Last week, those of you following me on Twitter might have come across this status update:
Just mistook nail polish remover for eye makeup remover. Hurts like a mofo! Don’t try this at home kids!
— Paris B (@paris_b) October 19, 2012
Yeah, I know. Ouch!
I’m not quite sure what happened, to be perfectly honest. I was tired, yes but not exceedingly so. It wasn’t terribly late, but I’d had some furniture delivered, and I had been clearing up my spaces. I was about to have my shower, when I realised I still had my makeup on from the day. (For the record, the Kanebo Lunasol Water Gel Foundation is seriously something. So impressed!)
So I reached for the first blue bottle I saw on the counter, picked it up, thought it smelled funny, wet a piece of cotton pad, laid the cotton pad against my eye … and promptly ran screaming for the bathroom. It BURNS!
Even as I ran cold water from the tap over my eyes, I could not help wondering why my regular Lip and Eye makeup remover would suddenly turn on me. I wondered if I had accidentally cut my eye lid.
It was only a few moments later that the strong, unmistakeable smell of nail polish remover cut through the fog in my brain. “I just put nail polish remover on my eye!!” You know when people say “/facepalm” but they just say it? I had a literal /facepalm moment right there.
There doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage, thankfully. I had closed my eyes to remove the eyeshadow and mascara, and had almost immediately rinsed it off my skin. I was almost afraid to open my right eye lest I had gone blind but fortunately, it all seems to be good.
I now keep my nail polish remover in a separate room. Not taking my chances again!
Oh and for the record, nail polish remover sucks at removing eye makeup 😉
What’s the worst/most painful makeup or skincare mistake that has ever happened to you?
On a scale of 1-10, this has had to be a 10 on the scale of pain, stupidity and now that I’d told you about it, acute embarrassment LOL!
Paris B
dom says
October 23, 2012 at 8:46 amOh lord, if that happened to me I’d be running around the house screaming. I once squeezed a healthy dollop of facial cleanser onto my toothbrush. It was a Clarins one – so it was nice and white. I can tell you that it also hurts. Blergghhhh.
Ting says
October 23, 2012 at 10:12 amHello Dom,
Hahahahaha!! The minute I finished reading Paris’ article I was reminded of the very same incident!! Facial cleanser on toothbrush! :p Glad you bring that up first. hahaha
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:26 pmLOL You wouldn’t la Dom, you’d run straight for the sink too 😉 I’m guessing facial wash doesn’t taste fresh & minty?
Lily says
October 23, 2012 at 8:58 am(I love the Lunasol Water Gel Foundation too!)
I think the worst for me was when I poked my eye with a loaded mascara wand. The mascara literally went into my eye because I could see pieces of black stuck on my eye ball. I really had no idea what happened there, a slip of hand I guess. It stung like crazy, had blurry vision and teary eyes for a while but everything was ok after I washed my eye.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:27 pm(yay for Lunasol Water Gel Foundation!)
Yikes! That’s happened to me too! Its so weird seeing pieces of black fibre in the eye and it smarts like heck too! Ouch!
Efrain says
October 23, 2012 at 9:13 amWell, when I read the title I was going to say use an incorrect shade match, but you’re case is in other level. My worst mistake was apply scrub after putting tinted moisturizer and I was almost ready to go out.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:28 pmLevel up, Efrain! 😉 And OMG! What a waste of time that must have been!
Tammy says
October 23, 2012 at 9:14 amThat nearly happened to me, quite a few times in fact! I placed my eye makeup remover in the same cabinet as my nail remover, and the colours are just too similar! Scary!!
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:31 pmYikes! Better learn my lesson and keep them in separate cabinets/shelves now. Too risky having them so close.
Tine says
October 23, 2012 at 9:15 am1. Washing my face with shampoo (my blind-as-a-bat eyes thought my shampoo was cleanser).
2. Using body lotion as body wash (accidentally bought 1 litre of Cetaphil body lotion instead of cleanser, didn’t know about it until I placed it in the bathroom and used it to very almost clean my nether regions).
