mascara?

[HollyDay]

I have not worn mascara in years.  Probably 10 or more.  And watching dds explore makeup makes me want to venture out and try something new.  So, what is a good but gentle mascara.  Some of the commercials are kinda scary :)

[Ali in OR]

I like Almay--it's good if you have any sensitivities. I like a drugstore brand because mascara is one thing you need to replace on a regular basis and I don't want to spend a ton of money.

[milovany]

I use the old pink tube with green lid standby (Great Lash, Maybelline).  Have for years and it's what my daughter wears as well. 

[candicane]

I've always used Great Lash from Maybelline.  My mom used it, and then she passed it on to me to use. It's not too harsh, in my opinion.

[Reefgazer]

I favor the CoverGirl mascaras with the curved wand.  Mascara is one of those things where I actually strongly prefer the performance of the cheaper drugstore brands.

[MSNative]

I love Younique 3D lashes. It's natural, gluten free and gives me lashes (I have tiny lashes.). It is the only mascara it have found that withstands sweat. Uh, not that I sweat. I'm a Southern girl so obviously I glow. I guess I should say no mascara before could stand up to my intense glowing.

[Ellie]

L'Oreal, the kind with the curved brush. I can wash it off with plain soap and water but it doesn't run during the day.

[whitestavern]

I love blinc mascara.  It creates a little tube over each lash and comes off easily with just warm water and just kind of massaging with your fingers.  It never smudges, runs, etc.  It also doesn't irritate my eyes, which some mascaras do.

[redsquirrel]

Neutrogena makes some gentle ones.

 

I recently tried an expensive mascara, Diorshow Iconic, just for fun. It was SO fantastic that everything else has been disappointing. I've heard that Loreal Voluminious is a knockoff so that is what I am going to try next.

 

Another one I like is "Full and Soft". It comes in a blue tube and is by Maybelline. I like it because it never makes my lashes look fake.

[ktgrok]

I like Almay--it's good if you have any sensitivities. I like a drugstore brand because mascara is one thing you need to replace on a regular basis and I don't want to spend a ton of money.

 

 

yes, I like almay as well. I have fair skin/light hair so I get the brownish black or whatever it is called. Less harsh than the black one. I also like this one because it isn't too extreme - It's called Full and Soft and makes my lashes darker, but not crazy big.  http://www.amazon.com/Maybelline-Waterproof-Mascara-Brownish-Black/dp/B000T5KATM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1403568737&sr=8-3&keywords=mascara+full+and+soft

[MercyA]

Another vote for Maybelline Great Lash.  I like the waterproof kind.  

[minuway]

I second the blinc mascara - its a little pricey (about $20 on amazon), but it doesn't smudge or leave raccoon eyes and is extremely easy to remove. 

[6packofun]

I also like Maybelline's waterproof Full and Soft.  :)

[Starr]

I'm another vote for brown or brown/black.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I'm currently using Bobbie Brown's Smokey eye mascara. It doesn't give me raccoon eyes, doesn't clump, and curls my lashes nicely. I've tried many of the drugstore brands and I haven't found one I like, but I do keep trying. Right now I have a Marvelling one that I decided to try. It's in the yellow tube. It's decent, but within a couple of hours my lashes seem to droop. I think it's just heavy. I've tried all of the Loreal, but I didn't like them either.

[Andani]

I'm curious about how it goes for you once you try it. I'm in your camp. The last time I wore mascara was on my wedding day...14 years ago.

 

Do it, Fairytale! While the kids are completing their new chore lists, and not fighting over Minecraft, you can give yourself a makeover.

[Peaceful Isle]

Mary Kay has some good mascara. I hardly ever wear it, or makeup for that matter, but when I do, it is Mary Kay ;)

[kitten18]

I have used many, many mascaras over the years in all price ranges and the one I come back to over and over is Loreal Voluminous.

 

Right now I'm also using an ELF mascara, white tube, silver handle. It's a really dry mascara, I use a coat of it and it seperates all my lashes, then I use a coat of Voluminous.

