Let us curl, my lady

May 28, 2011 5:11 PM

Please help me find a good curling mascara for sensitive eyes!

I really want a high-quality, non-clumpy mascara that curls decently (I know no mascara is going to curl like a proper eyelash curler, but I'd like to be able to get a little curl without that) and won't irritate my eyes (which are sensitive).

After doing some online research, I've been using Clinique's High Impact Curling Mascara, which I sort of like because it does an okay job of curling, but it seems to be clump-prone. I do wipe the applicator off with a sponge before I apply the product, but I still have trouble getting it on evenly. It also has warm-water removal (where you kind of rub your lashes a bit with some water and the mascara comes off in flakes/tubes). I sort of like that because the product really comes off completely (unlike regular makeup-remover-requiring mascara which I can never seem to get all the way off), but I worry that I'm pulling out my eyelashes when I use it. So something that is easy to remove would be good, too.

I'm not too concerned about cost if I can find something I really love. I'm in the US and will probably be ordering online.

If anyone has any product suggestions for me, that would be wonderful! Thanks!

posted by hansbrough to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

I've used Lancome's Virtuose, and liked it. I've had to switch because it is too pricey for the amount of makeup I've had to wear lately. But if cost wasn't an issue, I'd use it exclusively. (I have sensitive eyes and I wear contacts most days.)
posted by typewriter at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2011

If you want your mascara to hold a curl it needs to be waterproof, IMO. I've heard that Maybelline Falsies waterproof is the best drugstore curling mascara. Personally, I prefer Japanese mascaras because they're made for women with stick-straight lashes. I swear by my Kiss Me Heroine Make Long + Curl mascara, which has a nice curled brush and coats each lash in a tube of fibers. It gives an extremely natural, curly look especially if you apply it slowly & with a little pressure near the top of your lashes. As a bonus, it's completely smudge-proof-- that's why it's so popular with women in hot, humid parts of Asia. To remove, you'll want to buy the Kiss Me Heroine Make mascara remover (pink tube). It comes with a plastic comb wand so you can swipe over your lashes, wait a minute, and then wipe off effortlessly with ZERO pressure/tugging.
posted by acidic at 9:43 PM on May 28, 2011

Yup, you need a waterproof mascara to hold curl (usually). I get the WP Maybelline Full N' Soft (drugstore), or Apple Mascara, Avocado formula (ebay). If you live in Southern California, you should be able to find Apple Mascara in Mexican stores. It's amazing, and WP as far as I can tell.
posted by sunnychef88 at 10:31 PM on May 28, 2011

Oh also, have you tried cleansing oil for taking off making? My DHC cleansing oil takes off all of it, including WP mascara. One should last you at least 6 months. It's pricy, but worth it IMO. You can follow up with Cetaphil or another cleanser, but not everyone needs to do that for their skin. Otherwise, WP mascaras can be really hard to remove.
posted by sunnychef88 at 10:35 PM on May 28, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas!

I've been just using water with the Clinique, but prior to that I've tried a lot of oil-based makeup removers. Frequently I run into the problem that the removers that do a good job of taking makeup off are really hard to get off my skin, so I either have makeup traces or oily stuff on my eyes when I go to bed... cleansing oil is a good suggestion!

Thanks again, everyone. And if anyone else has any suggestions, please post them here! :)
posted by hansbrough at 2:06 PM on May 29, 2011