Using mascara without the brush.
December 29, 2013 11:05 AM   Subscribe

So I'm having a recurrent pink eye issue that has been going on for months. Obviously eye make-up is a no go, but considering this has been going on for so long, I feel I should probably just work around it instead of waiting it out. Does anyone have any techniques for putting on mascara without touching the brush?

I figure I'm good for avoiding contamination as long as I don't put the brush on my eye and then back into the tube. I've tried putting it on my fingers and rubbing it on, which works for all my other make-up, but that doesn't work at all for mascara.

I don't tend to wear make-up, so this is just for those once or twice a month episodes where cultural norms come into play.

(And yes, it's all new make-up.)
posted by Dynex to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Buy disposable mascara wands.

Or

Dip a clean cuticle stick or Q-tip into the tube, spread out on a clean plate or mirror or some other palette and use a fan brush or eyebrow comb that you can apply with and wash between uses.
posted by Fairchild at 11:13 AM on December 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Best answer: You could buy disposable mascara wands like they use at Sephora for the trial products. Use a wand once and throw it away. Not the most environmentally friendly option, but for a temporary problem I wouldn't feel too bad about it.

Added benefit of keeping your fingers out of your eyes altogether.
posted by terilou at 11:13 AM on December 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Disposable masacara brushes!

You can find them at pretty much any drugstore.
posted by LittleKnitting at 11:14 AM on December 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: You can buy packs of mascara wands at beauty supply stores. Ideally, use a new one each time. I don't know if you could adequately sanitize them for re-use.

When you applied it with your fingers, did you try use a lash comb afterward to separate your lashes? IME metal lash combs work best but they can be hard to clean because if you pull too hard on the teeth they pop out.
posted by fozzie_bear at 11:14 AM on December 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: They sell disposable mascara brushes. It seems perfect for this. You can get a 50 pack for about 5 or 10 dollars.
posted by beccaj at 11:14 AM on December 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I had no idea they sold disposable mascara brushes. Thanks!
posted by Dynex at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2013


For reference: the name of that kind of applicator is "spoolie."
posted by ocherdraco at 11:50 AM on December 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


This may be answering the spirit of your question and not the letter -
I gave up mascara after I found 1000 hours lash dye.
http://1000hour.com.au/collections/eyelash-brow-dye-kits/products/eyelash-brow-dye-kit-blue-black

10 minutes. Never think about it again for another 6 weeks.
posted by msamye at 12:18 PM on December 30, 2013


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