 

I used to use an Almay One Coat, I really liked that, I should try it again.

 

 

I think people like either wet mascara or dry mascara. I like dry mascara, on my lashes it does a much better job of seperating so it looks like I have more lashes. I cannot stand maybelline great lash, on my lashes it creates one big wet clump.

[shukriyya]

I use Hauschka products. I'm on my tablet or I'd link. They are more expensive but the quality is very good and the ingredients are well sourced with the aim being as holistic as possible. I particularly like their mascara, no clumping, streaking or smudging.

[KungFuPanda]

Does anyone else have a hard time finding plain brown. Everything is brown-black or black and it looks fake on some pale girls. The one brand I can find comes in a purple tube with a silicone brush, but I'd like to find a brand with a teddy bear brush.

 

I'm another vote for brown or brown/black.

[lailasmum]

I have blinc mascara. It's. quite good. I have short stubby eyelashes so there's not much to hang onto and it manages. They do brown. Not that I remember to wear mascara all that often. I forget it exists.

[minuway]

I am a super pale red head, yet have been told multiple times by make up artists to still wear regular black mascara  even with a natural style look (I worked as a receptionist in a day spa / salon during college).. So don't be afraid of the black mascara, ye pale ones, if its hard to find brown.  I think its more the texture to look for - you don't want it to be too clumpy or smudgy. 

[Guest go lower]

I used Cover Girl for years and liked it.  Recently, however, I began using Mary Kay's Ultimate Mascara.  I found it easier to apply, wash off and it lasts longer.  It does cost significantly more but I feel the positives are worth it.

[MrsMommy]

I love Maybelline Full N Soft. I've been using it for close to ten years now...it's available in waterproof and regular formulas.

[Camelfeet]

I like Clinique's High Impact Extreme Volume mascara.  Other mascaras I have used in the past have made my eyes water and turn red, but this one doesn't.  It is easy to remove.

 

The Diorshow Iconic sounds interesting though.

 

ETA:  Why not pop down with the daughter to a store and ask if they have any samples?

[lailasmum]

I am a super pale red head, yet have been told multiple times by make up artists to still wear regular black mascara  even with a natural style look (I worked as a receptionist in a day spa / salon during college).. So don't be afraid of the black mascara, ye pale ones, if its hard to find brown.  I think its more the texture to look for - you don't want it to be too clumpy or smudgy. 

 

I'm a freckly red head and black mascara looks truly horrendous on me. I've noticed that if you have red hair that's one of the darker shades teamed with creamy pale skin it can look OK but for us true coppery gingers it often looks awful. I also wonder whether eye colour comes into play too. I've got green eyes. 

[minuway]

I'm a freckly red head and black mascara looks truly horrendous on me. I've noticed that if you have red hair that's one of the darker shades teamed with creamy pale skin it can look OK but for us true coppery gingers it often looks awful. I also wonder whether eye colour comes into play too. I've got green eyes. 

 

Just passing on what I was told.   :) I have light coppery red hair and hazel green/brown eyes with very fair skin and lots of freckles. I had always worn brown mascara as per my teen magazines, until the make up ladies got a hold of me. They also got me wearing eye liner and shadow which I had always avoided before.  But I'm sure its still a matter if personal taste. I think also the mascara texture makes a big difference because the thick clumpy kind makes the lashes look so big that they overwhelm delicate red head coloring. I like the blinc mascara for this, also almay has some thinner formulations. Anything that is plain and not "volumizing."

[trulycrabby]

I have used many, many mascaras over the years in all price ranges and the one I come back to over and over is Loreal Voluminous.

 

Right now I'm also using an ELF mascara, white tube, silver handle. It's a really dry mascara, I use a coat of it and it seperates all my lashes, then I use a coat of Voluminous.

 

I used to use an Almay One Coat, I really liked that, I should try it again.

