How to remove mascara without removing your eyelashes

Never go to sleep with mascara on, or any makeup traces left on your face for that matter. It is imperative to let the skin breathe to faciliate skin renewal. Leaving mascara on overnight might potentially cause bacterial infection and can result in red and swollen eyes in the morning because the residue may have seeped into the eyes. We all know all those women in movies who wake up in bed after a night of rendezvous are just making a conscious effort to glamorize one-night stands, don’t we? Nothing comes close to going to bed with a clean face and waking up to a fresh complexion.

It is not advisable to resort to just plain water to remove waterproof mascara. There is no shortcut to proper mascara removal. Never use facial cleanser as a quick method to remove mascara because it can be harsh to the eyes. Depending on the type of eye makeup remover, there are different ways to remove your mascara without removing previous eyelashes in the process.

For baby oil, soak cotton pad with it, leave it on the eyes to dissolver the mascara and swipe away. Many people recommend olive oil as a healthier alternative. There are also other types of makeup cleansing oil. The best I’ve tried so far is a Japanese brand – Fancl. It removes all traces of makeup and does not leave me with an oily after feel. Should you be in a hurry, facial cleansing wipes can also do the deed but nothing beats a proper makeup removing oil or cream. After that, use a facial cleanser to wash off the makeup removal product. Follow with toner and moisturiser to condition the skin.

Black mascara – what it can do for you

Black mascara is the earliest mascara color invented and remains till this day the most commonly bought mascara color. As with clothing, bags, shoes and accessories, black is the color that goes with almost any other color, be it the color of your eyes, skin, hair, eyeshadow, blusher, lipstick… everything goes! 

The best black mascara I have found so far must be the Anna Sui Super Black Volume Up Mascara. Its deep, dark, black color gives natural-looking full lashes. If you are looking for a mascara that does not create too dramatic lashes, this mascara is highly recommended. The fact that this is a waterproof and smudgeproof mascara is a great plus point!

Black mascara provides the best dramatic effect, it adds length and volume to eyelashes, and brighten up the overall look, and that is why black is the color that every women has for a mascara. Now, there are even different shades of black – brown black, grey black, black, super black, etc. Some feel that jet black mascaras can give a very harsh effect on the eyes and therefore prefer a black color mascara that is mixed with a color of a slightly lighter tone.

Clear mascara is favored by many women because it looks more natural on the eyes since well, there is nothing on the eyelashes by clear goo. Clear mascara however does keep the curls in place, so your eyelashes will not look droopy. It is a color that can be worn to school and will not get you into trouble!

You may use a combination of both – Apply the clear mascara as a first coat to act like a primer then apply a second coat of black mascara. Having 2 coats will add to the volume and length of your eyelashes and the clear mascara will protect your lashes.

These days mascara colors are aplenty, we have purple, blue, brown, yellow, white, red, almost any color you can think of! So don’t stick to black, put on your electric blue mascara and flutter those mesmerizing lashes at the next party!

How to avoid smudging from your mascara

This is one question that has troubled women from the medieval times to the current scientific world we now exist in. Bet even Cleopatra had her days of racoon-y eyes.

You’ve invested time in researching on the perfect mascara, thronged the malls to find it, pumped chunks of hard cash into that one heavenly mascara raved by everyone, rush home to apply it… and by mid-day you’re a racoon again.

*sigh*

Before you sigh in resignation and brush it off as another promotional gimmick to yet again trick women into thinking this is the best mascara yet, here’re some makeup tips on how to avoid mascara smudge.

Are you using smudgeproof mascara? The terms ‘Waterproof mascara’ and ‘Smudgeproof mascara’ are often used interchangeably because people often think that they both mean the same thing. Woops! Nope, waterproof and smudgeproof mascara are not the same. A waterproof mascara only prevents blotches from water, therefore wearing waterproof mascara can still result in undereye dark stains. A smudgeproof mascara on the other hand, is much stronger because it can withstand oil and water. So those with oily eyelids should go for smudgeproof mascara as waterproof is non-resistant to oil.

Are your eyelashes too long? Well, lucky you! And probably unlucky you as well. Long outer eyelashes that have been coated with mascara can stain the undereye because everytime you blink, the mascara-ed lashes gets in contacts with the area under the eye. And women blink twice as many times as men! To prevent long lashes from staining, curl your lashes before applying mascara.

Do your lashes droop even after curling them? Some mascaras tend to cause eyelashes to droop because of their heavy compositions (literally) and thus cause racoon eyes. Try heating the eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a few seconds. Be careful, do not place the curler at your eyes immediately because it can scorch the delicate eyelids. Let it cool for a few seconds before curling. Heat ensures that the curls last longer.

Are you using too much mascara? Remove excess mascara from the wand by gently swiping the brush head against a tissue paper. Remember, less is more, so the less gunk you have on your eyelashes, the easier to apply and the better the results.

Till next time!