I’ve made an effort recently to figure out how I can stop my mascara from running. I hate looking nice in the morning but with dark eyes by the evening. It puts me off wearing any, but I like the look with mascara so I wanted to find a solution!
Over the last six months, I’ve tried other options because I’ve been so sick of having smudged mascara by the end of the day. This includes not wearing any mascara (I hated it) and fake lashes. Fake lashes are great if you can afford touch-ups every few weeks and have the time, but I prefer to try things at home.
TL;DR (quick summary – updated)
Even though my advice in this article is hopefully still helpful, I now get my lashes done professionally. For £50, lasting 3 months, I get my lashes dyed and curled. This means I don’t have to wear mascara at all – I’m absolutely loving it. I’ll update this article soon with photos, but I wanted to share this with you!
If I’ve been going out and wanted a bit more volume, I buy the brown/black cluster lashes from ‘Tatti Lashes’. They are glued on under your top lash line, instead of over. As they are ‘cluster’ and not a full strip, they’re SO much easier to put on. I’ve bought the pack from Tatti Lashes, and now I have the glue, I buy clusters from Tiktok shop for cheap.
Products I use:
- Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser
- Dermatica SPF (see my full review here)
- NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Mattifying Lightweight Powder
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Matt Powder Foundation
benefit Badgal BANG! Volumizing Waterproof Mascara – Pitch BlackEyeko Limitless Lengthening Mascara – Brown- The Body Shop Camomile balm
In summary, you need to ensure your lashes are clean, free of oil at the time of applying mascara, and free of oil throughout the day.
Here’s my process to keep mascara looking fresh all day and to not have panda eyes:
1. Clean your face and lashes
It goes without saying but make sure your face and lashes are clean of any dirt and especially oil. Before I put on makeup, I wash my face with either just water or a cleanser.
I use Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser (£13), which is great for removing makeup. It’s great for sensitive & oily skin.
2. Creams and SPF – don’t get them on your lashes
I moisturise and apply SPF before applying makeup, which is the way to do it, but I’ve stopped going anywhere near my eyes. If creams get on my lashes from being transferred from my upper lids or undereye area, any mascara can’t hold on because they’re slippy. I end up with panda eyes within hours.
I moisturise the skin around my eyes at night to make sure the skin is being moisturised though.
I wait at least 10 minutes for it to dry before continuing with step 3. I usually do my hair at this point.
3. Apply base powder
After your creams have been on your skin for over 10 minutes, use a soft brush to add base powder all over your eyes. I use NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Mattifying Lightweight Powder (£9). It’s very light and soft & comes in 8 colours. I use Light.
I make sure to apply the powder to my upper lid, lower lashes, and underneath the lashes.
You’re trying to soak up any potential oil.
4. Apply matt powder foundation on top
I apply powder foundation on top of the base powder. I use Estee Lauder Double Wear Matt Powder Foundation (£32). It works great on my oily skin and lasts for years.
Below is my left eye where I’ve applied the base & foundation powders and right is without anything. You can see how much it’s brightened the area.
Adding both powders gives my mascara the best chance of surviving!
What about liquid foundation?
I’ve used this too; just make sure to stay away from your lashes and upper/lower lids. If you need to, reapply the powder foundation.
5. Apply mascara
I apply waterproof mascara as I normally would but I limit how much I use on my bottom lashes. I go in with a few coats, but I’m careful (now!) not to get any on my lids; otherwise, I’ll need to redo the powder.
Ensure your mascara isn’t old – this is my top tip.
I use Benefit Badgal BANG! Volumizing Waterproof Mascara—Pitch Black, £23. It’s expensive compared with other high-street brands, but it’s kept well and hasn’t irritated my eyes, so I’m pretty happy with it. It also lasts a long time – a few months at least. a new brand called Eyeko from LookFantastic for £5.70. Not only is it brown (not black as I’ve always worn) it isn’t waterproof. I’m finding it’s working better than any others I’ve tried. Have a read of the reviews – lots of other people are loving it. I’m especially loving wearing brown for the first time! I’m definitely converted.
Use my friends/fam link on LookFantastic on orders £25+ to get £10 off! I’ll also get £10 too 🙂
Results and top mascara tips
Hopefully these tips will help your mascara stay on for longer.
How old is your mascara?
If you don’t know the answer to that then the answer is TOO LONG and you should buy another immediately! They all have a shelf life, whether that’s 6 or 12 months. This is my biggest tip to avoid panda eyes.
Reapply powder throughout the day
If you need to, reapply the foundation throughout the day. Your skin will become oily (which is natural), but it will get through both powders. Sometimes, when I go to work, my mascara starts to smudge after 12 hours. At this point, I’m at home or driving home, so I’m not bothered.
If I need to ensure it lasts longer, I take my Estee Lauder powder and a smaller brush to reapply during the day. I reapply before my skin starts to get oily. I only add a small bit – it doesn’t need to be full coverage.
Use waterproof mascara
Make sure you use waterproof mascara. If you need a good makeup remover, I recommend The Body Shop’s camomile balm (90ml for £12, which is a large tub, or £60 for 20ml). I’ve used it for years because it doesn’t irritate my skin and gets the toughest mascaras off easily with little rubbing.
The Body Shop discounts: Use my friends and family link to get £10 off (I’ll get the same) Here’s the link: https://thebodyshop.mention-me.com/m/ol/eh7rc-rachael-robinson
Don’t touch your eyes throughout the day
If you do, you’ll likely add oil to your skin, which will get on your lashes and break down the mascara.
To remove the mascara
I use The Body Shop Camomile cleansing butter (around a large pea-sized amount in total) with a bamboo soft washcloth to gently rub away the mascara.
