I’ve mentioned this occasionally in my blog posts in the past 6 months or more, that I no longer wear mascara. The last post I wrote about a mascara was back in 2013. What this means is that I’ve not been wearing mascara for at least 6 months, if not 12!
I’ve had a few of you ask me why and I’ll tell you why here. It’s not scientific, nor a beauty rule. Perhaps a rule I’m breaking, but it’s just something I’ve decided to cut out of my routine.
My question for you though is what do YOU think? 😀
Now, why have I stopped wearing mascara?
A simple reason actually. I got pissed off.
I got tired of messing up my eye makeup with botched mascara attempts, because as many of us do, I curl and apply mascara after completing my eye makeup. So often I’ve had my eye makeup screwed up because of a poorly mascara-ed lash. Sure, I could take my own advice and apply mascara BEFORE I apply eye makeup but old habits die hard.
I got tired of curling and crimping my stick-straight, pointy-down lashes. I’d already found an eyelash curler to love that works for me (It’s affordable too but underrated and always out of stock!) so it wasn’t the search for a curler that got me down. I just got tired of the whole thing because my stubborn lashes just will not stay curled! After a few hours, they’ll straighten out again. Or I manage a curl and then a heavy mascara formula weighs down my lashes and all my effort is gone.
If you are the lucky ones who have naturally long and/or curly lashes, you don’t know how lucky you are to be able to just literally lash on mascara and go. I know, you don’t get the fuss either about why someone like me would be so upset about wearing mascara. But if you have short lashes, or stubborn straight lashes then you will know my agony and frustration.
So, one morning I decided that I’d just stop wearing mascara altogether. Yes, I’m aware I call myself a beauty blogger, but hey, I bend the beauty rules around the iron pole that’s me 😉
And in my book, my rule is that any ‘beauty rule’ that doesn’t work for me, I can ignore. So I did.
I’m aware, from my years of experimentation and struggle, that a well curled eyelash and lashings of mascara can make the eyes look brighter, bigger and more awake. I’ve had my good days when that happens, and I’ve had my bad days when all I get is straightened lashes with dark smudges from crappy mascara.
For me then, I’m saying no to using mascara. I’ve stopped and I don’t miss it one bit.
To define my eyes, I rely on eyeliner, and tightlining. My lashes are usually so short that it actually doesn’t make a lot of difference to my look whether I curl them or wear mascara or not.
I am also aware that I could just remedy this by going for lash extensions to lengthen my lashes and/or a lash perm to keep them curled. And then, I could wear mascara again.
But you know, it’s probably a year since I last touched a mascara wand (except for some quick experimentation a couple of months back) and I don’t miss it. Lash extensions and/or perm is an extra, unnecessary expense that I could do without. I enjoy not worrying about whether my mascara is smudging around my eyes, or to spend those extra few minutes getting my curl and masacara on in the mornings.
But as I said, this is me, and I break beauty rules all the time.
What I’d like to know is what do you think? Do you wear mascara all the time or have you thought about stopping too?
As they say, for some of us, the struggle is real when it comes to mascara. There are ways we can get around it, but it does involve expense and effort and for me, since I’m actually not that vain, and because I think eyeliner does a good enough job alongside some skillful (for me) eyeshadow application, I’m happy to go without. How about you? Tell me! Am I alone? 😀
Paris B
pondsandleaves says
Omg, you sound hurt LOL. I LOVE MASCARAS.
I understand exactly what you mean by messy applications, that happens to me every morning! But what I’ve given up is eyeliner and I’ve never started eyeshadows in my life. I think I’ve worn eyeliner once this year at company dinner as I had red lips. So my daily routine includes 10 minutes of careful mascara layering which honestly a good 5 minutes of it is cleaning up the surrounding mess. And I often think what do those eyeshadows wearers do this is so gonna mess up their whole look.
But god bless you found liberation! Your makeup still looks badass.
