How to Apply Mascara
Question: I see the ads for mascara that make lashes look so long and thick that they look fake. How can I get mine to look that way?
Mimi: First know that there isn’t such a thing as “Truth in advertising.” When I was a dietetics major in college I learned how to make food look good for a photo shoot. Make-up pictures are air brushed, etc.
Blast your eyelash curler with your hair dryer before curling your lashes. The lashes will curl curlier and the curl will set better.
As you pull the wand out of the mascara tube, do NOT pump it back and forth to get lots of product on the brush. Pumping pushes air into the tube and makes the mascara not last as long.
Look down at the mirror and apply mascara to the top side of the lashes. If you find that you get mascara on your cheeks, hold a tissue under your eyes. Do not let that layer of mascara dry. Immediately swoop up with the mascara brush from the underside. Then direct the tip of the brush directly at your lashes as though you were going to poke out your eye. Using the tip of the brush, apply mascara close to the roots.
Next, direct the brush parallel with the lashes. Scrub back and forth near the base of the lashes. This will deposit lots of mascara on the lashes. Don’t worry if you get clumps.
Without allowing the mascara to dry, immediately apply mascara from the base to the tips with a sweeping motion to the underside. As you near the ends of the lashes, hold the lashes up with the brush. This will amplify the curl. If you want to apply another coat, you can do it now.
“Gilding the lily”—After the mascara is dry, dust powdered eye shadow on the lashes. Then swoop on another layer of mascara. To prevent chunks and dust from the eye shadow landing on your cheeks, apply an overabundance of face powder to your upper cheeks to catch the dust. After everything is finished, fluff off the excess face powder along with the colored flakes that fell.
The best mascara that I have found for long looking lashes is Maybelline Falsies in black. Two regular sweeping-upwards coats without all the rig-a-ma-roll above gives a fast, long lasting, opulent lash look.
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands. Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
