Here is a tip I learnt from an RMK makeup artist over a year ago that I have put into practice everyday and am still doing! I thought it was genius and I have found it very helpful, so I thought it was a tip that bears repeating 🙂
The tip is simple. After you are done with your base makeup, start your point makeup or colour makeup with your lashes – curl and apply mascara.
There are a few benefits to doing this, I’ve realised. The primary one of course, is that you will never forget to curl your lashes, or put on mascara again! 😀 I had a tendency to forget sometimes, even if it was routine, if I did this step after applying my eyeshadow. There is another benefit too!
I don’t know about you, but I often get mascara on my eyelids. This is the curse of short lashes, and mascara with large wands, I tell you! Often, after I’m done with my eye makeup, I have to be extra careful when applying mascara so I don’t mess things up and have to start over.
Sometimes also, the mascara formula is too wet and you may find it marking your lids. I’ve seen some tutorials online where they have contraptions like “mascara guards” to prevent this from happening, or as I’ve seen often, the suggestion of using a business card or piece of cardboard – hold it against your lid and apply your mascara with wild abandon.
The easier way of avoiding this mess, is as I’ve learnt, to apply mascara before your eye makeup! It was so simple and yet something I never really thought about!
So these days, I put on my base makeup and then, before I start my colour makeup, curl my lashes and apply mascara. If I make a mess of the mascara, its easy to wipe off the marks off my lids, ensure its all clean and then start putting on eyeshadow. Its sped things up too, because I don’t have to extra careful anymore. Sometimes, if I am working with a good mascara that lengthens and volumizes my lashes, I then go with a lighter eye colour, so my lashes are emphasized. If I botch up my mascara, I go with more striking eye makeup.
Have you tried this tip? Do you curl your lashes and apply mascara before or after doing your eye makeup?
If you haven’t tried this tip, do give it a go and see if its helpful for you too. I’ve found that its made putting on eye makeup faster for me which is always a boon for those pressed for time in the mornings 🙂
Paris B
I tried this tip before and I couldn’t go with it – cuz i find that the top of my lashes will be coated with the eyeshadow color and i would still need to cover it with another coat of mascara after that. I also find my curled, mascara-ed lashes “obstructing” when I need to apply eyeliner, so I’ll stick to applying mascara after doing my eye makeup! Maybe I’m just a klutz at applying eyeshadow! Hehehe! 😀
Same issue here,it’s really hard to blend the eyeshadow when lashes are nicely curved up. I have trouble applying eyeliner also if mascara goes on first.
Same here! I just hate it when my lashes got coated with eyeshadow color. And the main reason I wear mascara is if my lashes got heavily coated with the eyeshadows. Also, I found that I’ve to be extra careful when putting eyeshadow if I put mascara on first
It looks like most people do find this more of a hassle than a help LOL! 😀 Maybe it just works with really short lashes like mine 😀
Funny! So many people are complaining about this problem about shadow dropping onto lashes and although it did happen to me initially, it no longer does. I wonder why… but maybe this works better for those with short lashes like me! 😀
Same for me!
EXACTLY what Jenn said!
Hmm, I apply it after my eye make up, simply because it is hard to line my eyes after having my mascara on @@
Yeah, that’s the most popular way it seems 🙂 I guess I mostly tightline which is why I don’t have much of an issue 😀
I’ll try that today!
Hope you have a successful experiment! 😉
Hhmmm…tried it before, didn’t work for me. I have the same problem with Jenn who commented above. I find that my lashes get in the way, not to mention having eye shadow fall outs being caught by the lashes.
Yar I think most people seem to have the issue with shadow fall out. I find I don’t but I don’t know if its due to how I apply shadow (dabbing) or if its just me not noticing 😀
i have same issue- my eyecolor (beige) will drop to my freshly mascara-ed lashes and it seems to people i put silvery beige mascara.
i havent tried eyelining after mascara though…hmmm. i will try this on a non work day.
i try not to put mascara everyday cos its so hard to clean it out properly.
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Haha some people actually buy mascara to have that silvery effect 😉 I had that problem early on, but not anymore. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to it 😀 As for eyeliner, I tightline a lot, but I don’t have much problem lining the top lid either. Maybe its because I have short lashes so they don’t get in the way so much?
I agree with the comments above, I don’t like the feeling of my lashes “obstructing” my eyeliner hah hah hah. It makes the line thicker than I would like.
But then again, I hardly curl my lashes heh heh. I find that it makes my lashes look like a staircase, i.e.: becoming perpendicular. Not a good look for me >.<
It might be your curler, Hanny? I find some curlers give my lashes the 90 degree look which is weird but the method of curling I learnt from the RMK makeup artist i.e. curling from the middle not from the root helps me a lot to get a natural curve 😀
Routine change starting tomorrow! 🙂 Thanks Paris!
Do share if you found this helpful, Ting. Many readers don’t seem to like it LOL!
Eh? Won’t your mascara get in the way? I see mascara has always been the last step for eyes, then you can put lashings and lashings of it as you please.
