Mascara! My go-to beauty product (in fact I wouldn’t leave the house without wearing it!) and one of the most popular beauty products out there! But why do we all love it so? Because mascara is a quick and easy way to make our lashes longer and our eyes to pop, while enhancing our overall look too! Plus it’s no secret that beautiful eyelashes can make you look and feel both prettier, and younger! But as we age, our eye lashes age too! So you might find that the mascara you’ve been loving for all those years suddenly isn’t preforming as it once was, and your lashes just aren’t as full and voluminous as before. Fear not, there are plenty of hacks and tricks you can use to make your lashes look fuller and longer. Here’s a few tips to get you started…

 

1. Choose the right mascara formula

As we age, our lashes tend to become thinner and more brittle, so it’s important to choose a mascara formula that will nourish and protect your lashes. Look for mascaras that contain nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, panthenol, and biotin, and be sure to steer clear from non-hypoallergenic mascaras (ones that contain preservatives) as these can irritate your eyes, making you rub them more frequently which results in lash loss! (And the last thing we want to do is loose what precious lashes we have!)

Try: ELES NEW Lush Mascara

2. Be wary of using waterproof mascara daily

If you are over looking at panda eyes in the mirror every afternoon you may have well turned to waterproof mascara (because less smudging and smearing of course), however waterproof mascara can be a nightmare to remove (cue extra rubbing of eyes when trying to remove – which can age the delicate eye area!) and the formulation itself can be harsher on your eyes causing lashes to dry out and be more prone to breakage.

Instead, where possible use water-soluble long wear mascaras, and when you need to go waterproof (essential for beach and pool breaks) just be sure to check out the ingredients and remove with a good eye makeup remover.

3. Layoff the false lashes

If lashes are sparse, you might be loving the idea of your false ones. The thing is many false lashes come with cheap adhesives. Pulling them out leads to broken and damaged lashes. For women over 50, this means more lash problems. Eek.

4. Curl your eye lashes but not with an eyelash curler

We’ve been told to curl our lashes with an eyelash curler to create more volume and lift for our lashes, but this isn’t actually a good option as we get older as an eyelash curler can create more damage than good and cause already weakened lashes to break. Instead a popular way to curl your lashes is by using a metal teaspoon. Press the spoon, concave side in, against your eyelid above your lashes. Now use your fingertip to press your eyelashes against the convex curve of the bottom of the spoon. Hold your lashes in place for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat in the corners.

You can even use something as simple as your finger to curl your lashes too! Simply close your eye and use your fingertip to gently push your upper eyelashes up against the top of your eyelid. Hold the eyelashes up for 30 seconds and then release them.

5. Layer your mascara

If you love your volumizing mascara but wish you could get a little more length to your lashes you could try layering. Start with a coat of lengthening mascara to define your lashes, then follow up with a coat of volumizing mascara to add fullness.

6. Wiggle your mascara wand

When applying mascara, wiggle the brush back and forth at the roots of the lashes to saturate the mascara at the base, then pull upward to the tips. This creates the appearance of thickness and volume and adds length without a clumpy mess.

7. Don’t forget your lower lashes

Many women focus all their attention on their upper lashes and leave the bottom lashes mascara free! The thing is applying mascara to your lower lashes can help create a more youthful wide-eyed, wide-awake look!

8. Stop using expired mascara

Like with anything, your mascara expires, and when it does, you need to throw it out and buy another! Even if you think it’s got a few more weeks or months in it. Not only can expired mascara be more difficult to apply to lashes without clumping or flaking, it can also compromise its ability to add length and volume to eyelashes, and can spark lash loss (and we don’t want to be loosing any more lashes than necessary do we!) This is because every time you use your mascara, you are pumping air into the wand, this creates bacteria! And bacteria in your mascara can lead to irritation and eye infections when applied…cue itchy eyes and rubbing!

The average life of a mascara once used for the first time is 3 months, so if you are using your mascara everyday be sure to take note of when the 3-month mark is up!

9. Don’t pump the wand when applying mascara

It’s so easy to pump the wand when you are about to apply your mascara, hey I’ve been guilty of this many a time, after all many of us are under the impression that this will help coat the brush with the right amount of product, but by doing this you can let air into the tube which in turn will dry out the mascara prematurely. Instead twist the wand back and forth while pulling it out of the tube. This will help coat the brush evenly without wasting product and enable the mascara to last that little bit longer!

10. Use a spoon (or card of some sort) to prevent smudging mascara

If you are prone to getting mascara on your eyelids (and we’ve all been there) it’s easy to reach for a cotton tip to wipe it away, however the constant pulling of the skin using cotton tips on your delicate eyelid can actually damage already ageing eyes so it’s best to use a spoon or card of some sort (can try a business card) as a shield! Hold it up against your eyelid and then apply your mascara. This will help prevent smudges and keep your makeup looking clean.

Whether you’re looking for fuller, longer lashes or just want to prevent smudges and clumps, these tips and tricks can help you achieve the look you want. So go ahead and give them a try – your lashes will thank you!