Being a contact lens wearer you may experience the many issues regarding wearing makeup. There is nothing worse than wearing your contacts and then applying makeup and through out the day the makeup may smear and smudge off into your contact lenses. It’s important to know what formulations to go for that wont irritate the eyes but can obstruct your vision. This can be annoying, irritating and painful and if it’s not taken seriously can cause a slight eye infection. So what eye makeup can you use if you wear contact lenses.
#1 Creams And Eye Creams
Before applying any skincare and makeup it’s best to apply your contact lenses first. When applying contact lenses always remember to wash your hands carefully, and even washing off any excess soaps and dirt off the hands right away and then apply your contact lenses. If there is any excess soap on the skin this will get into the eyes while applying contact lenses causing irritation to the eyes.
The same issue will occur with eye creams and moisturizers if there is excess product on the hands, and you apply your contact lenses it can irritate the eye area causing your eyes to sting and burn. Instead, when you do apply the eye creams make sure that you apply them gently. Instead apply it under the eye area in a gentle patting motion.
When applying the eye creams it’s important to make sure that the eye creams are not placed too close to the eyes. If your skin care products are applied to close to your eyes it can get into them which can cause your eyes to irritate and burn. It’s best to carefully apply such products around the eye area. I personally found once your eye cream or moisturizers got into my eyes it would cause a lot of irritation where, I would have to remove the entire contact lens and flush them out.
#2 Set Waterproof Liners
When applying waterproof pencil eyeliners to your waterline it’s best to set the eyeliner with a matte eyeshadow. It’s essential to set the waterproof eyeliner because this is one product that when it’s on the waterline, it will most likely get onto the contact lens which will definitely obstruct your vision.
This is one of the worst dilemmas to deal with because once the waterproof formulation gets onto the contact lens, it will actually set onto the lens making it difficult to remove off the contact lens. When setting the pencil liner it’s best to use a matte formulation of eyeshadow because any other eyeshadow formulations such as shimmer can get into the eye causing irritation with the shimmer particles.
#3 Choose Soft Eyeliners:
When applying eyeliner to the top eyelid and bottom waterline make sure that the eyeliner is not hard and rough. This will not only irritate the contact lens when applying the eyeliner it may also irritate the eyelids. Instead, it’s best to use a pencil eyeliner that is a cream smooth formula that wont irritate the eyes or the contact lens.
#4 Avoid Using Liquid Eyeliner On The Waterline
When applying liquid eyeliner always make sure you never apply it to the waterline this will definitely cause the eyes to burn. Liquid liners should never be applied directly to the waterline, it will cause a lot of irritation to the eyes. When wearing any liquid liner be careful not to apply it in the inner corner of the eyes because this will get into the eyes at some point and cause irritation because it will seep in from the inner corner of the eyes.
#5 Avoid Glitter Eyeliners
Avoiding glitter eyeliners because this will definitely irritate your eyes. Glitter eyeliner will irritate your eyes when wearing contact lens because the glitter particles will get into your eye through out the day which will irritate your eyes. Stick to applying eyeliners that have a matter finish and don’t have glitter or shimmer.
#6 Use Concealer Avoid Using Your Fingers
When applying concealer to the under eye area it’s best to use your fingers or a beauty blender to gently apply concealer around the under eye area. Once the concealer has been applied it’s best to use translucent powder to set the concealer into place. This way concealer wont get into the eyes during the day.
#7 Matte Eyeshadows Instead Of Glitter And Shimmer
Matte eyeshadows are the best way to go when it comes to applying eyeshadow to the eyelids. The problem with other finishes is that some other eyeshadows may have shimmers or glitter chunks. These types of formulations usually can get into the eyes causing irritation to your eyes.
Matte eyeshadows are best applied to the waterline to set eyeliners and will cause less of an irritation.
#8 Avoid Mascara With Oils
When it comes to applying mascara to the eyelashes it’s best to use an oil free formula. Some of the mascaras that are used out on the market have oils in them which can certainly get onto the eyes and smudging all over the contact lenses.
