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A Zoe Foster Classic: Do you put mascara on your bottom lashes?

Fri, 3 February 2012 1:00PM

I never used to. Used to think it was unflattering and always smudged and from a distance looked liked I’d been punched in the eye during a saloon-style bar room brawl. Thought it was unnecessary, thought it subtracted from all the good work the rest of my makeup was doing, thought it was trashy. But not anymore. Now I do it every day.

If you haven’t already, please be watching makeup artist Chris King and the delightful Demi (watch this one, I reckon she’s gonna be YUGE) in this PTV How To as he explains why we should all be wearing bottom-lash mascara, and if we don’t, we’re basically letting all of society, the environment and the entire endangered spotted owl population down. Or something to that effect.



Chris’s technique is simple: get your brush in there (before doing your top lashes) and gently stroke from the root to the tip. I found that a traditional “fluffy” mascara wand does a better job of the lower lashes than the rubber comb style ones. (So today, for example, I used Revlon Beyond Naturals defining mascara (comb) up top and Estee Lauder Turbolash (fluffy) on the bottom.)

But I once learned another way, which I have to say is Rather Genius, should you want to try it.

It was, I think, the international makeup artist for the now defunct Pout cosmetics (a sad thing; their liquid illuminator was superb), who taught me this, and his tip was: Simply rest your mascara wand (fluffy traditional one) horizontally along your bottom lashes and blink a few times. This “stamps” the mascara onto your bottom lashes and saves you having to delicately and carefully get your walloping great wand in there and coat each of them.

Convinced?
Will you be bottom-coating?

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16 Comments

  • Posted by: Chloe // Wed, 10 December 2008 01:07pm

    Gosh!! I have been avoiding the bottom lashes too, I will definitely be coating them from now on…

  • Posted by: Mel // Wed, 10 December 2008 03:28pm

    From the first day I wore mascara I have been wearing it on the bottom lash, I love it!!

  • Posted by: Elmo Enthusiast // Fri, 12 February 2010 01:20pm

    I’ve always applied mascara to my bottom lashes…I always ignored those ‘it creates shadows under your eyes’ comments – as it just seemed wrong not to – and seems to open up my eyes better anyway! I also will forever love traditional fluffy mascara brushes – the others just do not do it for me!

  • Posted by: beautybee1 Master Fan // Fri, 3 February 2012 01:59pm

    Clinique make a bottom lash mascara (in the US at least) but I haven’t seen them here. I do tend to avoid putting mascara on the bottom lashes for the reasons Zoe mentioned. But sometimes when I want to look a bit more made up I will add the teensist bit to the bottom lashes and usually towards the middle of my lashes for a more natural look.

  • Posted by: Kat // Fri, 3 February 2012 03:53pm

    I would but mine smudges no matter what, I prefer to get mine tinted that way I don’t need to worry about them.

  • Posted by: GorgeousEmeralds Master Fan // Sat, 4 February 2012 09:48pm

    Humm, should try that, each time I try to coat my bottom lashes I either end up with a mess on my skin under my eyes or it just looks unnatural

  • Posted by: Tina-1291133452 Master Fan // Sun, 5 February 2012 02:34am

    i put the smallest amount on my bottom lashes, because it smudges and it looks pretty unnatural! and that an excellent tip, definately will try!

  • Posted by: PrettyPrincess Master Fan // Sun, 5 February 2012 07:29pm

    Im a bottom lash mascara wearer :)

  • Posted by: Al // Mon, 6 February 2012 06:07pm

    But you didn’t address the problem of smudges! How to avoid them?

  • Posted by: lovetoplay Enthusiast // Mon, 6 February 2012 08:23pm

    I have tried this but it doesn’t suit me at all. Some girls it does though.

  • Posted by: MissMel Enthusiast // Tue, 7 February 2012 02:46pm

    I am super fair, so if i don’t coat my lashes and draw in my brows, it looks like I don’t have any of either!

  • Posted by: bianca // Tue, 7 February 2012 08:12pm

    i completely disagree with you few people u only need to practise i apply mine with a lengthening mascara and i works fine

  • Posted by: Karen-1298334769 Master Fan // Tue, 7 February 2012 10:26pm

    I will try it but I have the shortest eyelashes ever and they are too sparse, might look weird.

  • Posted by: Sneff // Sun, 1 April 2012 09:47am

    I ALWAYS wear mascara on the bottom lashes! But not so much eyeliner any more (too heavy, I like just doing the top lid now that I am a Proper Grown Up)
    I loved Clinique’s mascaras for their fluffy brushes but I always ended up with little black flakes on my cheeks at the end of the day.
    I am a shameless Maybelline mascara wearer like I was when I was 15!
    Diorshow was gloopy and I couldn’t layer it up properly and that brush was ENORMOUS. You could take an eye out with that thing.

  • Posted by: Knyholm Master Fan // Mon, 9 April 2012 10:19am

    I have always worn mascara on my bottom lashes too…since the day I started wearing mascara.

  • Posted by: Bantam Master Fan // Sun, 22 April 2012 02:27pm

    My mascara always flakes and smudges so I’ve been avoiding this!

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