There really is nothing more frustrating than applying a flawless makeup look, only to look in the mirror a few hours later and be met with a smudgy black mess under your eyes. No matter how incredible your lashes look when first applied, some mascaras just don’t seem to have the ability to hold up throughout the day. Can this be helped? I sure hope so! Here are a few tips and tricks that will help keep smudged eyes at bay and have your makeup looking fresh all day! So, how do you stop mascara from smudging? Well, it’s like this …
Oil, be gone!
The one main culprit for smudging your mascara is oil. If you want to keep your mascara on your lashes and not under your eyes, then you need to minimise your use of as many oil-based products as possible.
To those of you with an oily skin type, I’m sorry. Trying to keep the rest of your face mattified throughout the day is hard enough, but unfortunately you also don’t want any of this oil transferred around your eyes, as this causes the mascara to break down, ending up with that oh-so-annoying panda eye.
How to combat smudging mascara 101
While its not promised that the dreaded smudgy eye won’t ever make an appearance again, there are certainly some steps you can follow to keep any smudging to an absolute minimum. Knowing how to perfectly apply your mascara is an important first step in getting the smudge free mascara look you deserve. I’ve covered this before, so head over to how to perfectly apply your mascara first, then come right back for the magic steps to stopping your mascara from smudging!
Don’t skip the primer
Priming your eyelids and eyelashes is a step many of us skip but actually it’s a crucial ingredient to stop your mascara from smudging. Primer acts as a barrier to keep oil from seeping through to your mascara – it’s also incredible for keeping your eyeshadow looking flawless all day so win, win!
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
You can even go that one step further and add an eyelash primer to your lashes. While this won’t combat oil coming into contact with your mascara, it will help bind your mascara to your lashes.
Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer
Stick to powder products
I have to admit, I am a BIG fan of cream and liquid products, they make my dry skin feel smooth and moisturised, but for those whose skin tends to become oily then the big “Makeup 101” is that creams and mascara do not mix well.
If you’re finding that your mascara is always sliding away, then you may need to stay away from adding cream products to your skin, especially around your eyes. Stick to only powder eye shadow to avoid adding too much extra moisture to your eye area and giving you mascara a better shot of clinging to your lashes.
Setting powder is your saviour
Apply your makeup just as you usually would but when it comes to setting your base make sure you’re laying down a powder product that soaks up extra oil from your skin. Apply an eyeshadow base and set both your eyelids and under eyes with a mattifying powder to absorb any oil that could transfer to your mascara throughout the day.
If you’re someone who finds you continue to become oily throughout the day then you may even want to travel with your powder and top up on the go, helping to stop your mascara from smudging.
Top smudge-proof mascaras
Waterproof and smudge-proof formulas are always better to reach for when trying to combat smudged under eyes. However, it’s sometimes hard to know just how smudge-proof these formulas are without going through the effort of purchasing and testing out yourself.
Tubing mascaras will be your best friend when it comes to smudge proof mascaras. These bottles of absolute beauty don’t just coat your lashes in a pigment that is easily movable, instead they wrap your lashes in bed of micro-fibres to create lusciously long lashes that don’t disappear to your under eyes as the day goes on. With much more staying power than just your regular waterproof or smudge-proof mascara, tubing mascaras solidify to an untransferable state and are an extremely good mascara option for those with oily skin.
Where to buy tubing mascaras
If like me, you hadn’t actually heard of a tubing mascara before then you might be wondering where do you even buy a tubing mascara? I promise these are not unattainable jewels buried in a cave of treasure somewhere. In fact, I even owned a tubing mascara without realising! Tubing mascaras can be bought at your usual beauty retailer, you just need to know what products you’re looking for.
Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula
Mac Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara
Now you can go about your day with the comfort of knowing you’re under-eye area will be smudge proof and your lashes will remain fabulously fluttery. You’re welcome 😊
