When it comes to making our eyelashes looking thicker or fuller or even longer we use a mascara, to help enhance them to make then stand out, but for some reason they can always look bad.
And that begs the question why does my mascara always look bad? And why does it smudge and flake off?
When it comes to using mascara you need to make sure that you do not use any kind of moisturizer around your eye or eyelids as the lashes will absorb the creams and make the lash hairs wet, when you do apply the mascara this will cause it to smudge, flake off and even partly cause it to get clumpy.
So lets take a look at the reasons why and how your mascara can look bad and what you can do to give it a better finish and a better look for you.
Why Does Mascara Clump
There are a few reasons why mascara is clumpy, one of the reasons is because the mascara formulation may be too wet or too dry. When the mascara formulation is too wet it can put too much product on the lashes at once. When this happens an uneven amount of product goes on the lashes which will cause the mascara to clump on the eyelashes.
When the mascara is too dry it may have clumps already in the formulation, this will cause an uneven amount being applied to the eyelashes.
Mascara Formulation
In order for a wetter formulation of mascara to apply more evenly it’s best to apply an eyelash primer under the mascara. An eyelash primer usually has a more dry formulation, so when a more wet formulation of mascara is applied on top of the primer it will make the wet formulated mascara apply more thicker and evenly.
When it comes to dry mascara it’s best to always make sure you don’t pump the mascara before applying it. This makes the mascara dry out faster which will then change the formulation to being more drier. Lastly it’s always a good idea to throw out mascaras that may have passed their expiration date because it wont be hygienic for your eyes.
Another reason why mascara may be clumpy is that there may be too much mascara on the mascara wand. It’s always wise to clean off the excess mascara on your mascara wand so that it doesnt collect too much product on it. This will prevent your mascara from clumping on your lashes.
Another reason why your mascara may be clumping is because you could be applying too many coats of mascara at once. The one way that will definitely cause your mascara to clump, is by applying a coat of mascara and then allowing it to fully dry, and then applying another coat of mascara on top. This causes clumping because the mascara formulation wont apply smoothly on top of the drier layer of the mascara.
Mascara Smudging
Another reason why mascara may look horrible is because of your mascara smudging, to which this can resemble racoon looking eyes. There are many reasons why mascara would smudge.
The first reason would be because the mascara formulation that may be really pigmented where it can cause a lot of transfer. There have been many formulations of mascara that just simply smudge a lot. It’s hard to determine which mascaras don’t smudge off, with these types of mascaras they can be a hit or miss.
The best way to avoid your mascara from transferring is by applying a mascara primer to the lashes before applying the mascara. Mascara primer allows your mascara to last longer on the lashes by making the mascara to adhere to the lashes. This will definitely change the way your mascara will apply through out the day.
The second way to prevent your mascara from smudging is by looking at waterproof formulations. This type of a formulation is more thicker and sticks to the lashes once it settles onto the lashes. Waterproof mascaras usually are waterproof and usually lasts through swimming and any events happy or sad that may include a lot of crying. Waterproof formulations usually last longer on the lashes than normal mascara therefore this allows your mascara to last longer through out the day.
If your favourite mascara doesn’t come in a waterproof formulation there is a simple way to make your mascara waterproof.
Step 1: Apply your favourite mascara on your lashes 1-2 coats of mascara
Step 2: Apply one coat of a waterproof mascara (this will make your mascara waterproof)
Another reason as to why your mascara could look bad is because of your skin type. If you have more oily skin it’s more likely to break down your mascara is in contact with it. Sometimes oily skin types can cause oily eyelids. Any oils that get in contact with your mascara will break it down. After all, a lot of eye makeup removers have oil in them to break down and remove eye makeup.
Oily Skin Types
If this is the case where your skin type would be more oily, then the best thing to do is to blot the eye area with blotting paper so that most of the oils are absorbed. The next best thing to do is to use translucent powder, and powder around the eyelid area. By brushing on some translucent powder around the eye area this allows all the oils in this area to be even more absorbed. This trick will help prevent your mascara from being eaten away and smudged off.
Skin Care And Mascara
When using eye cream or any moisturizer around the eye area will also cause your mascara to smudge because of the oils. It’s best to use some translucent powders around the eye area to absorb the oils. I personally would allow the eye cream to settle in to the skin first, for about 10-15 mins, in order to still gain the benefits of the skin care.
Weather Conditions
During a hot and humid summer, weather makes your skin secrete more oil out of the pores. This causes our skin to become oily which again will break down the mascara. Sometimes the humidity in the air will have a lot of moisture which will also effect the way your mascara will look making it easier to come off.
