How To Put On Mascara

We've got some of the best tips and techniques on how to apply mascara.

Click here to learn how to remove mascara!

Mascara will enhance and define your eyes, add volume and length to your lashes for dramatic effect.

The best mascara is one that the color stays on your lashes and doesn't run, smudge, flake or clump.

You have to make sure you have a steady hand. If you're prone to the wobbles, or new to this, rest your elbow on a bench to be steadier.

Don't rush yourself, take plenty of time, lots of practice does make perfect.

How to Put On Mascara

• Place the wand at the base of the lashes, on the underside and then slowly sweep it along the lashes from root to tip, coating the lashes.
• Wait for them to dry for 30 seconds and then apply a second coat.
• Leaving them to dry thoroughly between applications can prevent clumping.
• To remove any clumps, just run an eyelash comb or brush through your lashes.

How to Apply Mascara to Young Children

It can be tricky applying mascara to small children. At first it feels very unnatural to them and their instinct is to scrunch their eyes, which smudges it. Here is one method I have found that works.

Hold a folded paper tissue on the cheek, right up to the eye, under the bottom lashes.
If you do smudge, it goes on the tissue.

Get your child to hold the mascara bottle (it gives them something to do and think about).

First, with their eyes almost closed, coat the top side of the upper lashes with the mascara wand brushing down and out from root to the tip of the lash.

Then, with their eyes open, hold the wand close to the eye, keeping it still, and have them blink, very gently, making sure each time they blink their lashes catch on the wand and get a coating of mascara.

They only need to do this 3 or 4 times.
Any excess mascara will go onto the tissue - not the skin, and the bottom lashes will get a gentle coating and won't need doing separately.

Try to keep the child from blinking hard until the mascara has dried.

An alternative to using the tissue, is to sprinkle a small amount of extra loose face powder on their cheeks right under their eyes. Any shadow or mascara that goes on the skin will be caught in the powder, then just fan or sweep the powder away with a Make Up Brush.

How to Remove Mascara

To remove mascara, especially waterproof mascara, you will need to use a good eye make up remover. These either come as pre-soaked pads or as a lotion in a bottle. For the lotion you will also need cotton wool pads or other material pads. Soak these with the make up remover lotion.

To remove the mascara gently sweep the pad across the eye, from the inner to the outer eye. Continue doing these sweeping movements, concentrating on the edge of the eyelid. You may need to add a little pressure for hard to remove mascara, but still in the same movement. It is important not to rub back and forth at the eye. It is a sensitive area and you could irritate the eye and damage the lashes. You will need to use a few pads until it comes clean and you have removed all of the makeup.

You can find a good selection of Eye Make Up Removers here.

It is very easy to learn how to put on mascara

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