I came across a very interesting interview with Makeup Artist Dick Page in The Coveteur yesterday. For those who may not be familiar with the name, Dick Page is currently the artistic director for Shiseido makeup, and has come up with some of the more daring and interesting colour combinations in the otherwise rather conventional makeup brand.
I first crossed paths with the name Dick Page about 10 years ago, when he was makeup artist under the now defunct Japanese brand Inoui ID – anyone remember that brand? I used to own a couple of their eyeshadow quads, which could only be bought in Japan and back in those days, you don’t get the plethora of resellers the way you get now. It was therefore pretty exclusive stuff. Pity I was allergic like hell to them LOL!
But one thing in the interview interested me – Dick Page actually said he wouldn’t really miss not having mascara in his kit. That made me sit up because, why hello! I don’t wear mascara anymore, and now it’s OK! 😀
This is the relevant excerpt from the interview.
Read the full article here.
To be fair, it’s not like Dick Page said he doesn’t use mascara at all when he does makeup, but it isn’t the top thing on his list to take from his kit, as he doesn’t really miss it; and you know, neither do I after almost 2 years going mascara-less!
I suppose he was referring to it from the point of view of editorial makeup looks. You can get away with almost anything when doing editorial makeup because often, no one steps out looking like they do in photographs or on the runway.
I personally don’t know how black cream will last the day on lashes, and he did say that he’d do it only for photography purposes. I don’t think the interviewer thought to ask if he might just opt to skip the mascara in daily wear makeup. That would have been helpful for people like me who prefer to go bare-back with their lashes 😛
The other interesting thing is that Shiseido actually makes one of my favourite mascara, when I was wearing mascara! I don’t know if they’ve reformulated it or how any new versions behave, but I loved it and how it looked on my lashes, but hated the high pricetag.
These days, I don’t wear mascara anymore and in the 2 years since I’ve stopped, I have not missed it one bit. The funny thing is, no one really notices either, until I mention it, when they go “Ohh ya, you don’t have mascara on!” Perhaps there’s something missing in the look that they couldn’t put their finger on, but for the most part, it goes without comment.
The primary reason I don’t wear mascara is because it was weakening my already sparse lashes with the daily application and removal, and I wasn’t noticing enough benefits from wearing mascara as opposed to going without. These days, I don’t have problems with fibres sticking in my eyes, mascara running, lashes dropping like dead flies, and pinching myself with the eyelash curler. Saves me a hell lot more time when doing makeup as well, since I never have to worry if my makeup will be messed up by wet lashes, and naturally, I save a load of cash too since I no longer have to toss it out in just 3-6 months! 😀
I actually like bucking the trend. Often, I realise that so few people actually notice what we put (or don’t put) on our faces and if anything, it’s the pressure we put on ourselves to look perfect when often it’s just most important to look presentable. I don’t deny that mascara can enhance a person’s eyes, and for those who are blessed with long, lush lashes, it is usually all they need to make the eyes pop, as it were.
But for those of us with sparse, short lashes, I’ve banished every thought of ever sporting bambi-lashes, unless I wear lush false lashes, but you know what? That’s what falsies are made for – lazy people like me! 😀
Are you a mascara-wearer?
I’d love to know if mascara is your thing, and if you have lush, long lashes, why I’m jealous! 😛
Paris B
Nope. Can’t remember the last time I wore mascara and I don’t have luscious lashes either. They’re long and curly but they’re definitely not thick and I can’t be stuffed. I’ve often rocked up to work bare-faced with undereye concealer, blush and a bright lip. I try to apply foundation but sometimes (Oh okay…often) I’m lazy. Mascara???? Nope. :p
Good, I love that there’s people like me out there 😛
I love Dick Page! Thanks for the link to the interview.
I can only be bothered to wear mascara on special occasions. My eyes look much bigger, but the heavy feel and removal annoy me.