3. Using bright blue eyeshadow without blending. Okay, this hurts other people’s eyes more than mine 😛
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:32 pmOh dear at #2 and once, I used shampoo to shower, wondering why I smelt so floral LOL!
ksuan says
October 23, 2012 at 10:19 pmI’ve done the body lotion as body wash too. Same deal except Johnson’s body lotion instead of baby bath. Extremely doh moment. The then-boyfriend’s fault though, I made him run an errand and he, in typical male fashion, did not check the label. 😛
Leila says
October 23, 2012 at 9:19 amOh Paris, is it terribly rude if I say you made me laugh? Not at your misfortune, but the way you wrote it was so funny! Still, ow! I feel your pain and that sounded scary! I’m glad you’re ok though and no lasting damage.
Hmm, I honestly can’t think of anything besides accidentally stabbing an eyeliner pencil or mascara wand in my eye and we’ve all done that right? Usually it happens just because of doing something stupid which you know you shouldn’t do. Or not sitting/standing still and things you can’t control like sneezing!
Oh and I must hear about the Lunasol foundation (if you’re willing that is). I love my Skin Fusing powder foundation and a gel foundation sounds intriguing, might be good to consider for summer time? Anyway, I’m really glad you’re ok, sounds like it could have been worse, what with being such a strong chemical on such a delicate area.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:39 pmHaha laugh away Leila 🙂 I can laugh about it now because it was just so ridiculous then. I mean, how on earth did I not notice the smell of nail polish remover?! >.< Thanks for the concern and yes, I was quite worried too but fortunately its all ok - flushing out the eye with lots of running water helped 🙂 p/s Will definitely blog about the Lunasol foundation 🙂
Applegal says
October 23, 2012 at 9:20 amI mistook nail polish remover for my brush cleaner once! Thankfully I realised it before my brush touched the remover!
I once put hand wash liquid in my empty shu uemura bottle, and put it next to my shu uemura cleansing oil. Despite the BIG post-it note I stuck on the bottle saying “Handwash”, on more than 1 occasion I put handwash liquid on my face instead of oil. Aaaarrrgh!!
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:40 pmOoh thank goodness for your poor brushes and LOL at your handwash/cleansing oil story!
Esther Neo says
October 23, 2012 at 9:21 amTightlining…..Love the tightlining effect on my eyes as they made me look demure somehow BUT 4 hours under the sun later….my eyes became racoon. And my hubby didnt even bother to tell me!! (Sob hysterically) So i only tightline for night events.
Bugs says
October 23, 2012 at 2:31 pmYes, it’s very funny why our man doesn’t bother to inform us girls that there’s something on our face… ==”’
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:40 pmOh dear… he didn’t notice it?! Bad hubby! LOL!
Issa says
October 23, 2012 at 9:22 amOh, that looks painful! There was a time I thought my body lotion is a moisturizer, good thing no harm done on my skin 🙂 …
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:41 pmIt was, don’t try it! 😛
Qi Hua says
October 23, 2012 at 9:23 amOnce I was exhausted (can’t remember from what though), and I use the body shampoo on my face when I wanted to clean my face! Well, not really a biggie, but i felt my face all stripped off the moisture! 🙁
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:41 pmOoh! I know what you mean – must have been so uncomfortable! Did you slap on loads of moisturizer after that?
Callie says
October 23, 2012 at 9:26 amLuckily for me, nothing like that happens. I always look before I reach out for them. I hope it remains this way and nothing befall me today or any other day! ^^ I’m glad you are all fine.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:42 pmGood on ya for paying attention 🙂 Thanks, it seems to be all good – whew!
fanny says
October 23, 2012 at 9:32 amMy MIL put a sample size of ginvera green tea bb cream together with other tea/coffee in the kitchen and lucky i spot it before anyone pour water and drink it. haha
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:43 pmOMG LOL!! She must have just seen “Green Tea” and since its a sachet, thought it was tea! 😀
rudi says
October 23, 2012 at 9:49 amWashed my face with moisturiser n wondered why my milk cleanser wasnt working n used more!!
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:43 pmHaha I’m guessing you have them both side by side then? Its so awkward isn’t it?
Nikki says
October 23, 2012 at 9:51 amOuch PB! that hurts! I can totally feel it as I read this post! I hope your eyes are alright!
I haven’t had any mix up boo-boos as of the moment but I’ve reached for nail polish remover many times thinking it’s a toner! But glad I was able to see the mistake before I even put it on my eyes!