 

 

I think people like either wet mascara or dry mascara. I like dry mascara, on my lashes it does a much better job of seperating so it looks like I have more lashes. I cannot stand maybelline great lash, on my lashes it creates one big wet clump.

Okay, I am really out of the mascara loop,and did not know there are "wet" and "dry" mascaras. :o

 

No, I don't currently own any mascara. :o

[SunnyDays]

I usually lean toward Loreal Voluminous as well... it works for me.  I've tried some others that are very irritating to my eyes.

 

Also if you want gentle it's hard to go wrong with Clinique... someone mentioned one upthread.  Another of their products is Naturally Glossy mascara... it's lightweight and not as dramatic, so might be a good choice for someone just starting (or re-starting) with mascara!

 

[KungFuPanda]

I'm a freckly red head and black mascara looks truly horrendous on me. I've noticed that if you have red hair that's one of the darker shades teamed with creamy pale skin it can look OK but for us true coppery gingers it often looks awful. I also wonder whether eye colour comes into play too. I've got green eyes.

 

I think we have similar coloring. I do wear black mascara with some looks where I'm shading in my brows too. It doesn't work so well when I'm going for the natural look, and that's the way I wear make-up 80% of the time. My lashes are long, so the mascara really shows up. My eyes are bluish greenish. Max factor used to make a henna colored mascara. That was perfect for me, but you can't get it anymore.

[redsquirrel]

I'm a freckly red head and black mascara looks truly horrendous on me. I've noticed that if you have red hair that's one of the darker shades teamed with creamy pale skin it can look OK but for us true coppery gingers it often looks awful. I also wonder whether eye colour comes into play too. I've got green eyes. 

 

I know what you mean. I am a redhead but no freckles, pale skin, and my eyes are pale grey. My eyelashes are black, not blonde or red, and I think that makes a difference. My eyebrows are darker as well. I look fine in black or brown. I can't really tell the difference.

 

I've known gingers with very pale or very red eyelashes and brows. Black mascara looks harsh on them. It is just not flattering at all.

 

It might have to do with being 'warm' or 'cool' in colouring?  I can never tell which I am, lol. I know that if I wear a pink colour in makeup (like in blush or nail polish) or clothes I need to find one that is very actually a very light peach, and not a true pink, or it looks weird on me. 

[Belacqua]

I read in one magazine or another that once we hit 40 or so, we should be choosing lengthening rather than thickening/volumizing mascara. I have no idea whether that has any validity, but I thought I'd put it out there.

 

And why do the guys so often get the long, lush lashes? My husband was just complaining that his lashes are so long they smear the insides of his glasses. Oh, boo hoo.

[KungFuPanda]

I know what you mean. I am a redhead but no freckles, pale skin, and my eyes are pale grey. My eyelashes are black, not blonde or red, and I think that makes a difference. My eyebrows are darker as well. I look fine in black or brown. I can't really tell the difference.

 

I've known gingers with very pale or very red eyelashes and brows. Black mascara looks harsh on them. It is just not flattering at all.

 

It might have to do with being 'warm' or 'cool' in colouring?  I can never tell which I am, lol. I know that if I wear a pink colour in makeup (like in blush or nail polish) or clothes I need to find one that is very actually a very light peach, and not a true pink, or it looks weird on me.

 

My eyelashes are a pale strawberry blonde. They're much lighter than my hair and are invisible without mascara. My teenager informed me that I should be curling my eyelashes. That turned out to be physically impossible. I'm very nearsighted and the eyelash curler doesn't let me get close enough to the mirror to actually see my invisilashes. I just walk around with them uncurled like I don't know better.

[redsquirrel]

I read in one magazine or another that once we hit 40 or so, we should be choosing lengthening rather than thickening/volumizing mascara. I have no idea whether that has any validity, but I thought I'd put it out there.

 

And why do the guys so often get the long, lush lashes? My husband was just complaining that his lashes are so long they smear the insides of his glasses. Oh, boo hoo.

