I’m always wanting to learn and I don’t feel qualified to actually share tips, but here were a few things I wish I had known earlier:
- when my mascara was drying out, I went too long before learning I could spray a little sterile saline on the brush (shaking off any excess drips of saline), and put the brush back into the bottle and work the brush a bit - then it would apply to the lashes perfectly without clumps (I’ve enjoyed mascaras like Mineral Fusion and Better Than Sex).
- lash curlers are a life changer, I have long lashes but they’re heavy and droop down, and I thought it was a mistake with how I was applying the mascara (and the mascara weighed them down even more!!); maybe this is just obvious, but I went too long without using one and they really lift my eyes, even just the curler without the mascara is a big help
- foundation can really age you, so it’s important to prioritize skin care and “natural beauty”. It really sucks when my skin is breaking out and I have to cover up with foundation because it ruins the natural, soft look of my skin; I wash my face every night with a cleanser (occasionally using a more exfoliating salicylic acid cleanser on my nose) and use a night cream with ceramides. Hydrating throughout the day is also important to healthy skin. (As is diet, tbh.)
- I had no idea that cosmetic sunscreens existed, I wish I had known there were sunscreens that didn’t feel like covering my face in grease, I’ve gone without sunscreen for decades because I had no idea. Discovering Japanese and South Korean sunscreens that function as a makeup primer, and aren’t greasy and absorb into the skin, completely blew my mind and made it so much easier for me to put sunscreen on every day. I have really enjoyed CANMAKE’s Mermaid Skin Gel and SKIN1004’s Madagascar Centella sunscreens in particular.
What beauty and makeup tips did you wish you knew earlier?
I find that if I try to curl my lashes after showering, they won’t stay - I think it’s when they’re wet? I noticed later after they dried they seemed to stay curled better.
Is there anything you do to help the lashes hold the curl, I find mine seem to droop back down after a bit … though I have noticed they can also last the rest of the day - I think sometimes it’s more that I’m failing to hold as long as I need to or something.
Moisturizing after showering is such a good idea - I usually shower at night and moisturizing before bed is also nice (less chance of getting lotion on clothes or awkward feeling of the lotion on my skin, etc.).
My guess is that you want a natural solution to your lash problem rather than getting a lash lift, but have you ever gotten a lash lift? 'Cause like… problem solved.
The first time I really saw the potential of a lash curler was when I booked a consultation with a makeup artist to find out what mistakes I was making. Apparently you’re supposed to pinch the eyelids a little bit. Just the tiniest bit. Position the curler so you’re applying pressure right where lashes protrude from the skin. I don’t know if this is universally considered to be the correct technique, but the result was undeniable.
Nonetheless I don’t wanna pinch my eyelids every time I’m trying to fix my lashes, so now I just leave it to the probably toxic god–knows–what they use when I get them tinted and lifted.
A lash lift is honestly a good idea. The pinching is uncomfortable, but not a dealbreaker for me - I’m a bit used to it now. I just find it difficult to add more appointments into my life - getting brows waxed and haircuts are already a lot for me, lol.
I feel you there. The time commitment for brows and lashes alone feels like so much. I try to cluster things on a single day and keep myself on a regular interval, and then that day becomes my little treat to look forward to. Every 6 weeks I block out an afternoon for hair trim, manicure, brow threading, lash lift, brow and lash hybrid tint, and laser hair removal. Feels like I’m being run through a factory assembly line. I recognise how OTT this routine probably is for most people though.