Mascara is a godsend and can really change your look. This is only if you know how to utilize it to its full potential, though!
There are many different types of mascara - volumizing, lengthening, thickening - how do you figure out what to buy? The only way to figure out what is best for you is to do some shopping; test some out at the drugstore, buy the small versions of the designer kind at Sephora and ask around to see what peoples favorites are.
In this post I am going to share some of my favorites and how to use them correctly. It isn't enough to just put one coat on and walk out the door. There are ways of applying mascara that really make a difference!
What Color Is Right For Me?
Mascara comes in a LOT of different colors; from "Blackest Black" to purple and green, how do you know what color to use? When deciding for myself, I thought about my hair color, my skin color and the look I wanted to achieve. Because I tend to be darker normally with darker hair, I know I can handle a really dark black mascara. I've tried brown, and it doesn't really make my eyes stand out that much.
Kim K. has the right features to pull off dark black mascara!
Those of you who are very fair and have light hair should be careful when picking mascara and should keep in mind that black might be overpowering. I would try a dark brown for everyday, and maybe a lighter black for night.
Cate is really fair, so a dark brown mascara would work well with her hair and skin tone.
How Do I Apply It?
First, before applying anything, you need an eyelash curler. I know these things look scary and people don't use them because they don't know how, but PLEASE please buy one. They make all the difference when applying mascara and they make your lashes look AMAZING.
This is a splurge but so worth it; the Shiseido Curler at $19.
A tip for using an eyelash curler is a three-step process. The first step is curling the lashes as close to the lash line as possible to get all over curl. Then, move to curling the lashes in the middle, then finally curl the very ends of your lashes. This is like curling your lashes TIMES THREE and allows your lashes to really open up your eye area.
The trick with curling your lashes is not to hold the curler (when curling) as tight as possible to get the 'best curl.' If you do it too hard, you may damage your lashes. Instead of holding tightly, pump your curler 7 to 10 times applying slight pressure. Do this in the three step process and you will get amazing results AND take care of your lashes for future use. :)
Now for any kind of mascara, I recommend putting on a lash-building primer first. It is usually white in color and coats your lashes to condition and soften them so that your mascara can work its magic properly. The worst is using mascara on dry and brittle lashes because then when you go to take off your mascara at the end of the night you run the risk of damaging your lashes!
Some of the best primer is from Urban Decay (as you can tell by now I LOVE Urban Decay's primers!) called Eyelash Primer Potion.
After applying your primer, let it dry for about a minute, then move on to the mascara application.
A tip I picked up from getting my makeup done at MAC is that do really get the product on your lashes, close your eyes slightly or look down and use the mascara wand to pull up on your lashes. This doubles the work that the wand is doing and will coat your lashes more.
This is sort of what it looks like!
This also prevents you from getting those annoying black smears on the top of your lash line after you apply mascara!
The trick to really letting mascara look good is by coating ALL of your lashes, even the small ones on the inner corners of your eyes. Not only do I recommend first coating your lashes while holding the wand horizontally, but also turning the wand vertically and pulling up to coat all of the lashes. Use the wand as it is supposed to be used! Use the tip of the wand to work on individual lashes, and if you want some extra drama coat your bottom lashes with the tip of the wand.
Personally I do not coat my bottom lashes to avoid getting under eye circles at the end of the night. I've found that by just coating my upper lashes I will eventually transfer mascara to my lower lashes while blinking throughout the night.
Let your mascara dry for about a minute and then put another coat on in the same way you put your first coat on. Waiting any longer will give you clumpy lashes, and any less will not allow another coat to stick over the first coat.
Whatever you do, though, do NOT attempt to curl your lashes after you have put mascara on. If you curl your lashes after the mascara has dried (even a little bit) and are not careful you can actually break your lashes. The mascara makes lashes brittle and if you curl them too forcefully they will snap in half!
The Best Mascaras
There is an ongoing debate over whether or not designer mascaras are actually better and better for you than drugstore mascaras. I used to believe that drugstore mascaras would damage my lashes and make them brittle overtime.
Through experimentation I discovered that this is not true. You can find some mascaras that are really good in drugstores and I am currently using a drugstore favorite as we speak.
My favorite mascaras, though, are designer. Call me crazy, I can just notice a difference when I use my Benefit BADgal Mascara. Now there are many different brands of mascara and their applicators are all really different. I have heard that smaller applicators are better because you can be really precise and coat every lash. In my opinion, it is all about personal preference. I prefer big bulky wands, whereas some other people prefer small skinny wands.
My favorite mascara that has a small circular wand to manually coat every lash is Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes Waterproof Mascara, shown below.
This wand is CRAZY precise and is really fun to apply. It is rather expensive, and because you really should wear mascara as much as possible and throw away mascara every three months or so, the price is somewhat high. BUT if you are willing to spend money I would consider it.
Another favorite that is very similar to Benefit's BADgal mascara is Dior's Diorshow Mascara in Black.
I got this in a sample size as a gift and completely fell in love. It has the big wand that I like and goes on so smoothly without clumping. The price, like Givenchy, is a lot though so keep that in mind!
Another mascara that I have been told about is Buxom Lash Mascara by Bare Essentials.
A friend told me this was the best mascara she had ever tried, so I think my next mascara buy will be this one. I'll keep you posted on how it does (my friend says it compares to Diorshow in that it doesn't clump) and if anyone else buys it give me a review!!
Now I know we can't all spend a ton of money on mascara since we go through it so quickly, so I am also including some favorite drugstore finds.
The one I am currently using is a cult classic; Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black has been around for over 40 years and is always on the top of beauty lists. It is a great find when your budget doesn't support $20 mascara and really competes with some of these other brands!
Another favorite from the drugstore is Covergirl's Lashblast and Lashblast Fusion. I have not tried them but have only heard good things!!!
I am really excited to try these and if you already use them or have tried them please leave a comment about them!!!
Lashes are really important to accentuate because they frame the eye area. They can really make a statement, especially since lashes have gained the reputation of being "flirty." Therefore, we have a lot to learn from them!! :)
So stay flirty with these tips ladies and good luck mascara searching!!
XO Alicia
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