Tuesday 26 June 2012

Mascara & Eyeliner - All that you need to know !


Lets say you're in a crazy rush (which is usually the case) and no can do's a lot of make but you still wanna do a little something to amp up how your face looks, just take 2 minutes to work with an eyeliner and/or mascara. I'm pretty sure a lot of you have noticed the remarkable difference that the two products can make and become absolute saviours.

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks on how to get the most from your eyeliner and mascara and how to have some fun trying out different looks.

GETTING STARTED WITH EYELINER !
If you are just beginning to use liners/Kajal or if you are just not very good at applying either of them then practice, patience and a steady hand is the key to it. Being able to line your eyes is no rocket science and an eyeliner is the most basic type of make-up. Get your hands on a inexpensive pencil that you can work with for practice daily and soon you will find yourself becoming confident enough to play with eyeliners and the different looks you could create with them. 

Smoldering smudged eyeliner.
Many a times, eyeliner application is not as perfect as you would like it to be and these are usually the times when you just cant sit down to fix the goof up. I turn to the little guy called Q-tip (or earbuds) at that very instant. No I am not reaching out for the Q-tip to fix the mess but to smudge it even more. This creates a sexy smoldering look instead of a well defined line. Be careful to not smudge a very thick line as this could give you Raccoon eyes which is never a good idea.  

If you are looking for a very well defined line with a glossy finish that lasts all day, turn to the liquid or gel liners. The application of these two is a lot more controlled for both the lower lash line and water line. However, I am not sure how safe these are for the waterline as they do come in contact with the eyes. Liquid and gel liners are ideal for a cat or winged liner look. A good intermediate to pencil liners and gel/liquid liners are the felt tip liners. 

If you are like me and love using the pencil liners then here is the best tip for you to make your pencil liner last all day. Make sure your eyelids are not too oily. Apply an eye-primer or just some makeup setting powder (or compact) to prevent the eyeliner pigments from fading out during the course of the day. After lining your eyes, take some matte black eyeshadow on an angled brush and pat it on your liner or Kajal. This works fabulously and the lines just wouldn't budge. 


 
Try a white pencil for the waterline. 

Most girls in India use a black kohl pencil on their lower lash line (commonly known as Kajal). Contrary to this, try using a white pencil. I personally feel that it adds more light to the eyes and makes them pop and look bigger.

Black Kajal will always be a good old favorite and was probably the first makeup item I used back in the 7th grade. And of course no ethnic Indian make-up look is complete without Kajal.

The picture above shows what a difference it would make if you used black, white or just left them nude.

Fun looks to play around with :)
PRACTICE till you have a steady hand and then try some of these fun looks with different types of eyeliners. Trace a rough line with a black eyeshadow on an angled brush and then retrace the same line with your liner. You will find that there is less chance of making errors that way. Notice how every little stroke of your liner makes a huge difference to your look. Good luck trying !

   
LETS TALK MASCARA !



Once you are done with the eyeliner, adding a few finishing coats of Mascara will instantly make your eyes look bigger and more awake. Just because a Mascara works wonders for your friend does not mean that it would work equally well for you too. Choosing the right Mascara for your lashes is like choosing the right type of hairstyling products for your hair. For example, if you have very thin lashes then a wet formula mascara is just not the right one for you. It would end up weighing your lashes down and clump them together. For thin lashes, I recommend using a dry and thicker formula. Pay attention to the wand too. It should have long, fine and evenly spaced bristles.


Application: Tips and Tricks !

The commonest way of applying mascara is to touch the wand to the base of the lashes (where the roots are) and wiggle side-to-side moving upwards. 
Its always best to apply 2-3 thin coats for a fuller look instead of one very loaded stoke that causes clumping. Apply each coat and wait for it dry up before applying the next.
Tightline.
Tight lining with a black kohl pencil underneath the roots of the lashes also creates an illusion of very thick lashes. Always try and pick a waterproof mascara. It is best suited for oily skin or a humid weather and wouldn't smudge. It also contains a lot of wax that holds curl better. Besides, you could always have the occasional meltdown while wearing mascara. :p



The famous business card trick!

A good way to work with mascara and ensure that you don't goof up is to take a business card, roughly cut out a curve like the shape of your eye and hold the upper lid with the card and then apply mascara. This works well because not only does it lift up the lashes but also prevents you from messing up your eyelid.

You could use the same card to protect your cheek and under eye area from any powdery fallouts from the the wand or lashes while applying mascara.



I never use the business card trick because I am always applying mascara in a rush and I get mascara on my lids more often than not. Instead of going for it immediately, I wait for it dry up and then scrape it off gently with a Q-tip. Trying to get rid of wet mascara anywhere on your skin always smudges and creates a bigger mess.

If you find that the wand has too much product on it and you obviously don't want to coat your lashes with such a load and clump them, then just take a tissue and roll off the excess from the wand before applying. Sometimes I like to roll off the excess product on the comb-like side of the brow and lash groomer. Now use this side to just brush through your lashes. This by far has given me the closest results to wearing false lashes. It works the BEST. It separates out the lashes and gives them so much length in just a few short strokes.
Brow & Lash Groomer. 

So your favorite mascara has dried up and you NEED to wear it right this second. What do you do ?

It's very simple. Just add a few drops of your lens cleansing solution or some eye drops and shake it. This will restore your mascara for a few more uses. However, it is not recommended to continue using a mascara if it smells fishy. Mascaras have a very short shelf life and give a very distinct foul smell when they are no longer fit for use which is very easily identifiable. 
NEVER pump the wand in and out of your mascara tube. This dries up the product very quickly as you are pumping air into it.


Lastly, removing mascara and eyeliner properly at the end of day are an equally important step. My favorite eye make-up removers are baby oil, olive oil and vaseline. These really break down the waterproof products on your eyes and nourish them. The area around the eyes does not have very active oil producing glands anyway so you don't have to worry about breakouts in that area. Massage vaseline on your lash line with a Q-tip and on your lashes (with your fingertips) every time you remove mascara. This not only removes whatever little is left but also gives good conditioning to the lashes, makes them longer and reduces lash fallout.

Always take care of the little things and watch how they make a huge difference.

Thank you for reading ! 

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