Mascara

Questions About Volumizing, Lengthening and Waterproof Mascara

What is the difference between volumizing mascara and lengthening mascara?

Mascara is one of the best ways to enhance your eyelashes, and to enhance your eyes overall. They add color, length, and volume. Some mascaras are both volumizing and lengthening that do it all. Others just add volume or length. A lengthening mascara provide a more natural look as it lengthens, separates, and defines lashes. Lash lengthening mascaras feature a thinner more defining brush allows you to apply the mascara evenly from root to tips without clumping. A voluminous mascara will thicken and plump each individual lash.

What does volumizing mascara do?

Volumizing mascara plumps each individual lash for a lush, full lash look. The result is bold and dramatic, as opposed to the more natural results you get from a long lash mascara. Many people equate a volumizing thickening mascara to a “false lash” look…without the tweezers and glue!

How do you keep eyelashes curled?

Some lashes curl naturally, others grow out in a straighter formation. To curl straight lashes, many people reach for an eyelash curler before applying. To keep eyelashes curled longer, give each lash three presses with the eyelash curler—one at the base, one in the middle and one at the tips. You may also want to warm your eyelash curler slighting with a blow dryer before curling your lashes. This will help “set” the curl in place. For shorter lashes that are harder to curl so consider using a lash growth serum which nourishes and strengthens lashes and helps them appear longer over the course of a few weeks.

Is it better to use waterproof mascara or regular?

This depends on you and your lifestyle. If you swim, are prone to sweating or have eyes that tear frequently, a waterproof mascara formula will prevent smearing and smudging and will last all day. If your life is more “low impact,” you may prefer a regular formula, which will be easier to remove without too much rubbing or tugging. Regular eye mascara is also less drying and less irritating for people with sensitive skin.

Is it okay to wear mascara every day?

Many people don’t feel “dressed” without eyelash mascara—it’s the bare makeup minimum in their daily routines. It’s generally safe to wear every day, but important to follow some safety guidelines. First, be sure to remove it before bed every night to avoid clogged pores, eye irritation or inflammation. Use an eye makeup remover that is rich enough to break down all of your eye makeup without the need to rub or tug at your skin. Next, be sure to monitor the expiration date on your makeup and don’t use any product that has expired. This will prevent the risk of your eyes coming into contact with any bacteria that might accumulate over time. Finally, if your eyes become dry, irritated, or infected, it is better to skip until they’re back to normal.

Why is mascara used?

A quick history lesson… Mascara was first used by the Ancient Egyptians. They believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul and used mascara to help protect their souls from evil spirits and bad energy. Today, we use mascara to enhance our eyelashes. Mascara can help make your lashes appear darker, thicker, longer and even more defined depending on the look you are going for. When your eyelashes are long and lush, it can give you the appearance of bigger and more awake looking eyes and who doesn’t want that! There are many types of mascara formulas available to help achieve the look you want. You can get mascara in a variety of colors and even waterproof. This is a long way from the mascara that the Ancient Egyptians used.

How do mascaras work?

Mascaras use a combination of water, waxes, oils, and pigments to coat each lash giving you the desired effect. Mascara is typically sold in a tube with a screw-on cap with a brush (or spoolie) attached. You use the spoolie to apply the mascara, wiggling it back and forth between the lashes to ensure that each lash is fully coated. There are different types of spoolies to help give you a variety of looks, from definition, length, volume, and curl. When you have the right formula paired with the right brush, that’s when you have magic. A defining mascara will typically have a spiky or comb-like spoolie to help separate the lashes and give you that desired definition and natural feathered appearance. A lengthening mascara typically has a spoolie that grips the mascara more and applies and stretches it across the length of the lashes. The best lengthening mascara will also usually have some sort of fiber in the formula that helps to make the lashes appear even longer. The best mascaras for volume usually have a big, fat, fluffy brush that really coats the lashes building up the appearance of thicker and more lush lashes.

How to choose a mascara?

There are a few things you need to decide on to help you choose your perfect mascara. The first is what you want your lashes to be: more defined, longer, thicker, or a combination. This will be the type of formula you will look for. Next, you need to decide if you want your mascara to be waterproof. Waterproof mascara is best if you tend to have oily lashes, oily skin around the eyes. If you tend to have watery eyes, cry or even swim, waterproof mascara is your way to go. However, there are trade-offs to using waterproof mascara. You will need an oil-based cleanser to remove it (or risk losing some lashes) and typically you are limited to only black (although occasionally you can find a brown). Last thought when choosing a mascara is what color to wear! There were a multitude of shades of black (Black, Blackest Black, Inky Black, etc.), but there are also shades of brown for those wanting a more natural look, as well as fun colors such as purple, navy, burgundy and more. Mascara is a lot of trial and error. Try a variety of colors until you find the one that’s just right for you.

How long does mascara last?

Makeup products have a little logo usually found on the back of the packaging at the bottom that looks like a little open jar. It will have a number followed by the letter “M”. This is known as the “Period After Opening” date. What it means is that the product is good for that many months once you open it. Mascara is typically listed as 3M or three months. If you open your mascara on January 1st, you will want to replace it on April 1st. Most mascaras have water in them which is the number 1 ingredient for bacteria growth and your eyes are definitely a part of your body that you do not want to get an infection. Regardless of how old your mascara is, if it changes texture, color, or smell, get rid of it immediately. Never share your mascara with anyone else. If you have an eye infection and have used your mascara, protect your eyes and get a new one. It’s worth it.