Dick Page is really good at what he does! I was and still am very impressed by his work 😀 If mascara is done well, I agree, it can make so much of a difference. But for me, that only happens when a makeup artist is doing it for me LOL! By myself, meh.
Actually if you didn’t mention that he was a makeup artist, I would have thought he was a plumber! I’ve also stopped wearing mascara, my lazy excuse is because I wear glasses. But yes, agree that they wreck havoc on thinning lashes and smudge too much. Makes makeup removal a breeze without having to deal with waterproof lashes!
LOL!!! He does look quite unconventional for a makeup artist, I’d agree! Eh you know when I wore glasses, mascara actually bugged me a lot because my lashes will “hit” the lenses. And they were stiff from the mascara so it felt so weird!
I recently stop wearing mascara bc of a mascara piece stuck in my eye that is hard to get out. I don’t miss it. It saves money and time in the morning ?.
Having hooded monolids and straight lashes that point straight down, using a mascara that holds curl completely changes the shape of my eyes from a sleepy lidded look to a double-lidded wide-eyed one. It’s extremely noticeable. And so I continue addicted to mascara. My go-tos are the volume mascara by Majolica Majorica, and the gold tube by Ettu-sais. Both are fine-comb ‘brushes’ with no irritating fibres, and stay put like a champ for 24 hours (I’m out a lot). I’ve tried an uncountable number of mascaras, and of the small subset that really do hold curl, these two don’t smudge. Sadly even the Shiseido Perfect Defining Mascara smudged.
I’d actually agree with you LCF that mascara, when done well, does open up the eyes. I suppose for me, it was just a case of not bothering too much about that. But thank you for the recommendations! I know the type of “comb” brushes you mean and I remember trying some formula like that which was more impressive. If I’m in the market to try again, I’ll be sure to keep these in mind! 🙂
I have worn mascara maybe 5 times in my entire life. I hate putting it on (I’m a bit OCD and can’t stand any lashes sticking together whatsoever), hate the feeling while wearing it (plus worrying about smudges and streaks), hate taking it off (it takes so much rubbing). Like you, mascara just isn’t worth the effort for me. Meanwhile I’m thinking about trying falsies instead. =D Do you have any experience with those?
You voiced everything I feel when wearing mascara! LOL Except I used to persevere because I was young and foolish and thought I had to wear ALL makeup to be “correct” only to realise there are no rules 😀 I don’t really wear falsies so I’m really not much help either. The brand I used to like (I Nuovi) had very good ones but they’re no longer around. I have a problem in that my eyes are very sensitive to the glue that holds false lashes to your lids, so they’d water and turn red and that results in my eye makeup looking a mess. In the end, I’ve given up 😛 I’ll just look bare-lashed and au naturel
Falsies are great because they’re dramatic enough to be noticeable. However, I dislike removing it, because when I’m impatient, I take a lot of lashes with me. I’d rather pile on the mascara. So falsies are for special occasions, which are far and few between.
My lashes are not really long or lush, but they’re enough that mascaras do make a difference. My eyes look bigger and I look more awake for sure. Even though I sometimes don’t put on any eye makeup (lazy!), I definitely won’t miss mascara when I do a full faced makeup 🙂
I’m actually allergic to a lot of lash glues which means that falsies are only for occasions when I feel like I can stand having them on! Even then, I rip them off after an hour or so LOL! But you are right about how mascara does complete a look. On the rare occasions when I have my makeup done, it impresses me… and then I have to take it off and I go “why do i even bother?!”
Great post Paris 🙂
I think not wearing mascara can often make you look ‘fresher’ if that makes sense…. Ive actually been really disappointed with lots of mascara’s lately – specifically waterproof mascaras which are not water or smudge proof like they claim to be – wtf?! I dont know if its just me or what, but it kinda feels like Im being scammed.
