It’s Question Time Again! Here’s one for all the Lash-Challenged Lasses …

Mon, 4 June 2012 9:05AM

Dearest Primpettes,

Being the clever and astute readers that you are, you may have noticed that our Q&A section went on a little, uh, holiday for a while. Couple of reasons. Mainly, things were very busy and short-staffed around PRIMPED HQ for a while. Also, the Q&A section is one of the least-visited ones, so admittedly it kind of took a back seat to the more popular pages. Nevertheless, we’re planning to bring it back, mostly because there’s a backlog of burning beauty questions that is getting harder and harder to ignore. And, as you probably know by now, we love being bossy dishing out beauty advice.

But first up, can we just ask: are you really, truly interested in Q&As? Even if you don’t plan on submitting your own hair or makeup queries, would you still read advice tailored to someone else? Obviously not every question will appeal to everyone (à la “I have strawberry-blonde hair, one blue eye and one green eye – what makeup would suit me?”), but we promise to aim to pack each answer with as many relevant tips as possible, so there’d be a good chance that every reader could take away some little nugget of beauty gold.

Anyway, let’s get the Q&A train rolling again, with a lash-curling question from lovefashionangel.

Firstly, here’s some inspiration to set the scene. Say what you will about KK, but the girl’s got a great set of lashes.

And now to the question …

“I have really very extremely stubborn (mid-length) lashes. I’ve tried so many formulations – mousse, waterproof, volumising, lengthening, defining, curling… But somehow my lashes refuse to hold a curl (even after taking the time to perfectly curl with a lash curler; I’ve tried curling after applying mascara but I heard it’s bad to do so, and I’m heading towards a heated lash curler though I’m not sure…). I’ve found one mascara that holds a curl but it smudges and flakes like nobody’s business … I’ve found wiping off excess works well in the short-term with most mascaras, but my lashes still flop and flatten even after one very thin coat…. Waterproof works mostly but I hate getting it off everyday. It’s really frustrating! I’d love a washable formula that holds a beautiful curl or some sort of magic mascara that works wonders. What are your expert opinions, techniques and secrets?”

We so feel your frustration! Okay, so we have a few pointers …

• If waterproof mascara is working for you, perhaps all you need to do is buy a remover that will dissolve it easily and gently. Have you tried Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, $35, Clinique? It’s nothing short of uh-may-zing. And could be the answer to all your prayers and problems.
• You mentioned that you do the whole lash-curling thing. Have you tried blitzing your curler first with (medium) heat from your hairdryer? Try this instead of buying a heated one. You should also see how you go with holding the curler at the base of your lashes for longer than you’d think necessary – say, up to 20, even 30, seconds. Alternatively, some makeup artists like to work the curler along the lashes, from roots to tips, in several stages, in order to create a really swoopy curve. So give this technique a go, too. As for the issue of curling lashes after applying mascara, there’s no harm done if the mascara has dried; do a quick clamp at the roots, later on in the day, for a lash pick-me-up. Think of it as a caffeine fix for your eyes.
• You also said you’ve tried every kind of mascara … but what about a tube one? As in, a polymer-packed formulation that kind of shrink-wraps itself around lashes, only needing to be removed with a little warm water and light finger work. Our pick of the bunch is Kevyn Aucoin’s The Mascara (Curling), $40, Mecca Cosmetica. It gets mixed reviews but we think that’s because there’s a trick to using it well. So ask the lovely MC staff for a demonstration. Oh PS: you’ll still need to back it up with your lash curling efforts for best results.
• Final tip: think of mascara as a setting lotion. Like, say, mousse is for hair. So when your lashes are wet, this is when you want to be getting them looking their best. To do this: once you’ve worked and wiggled your mascara wand through your lashes, take a spoolie brush (like Jane Iredale’s one, $20, Adore Beauty) and use it to push lashes up into more of a curl, and position lashes evenly and widely. Seriously, we can’t sing the spoolie’s praises enough. We can’t quite claim with a straight face that this brush is life changing. But it’s most definitely lash-changing.

Posted by: Katrina Lawrence

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Tags: adore beauty, clinique, curled eyelashes, eyelashes, false eyelashes, jane iredale, Kevyn Aucoin, mecca cosmetica