I personally have experienced this problem with certain mascaras which can be a huge nuisance which causes problems to the vision because it does get on the contact lens. When it comes to mascaras try to always apply a base or a primer under the mascara because this usually helps keep the mascara on the eyelids longer.
#9 Avoid Mascaras With Micro Fibers
When applying mascara which have fibers in them which are typically used to lengthen the lashes it’s best to avoid them. The reason being is the microfibers that are used to lengthen the lashes can get into your eyes causing the contact lenses and eyes to get irritated. If you wear contact lenses regularly then you know what it’s like when an eyelash gets into the eyes, It feels like something sharp getting into the eyes which will irritate the eyes causing it to water.
Instead look for mascaras that are made for sensitive eyes, this will help because most of the formulas are hypoallergenic, which means that the product is suitable for eyes that are sensitive to the ingredients.
#10 Don’t Rub Your Eyes When Wearing Eye Makeup
When wearing eye makeup it’s best not to rub your eyes because the makeup will get rubbed into the eyes, and if you rub your eyes and makeup gets into your eyes it will smear all over your contact lenses which can obstruct your vision. This not only obstructs your vision it will also irritate your eyes causing them to sting and feel itchy.
#11 Using A Lash Primer With Mascaras/ Waterproof Formulas
When it comes to applying mascara many of the formulas can flake and smudge off. When the mascara flakes off it can get into the eyes causing irritation making the eyes itchy and red. One of the best ways to prevent your mascara from flaking off and getting into the eyes is by using a lash primer. Lash primers are usually applied before your mascara which prevent your mascara from flaking and smudging off.
If smudging mascara is a problem then another way to prevent the mascara smudging into the eyes is by using a waterproof formulation. Waterproof mascara usually stays put on the lashes once it is applied to the lashes this prevents the mascara from smudging off, this is where you don’t have to worry about the smudging and worry about the mascara getting into the eyes causing any irritation with your contact lens on.
#12 Don’t Remove Makeup With Your Contacts On.
When removing makeup off your eyelids always remember to remove your contact lenses and then remove the makeup. Otherwise the makeup remover will get into the eyes causing irritation. If the eye makeup remover is oil based it will get onto the contact lens causing the vision to look blurry and it stings. This will make it so difficult to remove the oil off the contact lens.
#13 False Eye Lash
When applying false eyelashes it’s best to apply the false lashes to your eyelids without using to much glue to the eyelash band.
Personally what I found was when I applied glue to the lash band with an even coat of lash glue. If there is too much glue on the lash band it can get into your eyes and onto your contact lenses which, can certainly cause a lot of irritation to the eyes, that is why you need to make sure you put a thin layer of lash glue on the actual lash band so that it doesn’t go into the eyes.
#14 Carry Eyedrops/ Contact Lens Solution
The one thing I always keep on hand are eye drops. Eyedrops are good to have at hand because it can help flush away any debris and dirt in the eyes. Sometimes even avoiding certain makeup can still get into the eyes causing a form of irritation, or if the eyedrops don’t seem to do the trick always carry a travel sized contact lens solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to applying make up for contact wearers it’s best to stay simple and choose certain formulas. Irritation usually occurs because makeup usually gets into the eyes causing it both to irritate the eyes and the contact lenses. There are a few things to consider when it comes to applying makeup when you wear contact lenses, such as avoid glitter formulations in your eyeshadows and eyeliners.
Make sure your makeup has no glitter because this will definatly get into the eyes and will cause a lot of irritation. It’s also important to avoid mascaras that have a tendency to flake, because it will get into your eyes irritating it and causing it to itch and burn.
Avoid any eye makeup that is likely to smudge or that is oil based otherwise this will make it smudge more on the contact lenses which will definitely obstruct the vision. Lastly, make sure your contact lenses are removed while removing your makeup because it will cause problems with your vision and will get onto the contact lenses.