With such weather conditions it’s best to use a lash primer so that the mascara will adhere to the lashes. It’s also a good idea to powder around the eye area with a translucent powder so that it absorbs the oils around the eye area.
Avoid Rubbing Your Eye Area
One of the main reasons why my mascara looked like a nightmare is because this will just rub off the mascara and will smear it all over the place. This is one habit that I personally had to stop because it always made my mascara look horrible.
Sneezing After Mascara Application
When applying mascara to the eyelashes and applying all of the tips and tricks that were mentioned sometimes our mascara can still look like a complete and utter nightmare which can make it very frustrating.
Through my own experience one day while getting ready to go into work I was applying my mascara and had taken my sweet time doing this. After a few minutes of being away from my mirror, I ended up sneezing and because my mascara was still wet, as I sneezed, I squeezed my eyes tight and this caused my mascara to smudge and go all over the place.
I didn’t notice until hours later when I had to use the washroom. It’s always a good idea to have a look in the mirror after sneezing especially if you applied a fresh coat of mascara to the lashes.
Cleaning Up Mascara Smudges And Smears
After applying the mascara another thing to keep in mind is to clean up any spots and smudges that may have occurred during the mascara application. The best way to clean off the mascara smudges is with a Q-tip that’s dipped in micellar water or any oil free makeup recover to remove any mess that was left behind. If this step is skipped it can make it look like you don’t know how to apply mascara and make things look disastrous!
Mascara Flaking Off
The other reason why your mascara may look horrible after a couple of hours is because it may begin to flake off. The flaking off of the mascara can also result to the mascara smudging off under the eye area.
The Flaking Of Mascara Can Boil Down To A Couple Of Reasons:
Formulation Of The Actual Mascara:
When the mascara is dry in formulation it can apply in clumps which can then turn into flakes. One way to avoid this from occurring is by applying Visine drops into the actual mascara tube. This will help give your mascara a thinner formula which will help you have less flaking occurring.
Take Your Time Applying Mascara To The Lashes:
Sometimes when applying mascara to the lashes too quickly it can cause the mascara to clump. In order to prevent this from occurring it’s best to take your time applying mascara, otherwise it will look like a hot mess within a couple of hours.
Use A Lash Primer:
Another way to prevent your mascara from smudging is by using a mascara primer before applying the mascara. This will also allow your mascara to last longer on the eyelashes without it flaking off.
Use Translucent Powder:
Another trick to allow your mascara to stay on the lashes without flaking off, is by applying some translucent powder onto the actual lashes as a base. Then it’s best to apply mascara on top of the lashes. This could also help with oils around the eye area.
As mentioned earlier the mascara can start to deteriorate due to the oils from your skin that can begin to break down the mascara. Flaking is one of the problems that can occur because of this, It’s best to apply a translucent powder around the eye area before applying any mascara so that this doesn’t occur.
Avoid Crying:
One of my main reasons why mascara would run and flake off is because if I cried this causes the mascara to run and eventually flake off. So if you know your going to be crying at special events it’s best to use a waterproof formula to prevent your mascara from flaking.
Rubbing Your Eyes Or Constantly Picking At Your Eyelashes:
If you rub your eyes a lot this is defiantly a culprit of your mascara flaking off. Try to avoid rubbing your eye area at all costs because this will smudge and flake your mascara off which isn’t an attractive look.
Another reason as to why your mascara might flake off is because you may pick at your eyelashes a lot, this will deteriorate the mascara causing it to flake off.
Avoid Fiber Mascaras:
Fiber mascaras usually require two steps, one being, applying normal mascara and then applying a fibre coat that has micro fibers in it, and then this is sealed with a mascara on top. The purpose of the micro fibers is to help lengthen the lashes. With these types of formulations it’s more likely to flake off because of the micro fibres. The seal from the mascara will hold up for only so long before it begins to flake off.
Mascara Wands:
The last way to prevent mascara clumping is by using a mascara wand that has fine plastic bristles. These types of mascara wands have many bristles which help the mascara formulation comb through the lashes. Not only will it comb through the lashes, it will also comb out any mascara clumps that maybe sitting on the lashes.
Key Takeaways
So looking at everything you now have a better understanding on why your mascara can look bad.
- Can get clumpy
- It can smudge
- mascara can flake off
- Using different products to help the mascara stay on
- Understanding the mascara formulation and how it effects your look
I really do think that now you have a better undrstanding about the mascara no matter which one you buy it’s all about what you place on your lashes before that will affect getting a good look from your mascara that will stay on for the entire day.