Paris B says
Hahaha I did, didn’t I? 😀 Sounds like you have your routine down pat, and hey, it’s all in the effort right? I am happy to be happy not to wear mascara, but I really salute everyone who does! 😀
Laura says
I feel you, I really really do. As a fellow short-downward-slanting-eyelash person, I have not enjoyed applying mascara ever since I started dabbling in makeup. They just can’t seem to stay curled, and mascara makes a complete mess of my undereyes at the end of the day. The trauma of going home, looking in the mirror and realizing I’ve been walking around like a panda is too much (LOL). I haven’t applied mascara in goodness knows how long, and I only keep a tube in my stash ‘just in case’. Gonna stick with my trusty eyeliners until the very end. 😀
Paris B says
LOL!! I’m so glad I shared this because quite clearly I’m not alone! Whew! 😀 But yeah, even after I found mascaras that didn’t smudge and actually looked good, I found that my lashes would drop out coz of the applying and cleaning and crimping with the curler, so I think on balance, my lashes are thankful that I’ve stopped torturing them hehe
jo says
Haha! I stopped wearing mascara too!!! And i really dont miss it..too much hassle and i have stubborn straight short lashes. =.= Although sometimes I still do it on special occasions when I wear false lashes..but thats rare. :p
Paris B says
Yay! It is such a relief isn’t it? and what’s with our stubborn short straight lashes eh? Oh well I like to think I’m no longer torturing my poor lashes hehe…
Irene says
I gave up on eye makeup years ago. Tinted lipbalm then I’m out of the house. I spend more $$ on skincare. I guess if my painting skills were better I would be more inclined to wear makeup :P.
That said, sometimes when I see a new gel liner or one of those pencil eyeshadows, I feel the urge to buy but I just tell myself “You don’t know how to use it anyway. Forget it!”. Then I go to the skincare aisle and throw in a new tub/box of mask. 😛
Paris B says
Aiyo, why did you give up on eye makeup totally?! 😛 But I get you you know, it’s the one that takes the most effort and time to get right and can look very wrong. If I’m pressed for time, I skip the eye altogether, and just apply blush and lip colour and brows. At least those are quick and easy 😀 But you know, practice! It makes perfect 😉
gio says
I can’t live without mascara. I love how it makes my lashes look, although it is so frustrating when some of it ends up on my lids. That happens way too often… I don’t usually curl my lashes though. They are not naturally curvy but I haven’t found an eyelash curler that works well for me. They are all too big or too small.
Paris B says
Aww but you have lovely lashes, Gio! And someone posted a trick here in the comments about pushing up your lashes while they’re still wet with mascara and that seems to help with a curl, so no curler is necessary! 🙂
Petrina says
Ive stopped wearing mascara for about 2 plus years now when my son was born. Reason – the only ones that stay , curl n do not budge are jap drugstore ones but they are such a pain to remove. I no longer have the time devoted to carefully spend 15 mins removing makeup (2 mins more like it) carefully ensuring I don’t pull the delicate eye area lol
Paris B says
I hear ya on Japanese mascara! It’s not just their drugstore ones that are a pain to remove, so are the high end ones! But they seriously do the best mascaras in the market. Dark, lengthening and volumizing 😀
Tine says
I SO KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN! My natural lashes, while quite full, are dead straight. No amount of curling, not even when they’re 90 degrees, can make them hold the curl for longer than an hour. I tell you, if eyelash extensions weren’t that expensive and a hassle to maintain, I’d be more than happy to keep getting them because heck, I don’t even need to apply eye shadow, eyeliner, etc and my eyes already look “done”.
Oh the woes of stumpy Asian lashes! 😛
Paris B says
The beauty of lash extensions. I can get why people do them but the upkeep plus all that messing around with my already sparse lashes really scares me LOL! I knew someone who did hers and only repeated once more. After that it just got too expensive 😛
Danielle says
Mascara is my #1 makeup product! If I had to choose only one makeup product to wear for the rest of my life, it would be a toss up between brow pencil and mascara… But I’d say that tinting and curling would do the same job. I’m just too lazy to tint my lashes every couple of weeks.