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:44 pmIt did and my eyes are fine, thanks 😀 Thank goodness you didn’t try using the polish remover as toner LOL! Would be so bad for the skin! :O
Laura says
October 23, 2012 at 10:08 amOh GOD that sounds TERRIBLE. My most painful makeup memory is actually with REGULAR makeup remover. For some reason, I had the darndest time getting my waterproof mascara off that day, and I ended up trying to use more makeup remover which resulted in my completely FLOODING my eye and all the makeup I was removing went back in the eye along with it. Seriously painful! And to top it off, it was practically impossible to rinse out again (think oily greasy soapy mess) and I ended up getting two eye bump/sties on the underside of my lid, so I cried out of one eye for the next two days. ;__; Not recommended at all, I’m so glad you didn’t end up messing up your eye!
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:46 pmThank you Laura and yes, it was a horrible experience I never want to repeat. Oh dear, I can commiserate with how you feel having your vision flooded – when I use cleansing oil around my eyes the same thing happens too so I now use a separate eye makeup remover. Sorry to hear of your awful experience too!
Ting says
October 23, 2012 at 10:28 amWell I have a really embarrassing one to share. You know those Japanese drugstore product that has only japanese instruction on the bottle? Well I bought a bottle of the fruit jelly facial peel (or something) which you are supposed to use DRY hands on DRY face and gently exfoliate until you get the whitish residues.
And since I’m in Thailand, the instruction label that covers the original Japanese version is in… THAI!! I couldn’t read Thai at all, and I always peel off the thai labels the first thing I get home with a product. Don’t see a point of having one there in the first place if I can’t read it right?
Thinking that this is a mask that peels off, I used it on myself with wet face… even leave it on for a couple of minutes. And I did the same on me husband’s face as well and wondering why it didn’t peel off as expected. Duh!
It was only after the 3rd or 4th attempts that I got fed up thinking this peel doesn’t work and wasting my money that I had the sense the google for English instruction. And it has been working quite well for me ever since, thanks to the beauty community online. Phew! 😀
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:47 pmLOL!! I know! I’ve tried some of those rubbing gel type things too, and its so misleading, because its just clear gel right? And it could well be just a regular peel off face mask! Good to know you found the proper way to use it, and that its working well for you 😀 Is it the popular Cure one?
Ting says
October 23, 2012 at 8:53 pmHello Paris, it’s from boots called DetClear Bright and Peel. 🙂
Janessa says
October 23, 2012 at 10:51 amOwwie! I’m glad your eye is okay. I don’t know what the worst skincare or makeup mistake I’ve made is. Something painful I can relate… I was putting on my contacts and instead of grabbing the cushioning solution, I grabbed the disinfecting and protein removing one (basically soap) and it burned my eye and I thought I went blind because the substance was white and I didn’t realize as I so carefully put it on the lens and into my eye?! Then my eye turned bloodshot… good thing it was only one eye but that stung like crazy. Pain level? 8/10 (I don’t know what 10/10 is like but I bet it’s not as painful as nail polish remover. Poor you! 😮
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:48 pmOUCH! I used to wear contacts, Janessa and I can so feel the pain >.< Thankfully for both of us, we're both fine now and maybe this will teach us all a lesson to be much more careful in future! 🙂
Madam M says
October 23, 2012 at 11:08 ami sometimes spray my hair with deodorant instead of hairspray. You would think that after the second time of doing it i would just simply move them further apart. Yeah well i haven’t & have still not learnt any valuable lessons.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:49 pmHahaha… at least your hair will smell good! 😉
xin says
October 23, 2012 at 11:24 ami think once i accidentally drank lotion, mistook it for water bottle because it was quite a huge bottle of lotion…
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:49 pmOMG!! :O That’s serious scary! Didn’t give you a tummy ache? 😛
Seline says
October 23, 2012 at 12:54 pmI’ve used body lotion as body wash instead, thinking that it was just a super ‘moisturizing’ one. But I’ll always remember the day that my friend told me she had been using Dove conditioner as moisturizer for 3 days. Until her housemate pointed it out to her.
Paris B says
October 23, 2012 at 5:57 pmOh dear, I cringed at your friend’s experience! I hope she didn’t break out terribly from it >.<