannon
Waterproof mascara should be looked at as more… water resistant, since it has a wax base to it. That wax helps it to not only cling desperately to lashes after a washing, but results in post-wash smudging –yes, even days later. I tend to go for the non-waterproof formulas myself, but some are better than others (you don’t have to go expensive, you just have to try out what works best with your lashes). If you’re determined to stay waterproof but want the days-late smudging to stop, try to find a gentle eye-makeup remover to add to your daily cleansing routine; that should help with most leftover residue.
Then there’s lash primer (something I haven’t personally delved into). I’ve heard it helps the mascara cling to your lashes, but I’ve also heard it just helps make your lashes look fuller & can also be difficult to take off… so my opinion is reserved. Eyelash primer is also supposed to help with flaking, but I haven’t had a problem with that *as much* since I stopped using drugstore brands.
Another thing to think about is eyeliner (if you use it). A lot of eyeliners I’ve used tend to slide down my face after a while and leave gross smudges and specks under my eyes (so it might not be the mascara?). I switched to a liquid liner that works really well, but it’s on the pricey side so I don’t try to push people to get it.
The best advice I can pass on is to stay away from wax-based products (since the wax gives them a natural malleability) unless you want to invest in face primers and other such makeup products, and look for sample offers if you want to try out a well-known brand without making the big purchase plunge. Overall, if it’s too much trouble to find something that works then it won’t be as fun to use, and what fun is using makeup if it’s too much hassle? I hope that helped, at least a little.
laceykeigley
Exactly – it’s no fun if it’s a hassle.
I think from all this info I am definitely going to try a non-waterproof one first – that seems to be the general consensus here!
Thanks!
Marion
I hate to admit this, but this picture is SO true for me!
http://www.theluxuryspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7da0103c277f52d7083b64a396771c9e.jpg
I spend too much on mascara, but I only buy it once or twice a year – wearing it MUCH longer than the recommended lifespan. With that said, I was once given a sample of blinc mascara and I fell in love. Yes, with a mascara. I always purchased waterproof mascara before blinc, and even waterproof created dark smudges on me. I must rub my eyes a lot or something. Anyway, the blinc mascara creates little tubes around your eyelashes, and it really doesn’t smear or smudge at all. To remove it (typically in the shower the next morning), you just use your finger to sweep down on your lashes and the tubes come off. It’s magical.
Here’s the link. Please don’t judge me for spending $26 on mascara. I usually use birthday money to buy makeup. I know it’s absurd, but I just can’t stop. http://www.blincinc.com/mascara.html
laceykeigley
HA! That picture is hilarious.
You’re hilarious.
I’m glad you spend a ludicrous amount of dollars on mascara – I have random items I think are worth the silly high price tag. I think we all do.
Also – it sort of sounds like crazy magic to have tiny tubes on your lashes – what? That’s so intriguing I may have to save my birthday money as well.
Tiffany
The problem with waterproof mascara is that it is much harder to get off. So that would probably be why you still have smudges on the following day looking. It’s annoying, I know. My personal favorite is CoverGirl clump crusher. It’s the one in the green tube and its amazing. I prefer it, hands down, over my $25 DiorShow! My next favorite is maybelline full & soft. It’s been a while since I wore that, though, so I forget how it performs. Also, mascara should be replaced 3 months after you open the tube.
laceykeigley
Good to know – I thought the waterproof would be better – shows what I know.
I’m so glad you commented – you have such fun with make up and style and I love how you express yourself that way. I should take lessons from you!
And every three months – eh? Hmmm.
Rachel
Stick with the tinted chapstick (says the girl whose eyes literally ache within minutes of every mascara application she’s ever tried).
I’m so happy to know there are other minimalist makeup mamas out there 🙂
laceykeigley
Minimalist for sure.
Perhaps by choice and perhaps by absolute lack of skill.
If you want to laugh harder than you ever have – you should see me try to wrangle a curling iron. It’s pitiful. Truly.