Paris B says
That’s true about tinting and curling/perming but that all is pretty expensive too! Of the 2, I’d pick brows – mostly because I think brows do a better job at framing the face 😀
lisa says
I don’t do mascara, nail polish, falsies, body lotion and hand cream. Full stop.
Paris B says
Hahahhahaha wait, that’s me! 😀 😀
rage says
Uh uh. I used to splurge on mascaras in my teenages. And then the moment I turned 25, I found better options (and better paying jobs too). I think my high school was the major influence on me, with girls trying to replicate big doll eyes and super thick lashes.
These days, I am more into products that can hide my blemishes and even out my complexion. If I look clean and could hide my acne withou looking all caked up, I’m a happy girl. Also, I put on my makeup before I change into my outfit for the day. Unfortunately, mascara takes forever to dry and office wear doesn’t go well with mascara stains. 😉
Paris B says
I’m into base products too! A good base product always makes me very happy 😀 And gosh, I’ve tried so many types of mascara! The Japanese ones are seriously the best, but it all adds up you know, since it’s something you’d toss often.
Yvonne says
Hey, please try Kiss Me Heroine’s mascara. I suffer from super straight and short eyelashes too and the mascara is actually able to hold curl for the entire day!
Paris B says
I have, Yvonne 🙂 Done the whole Japanese drugstore and Japanese high end and yes, I agree, I love the effect. But they were also really bad for my lashes coz they stuck so well that cleaning resulted in me losing lashes all the time 😛
Adeline says
I don’t use mascara either. I find that curling my lashes tends to mess up my eyeliner and I also dislike the look of overly mascara-ed lashes. Nowadays I use eyeshadow primer, a quick wash of a neutral shadow and liquid liner or a gel pencil. However, recently I purchased a Benefit set which comes with a mini They’re Real mascara so I’ve been using it with my RMK curler. I’m not sure I’m in love though, may go back to my mascara-free days soon.
Paris B says
Ooh spider lashes! *shudder* I think all mascara should come in mini form. It makes it easy to figure out if it works for us, and it could then be cheaper right? After all, we’re supposed to toss them 😛 For me, I just apply shadow, tightline (I don’t even line my upper lash 😛 ) and go. Fast and easy (lazy) LOL 🙂
Ayu says
I’m with you on this one. I’ve tried several brands of mascara, but now I don’t own a single tube.
For me, it’s annoying to put it on (I’m kind of a perfectionist and can’t stand to see any clumping whatsoever so it takes me forever to apply it), annoying while I’m wearing it (tiny flakes get everywhere by the end of the day), and annoying to take it off (eye makeup remover + cleansing oil + gel cleanser = still some residue on the base of my lashes).
My lashes aren’t too terrible for an Asian girl and are naturally curly so I don’t have to worry about that, but whereas eyeliner makes a huge difference, mascara is barely noticeable. If I want nice lashes for a special occasion I might as well go for falsies. It is not any more annoying to use than mascara and actually makes a difference.
Paris B says
Haha good observation on the falsies! You are right, it gives a far more dramatic effect, you don’t lose any lashes that way, unless the glue sticks to your lashes and you don’t have to fuss with clumps and smudging! Win! 😀
Unpaletteable says
Mascara has always been my least favourite item of make up. Poking myself with the wand, messing up my eyeshadow, flakes, that siffened-lash feeling that lets you know you’re wearing it. Then taking it off seperately to everything else with a special fluid – so high maintenance. I still wear it though, lol!
