The best thing about makeup is that it is like trick photography; you can play with it and experiment with it wholeheartedly, till you get a look that flatters you. Makeup, especially eye makeup, is most commonly used to do two things. It is either used to highlight or enhance the best attributes of your face and eyes, or it is carefully applied to draw attention away from your facial flaws. In both cases, it can work to your advantage if done right. A good example of such helpful makeup is mascara.
Mascara is generally considered the most popular form of eye makeup as it today falls in the unisex makeup category, with both men and women using it to play up their eyes. The main purpose of mascara is to visually extend the appearance of your lashes. So who should use mascara? Everyone, because it is such a nifty makeup product, that it can do wonders for any and all eye shapes and sizes.
Using a lash curler and mascara
Once your overall face and eye makeup is set, you can turn your attention to applying mascara. Here it must be mentioned that while buying your mascara, you must always invest in a good quality lash curler as well, as the two (lash curler and mascara) give the best results when applied one after the other. The biggest advantage of lash curlers is that they gently curl your eyelashes temporarily and open up your eyes to give the impression that they are bigger in size.
While using a lash curler, the trick is to be gentle but firm. Put your open lash curler on your upper eyelash and squeeze gently for about 10 to 20 seconds and then leave. Once done, you can start applying your mascara by opening it and dabbing the lash liner brush against the rim of the tube. This ensures there is just the right amount of mascara on your brush.
Next, position yourself in front of a mirror with an overhead light and put the mascara brush at the base of the upper eyelid, making zigzag movements till the end of the lash. Do this two or three times, looking in the mirror, ensuring that your eye lashes are separating and not clumping together. Short and light strokes give the best results.
Some mascara kits come with a handy lash comb as well. Once you have one coat of your mascara on, use this small brush to comb out your lashes, preventing them from sticking to one another. Here it is good to remember that this exercise of combing your eyelashes should always be done while they are still damp from the freshly applied mascara. Should you attempt to comb your eyelashes once they are dry, the chances are high that the mascara might peel or flake off into your eyes and on your face.
Using your mascara stick on the lower eyelashes is generally more difficult, as most of us have thin hair or hardly any hair there. The best way to go about this is to look into the mirror, pull your face down a bit and hold your mascara stick perpendicular to your eyes and lightly start running it over the eyelashes you can see in the lower row. If you are one of those gifted people who have thick lower lashes as well, then you can apply your mascara exactly the same way and in the same quantity as your upper lashes.
While applying your mascara, it is best to have some cotton buds or wet wipes handy. Should your mascara crack or spill, you can always wipe it away immediately. If you have applied a bit of mascara onto your eyelid by mistake, then you can just use a cotton bud containing makeup remover and remove the spilled mascara. Here, remember to do only a small spot application or else you may end up smudging all your eye makeup and may have to start from scratch again.
Mascaras now come in all shades but the best ones are those in dark colors (black, brown and tan) as a nice thick coat of such makeup can make your eyes look big and deep. Companies have now started taking out transparent mascara as well for people who already have thick eyelashes and only want to comb them and highlight them. Such mascara is also great as it leaves you with a bright eyed, fresh look and can be worn day and night since it has no color. However, it is important to never sleep with mascara on. Ensure that you always wipe or wash it off before going to bed.