Nowadays I don’t even wear mascara for work (the horrors!), just eyeshadow and eyeliner, because I find that mascara will smudge at the end of the day (and it saves me time in the morning) 😛
Actually, it doesn’t for me, but it must be noted that I don’t boast long lush lashes LOL! Maybe that’s why this works for me. I find it easier to work when I can see my lashes, and then clean off all the mascara bits before going onto the shadow. I also find it faster but maybe its just me, coz most people don’t find it very helpful to them 😉 I’ve found that mascara or at least, curling my lashes opens up my eyes and I look a wee bit more awake – helpful when I have to face people while feeling half asleep 😉
Unfortunately, as with some of the other ladies, your tip doesnt work for me 🙁
My eye lashes get in the way when i apply my eye-shadow. Or i will move the lashes and it gets clump up. And i find it hard to apply my eye-liner…
Yeah I noticed many people seem to find it more of a hassle this way 😀 Just personal preference I guess 😉
Yeah. Same view. The eyeshadow might mess with my nicely combed fan out lashes.
great tip! I usually curl it before applying anything else, because of my short lashes, when i curl after applying eyeshadow, the color will smudge 🙁 because I need to hold it close to the lid 🙁
Right?! I find that it helps with that too! I used to curl after putting on liner and eyeshadow and then have to touch up because the curler would have picked up all the liner and shadow. This way, at least I don’t have to waste that time on touch up!
I have long and thick lashes. The only problem with thick brushes is that sometimes I put mascara on my upper water line (is this how its called? :D) and it looks weird…
Catherine, you are so lucky to have long thick lashes! 😀 I find fat brushes smudge against my skin too and then I have to spend time cleaning it off, which is why I found this tip helpful (I’m very clumsy with mascara!)
Hi 5, Paris!
I have the same issue as you with mascara, so curling & applying mascara before shadows does help and this is already my routine for a while. Normally, I’ll line my eyes after base makeup, then curl & apply mascara, then touch up my brow. By the time I’m done with my brow, the mascara is dried so I can clean up my lid follow by eye shadow. But I do agree that we need to be a little tactful when applying shadows especially if you’re using fingers coz the colour may drop on your lash. Well, I don’t apply shadow everyday, so not an issue for me. =P
Oh High 5, Jesz! 😀 I was starting to feel like I was alone in loving this tip 😀
hmm I never thought about this. You’re a genius, Paris! gonna do it tmrw and then I won’t have to spend time wiping mascara off of my eyeshadow and then reapplying 😀
LOL I hope you’ve read the other readers’ experiences and why they don’t like doing this, MM 😛 I love it, but you may find some shadow fall out (a problem I had at the beginning but don’t experience anymore) Maybe its just me 😉
I’ve just been wearing a quick swipe of color across the lids lately, so it shouldn’t be an issue 😀 So excited to try this hahaha
great tips…gonna try it out tomorrow!!
I hope it works for you Cindy!
Alas, I can’t follow this tip even though it would solve the mascara-on-lid problem…makes it a pain to apply eyeshadow afterwards (particularly light colours) as I end up with powder stuck to my lashes. 🙁 Have long given up on eyeliner on weekdays as it takes me too long to apply!
You’re not alone, it seems, almost everyone bar 2 people find doing this more hassle than help! 😉 I just tightline on most days anyway. Given up on applying liner on the top lid
That’s a great tip for avoiding mascara on eyeshadow! For me, I mostly have a problem with shadow/eyeliner being taken off with curler, so I curl first before applying eyeshadow and eyeliner, and then I apply mascara last to finish off the look.
Ooh that’s a clever way to do it too, Peach! Like you, I find the curler pressed on lid problem too and curling before eyeshadow helps a ton!
I have been doing this for ages! My curler has to squish against my eyelid to get a decent curl so this is a must do step for me.
I don’t use shadows anymore because I find them too fiddly to blend and they tend to make my eyes look puffy. Now I just use Laura Mercier’s eye basics in flax to even out my lid colour and add a little to brighten the inner corners and undereye.
Glad to find someone else who does this too! The curler against lid thing and the residue or smudging of colour onto the curler really bugs me too. I used to be so much more adventurous with my eyeshadow but these days, I’m sticking to very safe colours. Darn! 😛
I has never thought of doing that. I’ll try it tomorrow and see how it goes. Thanks for the tip.
I hope it works for you Gio 😉
I’m one of those who use a guard, it looks something like this and works a treat because I can use it to comb my lashes too http://pinksakura.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=500
Haha a Hello Kitty mascara guard! 😀 I remember it being very popular at one stage (guards not Hello Kitty which perennially popular 😉 ) but few people talk about it now. Still, I can’t deny that it’s a genius invention! 😉
I don’t have problems with mascara smudging but I notice that the curler will remove some eyeliner. Perhaps more than normal comes off because I heat my curler with a blow dryer before use as it’s the only way my lashes will hold a curl. Sometimes I’ll retouch the eyeliner and other times I’ll leave it as the look is softer.
I’ll try your technique tomorrow to see if there are advantages for me.
Will be good to know if this will work for you, Kay 😉 I have to try that heated lash curler trick
Please be careful as the curler may get very hot! I test the curler on my palm before using. I reheat before doing the second eye so the curl will last the same amount of time on both eyes.
BTW, I don’t apply a lot of pressure on my eyelashes like I see some people do on youtube as it seems that would damage the eyelashes. So far, I have no breakage or loss even with applying heat every day for the last 10 years.
Urgh! I dislike seeing how some people curl their lashes. They are so violent! I take great care with mine because I don’t have many and besides, most MUA I’ve spoken to, or experienced, do it very gently. I sometimes think Youtube is bad for everyone 😛 But I will take your tip to be careful. I have heard of heating lash curlers before but never tried it!