Paris B says
That stiff lash feeling OMG! Yes! I hate that >.< Especially when you blink and feel the stiff lashes go up and down LOL
ruth m says
I can’t live without mascara, even though the search continues for the perfect mascara. As an Asian, it looks unbalanced to my eye, not having mascara, especially on the lower lashes. (I feel the same way about eyeliner too) I have been using DiorShow Maximizer with Maybelline Stilletto Mascara for the past few months, pretty much smudgefree. And I like the Shisedo Eyelash Curler.
Paris B says
You know, I tried to apply mascara on my lower lashes only to realise I have so few lashes there, it didn’t make any difference 🙁 For me, Japanese mascara is the best for holding a curl and for volume and length. Try those and see 🙂
Philippe says
A good eye and nice lip draw attention away from any “missing” mascara.. I don’t notice a difference on you. Usually when girls wear mascara all I see is cacked lashes that cling together and it looks messy all over. A bright lip and clean eye would do so much more but the beauty rule is “if you can only do 1 thing, do mascara”. LOL NOPE.
You go for a nice tinted moisturizer that perfects your skin so everyone is gawking over how poreless and radiant you look. Screw the makeup! 😀
Paris B says
Haha thanks Phil 🙂 Is there really that mascara rule? Gosh I’m glad I didn’t know about it, and you are right about skin. Fake that skin (if you don’t already have great skin) and everything else is gloss 😛
Sam Still Reading says
I do wear mascara, but if I forget it (and sometimes I do!), it’s not the end of the world. I don’t curl though – ever! I like the fibre mascaras, but I do think they are a bit more violent on lashes. I tend to use whatever freebies I get for mascara or buy Maybelline/Australis – makeup money is better spent on lipstick 😉
Paris B says
I hear ya about lipstick! I still like Australis (thanks for the stock!) but when that finishes, that’ll be it. I’m glad though. The mascara I like that tend to work for me tend to be really pricey 😛
Fathin says
You might hate me but I’m one of those with eyelashes that doesn’t really need eyelash curler – once, I tried to get an eyelash curler at a cosmetic counter and the assistant said I don’t need it LOL But I still like using mascara because different mascaras give different look and I like to play with eyes look 😀 And maybe it’s my own myth but I think some mascaras help to prevent frequent eyelashes falling on your face 🙂 The only thing I hate (together with any eye makeup products) is when it’s time to remove it – I’m so afraid of washing the sensitive area.
Paris B says
Ugh! hate you! *just kidding… almost* hehe… But lucky you for not needing a curler and I’m sure your eyes look fabulous with just a simple coat of mascara! You know, the great thing I’ve noticed about those who have long lashes is that they can get away with just liner and mascara or just mascara alone and they look polished. The rest of us have to work it! LOL
Pastelita says
Hi Paris! Hi Gio! Hi everyone!Unlike many of my fellow European citizens, I love NOT wearing mascara at all.I commented a French blogger (Mamzelle Boom) how striking her bare, blond lashes were. They were the best frames for her green eyes and emphasized so well their amber glint! This reminded me some Boticelli paintings. But she just wasnt happy with her lashes for the very same reasons that made me admire them.Minimal make up is an artistic bias I\’m extremely sensitive too. Korean actress Song Hye Kyo was hardly made up in Wong Kar Wai\’s movie \”The Grandmaster\”: matte yet radiant skin, swallow-shaped eyebrows, a delicate wash of red lipstick. Her lashes were bare and all: no curl, no color, no thickness. I loved the fact that her lashes were not particularly full, or black, or whatever conforms to those crazy uniform beauty standard. Just non-enhanced, natural lashes.Following all these artistic emotions 🙂 I came to find unnatural, over-sized eyelashes in ads a tad vulgar and laughable…Cheers all xxx
Paris B says
Hi Pastelita, it’s great to know that not everyone enjoys wearing mascara, which is essentially conforming to the public perception of beauty right? We all have to embrace our own beauty and in my case, that means no mascara. Sometimes, overly curled and mascaraed lashes can look quite scary – like spider legs LOL