I actually have to go back to my trusty Dior Diorshow mascara (the original) and just stick to that – because I am over having other mascaras smudge under my eyes, making my eyes look even more tired then they actually are. Who knows, maybe I will ditch them all together one day like you have? 😉 😛
I actually think not wearing mascara makes you different in the sea of mascara wearers 😀 But in these cases, mileage always vary! Oh, since you’re in Australia, I find the Australis Voluptalash is very good! It’s a tubing mascara so doesn’t smudge and removes easily. It’s also fairly affordable where you are, so it might be worth trying if you haven’t already! 😉
That’s such a good way of putting it (‘makes you different in the sea of mascara wearers’)! Makeup is supposed to make us feel special and unique after all! 😉
Oh and thank you for the recommendation! Tubing mascaras don’t usually give me the volume I crave – but because it is such a cheap and cheerful option, it might be worth checking out none the less! 🙂
I’d love to know if it works for you! 🙂
I’m too lazy to deal with mascara on a regular basis, but only for special occasions.
I’m just too lazy for eye makeup because I always tend to rub my eyes and having makeup on makes it hard.
Ooh yes, now that’s a problem! Rubbing the eyes! 😛 I confess that sometimes I forget, and rub my eyes and go “Oh shit! I’ve got makeup on!” So hmm… it’s a problem I agree LOL!
I won’t say I’ve completely abandoned mascara but I wear it only a few times a year at best.
The thing is, the removal of mascara was such an arduous, wrinkle-inducing task that was hurting the thin skin around my eyes that it is hardly worth the aesthetic benefits.
I don’t have long lush lashes but like you say, who cares to notice. Most people are too busy taking pictures of themselves or playing with their phone to worry about my lack of lashes.
It absolutely is a task! There we are, trying our best to NOT cause wrinkles, by doing exactly what causes wrinkles. Hmm… talk about being contradictory! LOL Oh and that was a little cynical observation but I too tend to agree. Besides, when taking selfies, it’s about the person who’s selfie-ing isn’t it? Not whoever is being selfied? 😉
The last time I wore mascara was at my brother’s wedding last year and that was only because the makeup artist applied it on my lashes to “glue” my lashes with the falsies I was wearing. Before that, gosh, I can’t even remember when it was that I last wore mascara. I don’t even wear mascara in the photos I take of me on the blog anymore. I definitely don’t miss it even though my lashes are dead straight and won’t hold a curl. I had eyelash extensions once and while they looked really really good for those number of weeks they lasted, it’s just too high maintenance to continue on with them. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted, especially when I wake up looking like poo in the mornings but my lashes were so “on fleek”. 😉
Haha I did consider trying eyelash extensions once, but I also saw how expensive they are to upkeep and how weird they can look if you don’t! LOL So I decided to skip it. Like you, my pictures for the blog don’t even feature mascara anymore. I honestly doubt anyone notices LOL 😉
I’m so sepet with short, coarse, straight lashes that would stab my eyeballs if they could so mascaras were a must-have for me, but my lashes were falling off and oh the smudges! Even with the better ones, I have to periodically check and wipe off the smudges under my eyes. Since my lashes were so short (and fine, because I’m also impatient and lazy), I have to cover my eyelids with old business cards to get a clean application of mascaras.
So no more mascaras for me. Now I just get my eyelashes permed every 2-3 months or so and I find that I don’t miss the routine at all.
OMG the lashes falling! That was what really bugged me – seeing one or two lashes on my cotton pad after removing my mascara. As it is, I don’t even have that many lashes, losing one or two was a physical stab to the heart! >.< I have heard of lash perming - what a great idea - does it make a lot of difference?
Firstly, really <3 your blog 🙂
Secondly, to add my 2 cents- mascara is not the makeup product I would not miss wearing it on an everyday basis. However when I'm going out for an occasion I def remember to wear some- I feel it 'completes' my face look. I love clear mascara for more low-key outings but would use clear for fancier events. Black is my go to color- but it's such a b**ch removing! So clear is my 2nd go to color 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Ardis 🙂 You are right, lashes do complete a look, but the hassle, oh the hassle! 😛