Long time no see… I missed you guys lol…

When you stand at the makeup counter looking for the perfect mascara to define your already gorgeous eyes, it can be very confusing. Should you get lengthening, curling, thickening, non-smudging, waterproof? And what is the freakin’ difference between them anyway?
Or even more importantly… IS there a difference, or are these mascara types all the same, and their ads are only designed to get
you to buy more than one type?

You can tell a whole LOT of a mascara by the shape of the wand, and there are many shapes! There are fat brushes -like Lancome’s Hypnose, Cover Girl’s Lash Blast, Max Factor’s False Lash Effect- which create voluptuous lashes, while skinny brushes (such as Lancome’s Definicils, Anastasia’s Lash Lifting Mascara, Urban Decay’s Skyscraper Multi Benefit) will coat each lash perfectly without clumping or adding much oomph. Curved wands will help curl lashes. Now… What the hell do they do??? mascaras I mean… There are many options to choose from depending on your needs:

-Lengthening mascara
As the name claims, it elongates your lashes.One that has been a favorite by makeup artists, mag’s editors and more is Lancome Definicils.
However, I haven’t had the chance to try it out yet, but if any of you have, please let me know what you think!Love it or leave it? Anyhow…Lengthening mascaras
have dense bristles that allow you to get more mascara on your lashes and especially on the tips of your lashes which gives the optical illusion of incredibly long lashes.

TIP!! If there’s a mascara formula that does wonders for you
but you are unsure about the wand/brush, try to get a disposable
mascara wand and dip it in the formula, then let me know how it works!

-Thickening/Volumizing mascara

If your problem is related to how thin and sparse your lashes are, you want to buy mascaras labeled as “thickening/volumizing”. These contain a thicker formula of waxes and silicone polymers that coat lashes and make them appear bulkier… The fatter the better! (yay!… finally!). One of the most popular thickening mascara on the market right now is Christian Dior’s Diorshow (which surprisingly is about $24!).

TIP!! You may want to do some research on lash serums! they supposedly make your lashes grow faster and therefore, after some time you will have much more lashes than you did before!

-Waterproof mascara
The name is kinda self-explanatory! These “non-smudging/water kick ass” mascaras contain special synthetic formulas that were conceived to repel moisture, and with this prevent raccoon eyes… Romantic kiss outside in the rain anyone?? <3… BUT these can be harsh on your lashes, particularly if your lashes are very thin, since the formula is super dyring

TIP!! to prevent breaking lashes, you can put -CAREFULLY-
vaseline/olive oil/almond oil on them to condition them before you go to sleep
and ALWAYS use a good makeup remover that isn’t water based in this case! If you are a waterproof makeup lover or must use it because of the weather conditions were you live, get great makeup removers and always hidrate your skin after it is clean with a night cream or moisturizer!

-Natural/Organic/Eco-Friendly mascara
Oh yes! for all of you people with very delicate skin and eyes… I give you Physicians Formula’s Organic mascara!! It is around $8, 100% natural, the plastic wand can be recycled, it is part of the first Ecocert certified organic line in the US… For all my sensitive readers, this mascara is commendable for what’s not in it as much as what is! LOL No parabens or other synthetic preservatives, no synthetic fragrance and/or anything that has been genetically modified. It is even supposed to be free from clumping, smudging or flaking. I haven’t tried this mascara, but Physicians Formula claims that it boosts lash volume by a factor of five (If any of you has it tell me what you think!) I like that organic orange juice is the main ingredient followed by moisturizing glycerin. This is for sure the first time ever that I’ve come across cucumber extract in any mascara! Cucumber is a great anti-irritant with the added bonus of being full of vitamin C. This mascara also has rice protein and antioxidant green tea, which is why it may actually condition your lashes!

And now for the goodies!! My ten commandments for a successful mascara application:
1. Wiggle the wand left to right at the base of lashes. It’s the mascara placed near the roots -not the tips- that gives the illusion of length.
2. Pull the wand up and through lashes, wiggling and curling outwards as you go. The wiggling part is key because it separates lashes.
3. Use a lash comb in th case of possible clumps. To avoid this, wipe excess mascara on a tissue before you start!
4. Do not be afraid to mix mascaras! Use lenghtening and volumizing… or rather apply volumizing and then lenghtening cause viceversa would weight
the lashes down and cancel the lenghtening effect!
5. Try colored mascaras: Black works for everyone but can be harsh on light-skinned blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black
for night. Burgundy or plum colors make blue eyes pop, as do blue mascaras. Purple mascara looks great on brown eyes.
6. Use an eyelash curler…. self explanatory!… and do change the silicon piece for hygiene and better performance! Shu Uemura’s are super populars!
7. Use a mascara primer to protect your lashes… Many brands have it included on a double end mascara…
8. Applying a 2nd/3rd coat of mascara it means to run the mascara consecutively 2 or three times through the lashes. Once the 1st coat dries you’ll get clumps!
9. Try to wait 5 seconds before blinking after you apply mascara to prevent ending up with mascara dots all along your lid!
10. Thou Shalt Not Pump Wand In & Out of Tube LOL… NO! Really! This only introduces air into the tube, which will cause your mascara to dry out way sooner than it should.

I hope y’all find this helpful! Thoughts, comments or questions below please!!
Stay gorgeous!
xoxo
Lucy