Mascara has the ability to emphasise your eyes – even with little or no other make-up – but clumpy mascara can immediately ruin the look you’re creating, unless of course you’re aiming for a “spider legs,” 1960’s, Twiggy look.
Clumpy mascara is something that many battle with. I find that the trick to getting the perfect mascara application is to wiggle the mascara wand from left to right from the base (roots) of the eyelashes, while slowly pulling upwards towards the tips, still wiggling the wand as I go. This helps ensure the mascara coats the entire eyelash, while lifting and separating them. I also don’t dip the wand back into the tube, I just keep brushing and wiggling the wand through my lashes until I achieve the desired effect, doing one eye at a time.
Sometimes, the mascara might start to look clumpy on the ends of my lashes, but I find if I keep brushing with the wand, it comes right. Don’t wait for coats to dry in between, as I find this actually causes clumping – just keep brushing the wand through your lashes. If your mascara still looks clumpy, you can use either a clean, dry mascara wand, or an eyelash comb to brush out the clumps. It could also be that your mascara has thickened over time, and is overdue for replacement.
If you don’t have a clean mascara wand (there is usually one in a brush set) then save one when you next change your mascara and keep the old wand. Wash it and place it in your make-up bag. An eyelash comb is the double-headed item that comes in a brush set that looks like a spiky brush on one side for brushing your eyebrows, and a little comb on the other side to comb your eyelashes.
Did you know? Each time you use your mascara wand, it introduces air and bacteria into the tube. The air causes the mascara to dry out and become thicker in consistency, making it more prone to clumping. Bacteria occur naturally on your eyelashes, and are introduced into the tube each time you use it. A mascara tube is the perfect dark, warm, moist environment for breeding – not a nice thing to think of, but it happens. It’s this bacteria that eventually causes your mascara to start smelling funny and, if it’s not replaced, may even cause eye infections.
Ideally, mascara should be replaced every 3-6 months, but if it starts smelling odd a little sooner, bin it! The change in smell can be one of two things; bacteria, as mentioned, or one of the ingredients has gone off. If you’re not sure how mascara should smell, buy a new tube and smell it, then smell your old one. There should be a difference, especially if you’ve had your old one for a while.
The worst thing to do with a tube of mascara is to pump the wand in and out of the tube. Against popular belief, this action does not get more mascara on the wand, it only introduces excess air into the tube. Excess air causes the mascara to dry out faster, go off a lot quicker, and it feeds bacteria. Rather, push the wand gently into the tube, twirl it around a few times or roll the handle backwards and forwards between your fingertips, and your wand will be coated with sufficient mascara.
Make-up should always be removed before going to bed, especially mascara, as it stiffens lashes making them more brittle and prone to breakage. Feel your natural lashes without mascara, and then feel them with mascara. Now imagine these stiff lashes being pushed or rubbed into a pillow during sleep, possibly causing the ends to snap. No one wants that.
Handy hint: Forgotten your eyeliner? Waterproof mascara can double up as a liquid eyeliner. Simply dip your eyeliner brush into the mascara – or coat the brush with the wand – and apply it like you would a gel or liquid eyeliner.
Are you ready for a new mascara? Read “Which mascara to use?” before making your next purchase. It might help you find the right formula to give you the lash effect that you’re looking for.
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