 

Testosterone. It controls different hair than the hair at the top of the head, or something like that. That is why men's hair generally thins on the top and front but leaves a fringe around the head. It is why hormonal changes for women can bring about thinning hair on the top of the head and new and exciting hair in places where none existed.

[OnTheBrink]

I use Loreal Voluminious. I've used all sorts of brands, expensive and cheap and this one is my favorite.

[MSNative]

Slightly ot - a friend just told me she uses coconut oil to get her eye makeup off, including mascara. How did I not think of that? I use coconut oil for so many other things. Anyway, thought I'd pass it on. Love the idea of moisturizing while removing makeup

[bobbeym]

You could start off with a clear mascara just to get back in the habit of wearing it.  Lately I've been using Maybelline Volum' Express in brown/black.  I like that it has 2 different brushes for lower/upper lashes.

 

A friend of mine swears the best eye makeup remover she's ever found is a homemade one using olive oil and witch hazel.

[HollyDay]

I'm curious about how it goes for you once you try it. I'm in your camp. The last time I wore mascara was on my wedding day...14 years ago.

 

The esthetician at our derm office said she used L'Oreal in the big black tube.  Youngest dd likes Mac mascara.  Oldest doesn't like any :)  My gf, whose daughter is currently attending makeup artist school, likes "the one in the pink tube with green top," but her daughter says she prefers Cover Girl.  Another gf says she will only wear Mary Kay. 

 

So, I have visited a makeup store a couple times so I could get a good survey.  That has been good because I could "live" with various ones and see how they do throughout the day.  So far, the L'Oreal has been my favorite.  The others were fine, but the big black tube of L'Oreal makes my eyelashes stand out more. 

 

One important thing I have also learned......I cannot do eyeliner.  I just can't get the hang of applying it.....

[MistiDelaney]

Having just poked my head back into the world of mascara (my 18 year old tube of Avon gave me a sty...only then did I count up and realize its age! Yikes!!) I found that I liked bareMinerals Flawless Definition best. 

 

I am older, and I mainly needed some colour to make my fast-greying lashes look like they exist, but the heavy, dramatic look that is in fashion with the young folks these days looks ridiculous on me.  bareMinerals Flawless Definition adds colour without making the lashes clump - and it comes in brown as well as a black that is sort of low-key.  Not quite grey, but it could pass.

 

Now to figure how out to handle the fading brows...  :p

[redsquirrel]

My eye doctor told me not to use oil based eye makeup remover, like baby oil etc because it can leave a film on the eye and cause vision problems.

My college roommate had that exact thing happen to her. She thought she was having vision problems because things looked blurry and went to the health center. As soon as she told them the problem the nurse asked if she used oil to remove eye make up. She stopped and the problem went away.

 

So just be careful. I use Maybeline eye make up remover and it works very well and I have never had a problem.

[meena]

Another vote for Maybelline Full & Soft. I use the waterproof version. It doesn't get clumpy or look too over-the-top with the rest of my makeup, which I'm pretty minimalist about.

[HollyDay]

Having just poked my head back into the world of mascara (my 18 year old tube of Avon gave me a sty...only then did I count up and realize its age! Yikes!!) I found that I liked bareMinerals Flawless Definition best. 

 

I am older, and I mainly needed some colour to make my fast-greying lashes look like they exist, but the heavy, dramatic look that is in fashion with the young folks these days looks ridiculous on me.  bareMinerals Flawless Definition adds colour without making the lashes clump - and it comes in brown as well as a black that is sort of low-key.  Not quite grey, but it could pass.

 

Now to figure how out to handle the fading brows...  :p

 

I noticed when we were at the Mac counter at the mall, they have a brow section.  I didn't spend much time looking as I had other things I needed to do that day, but it looked promising :)

[jhschool]

I use Revlon's "Grow Luscious Plumping."

It works great.

I always use cruelty free products and Revlon

apparently is on the CF list.

Also, they always have "buy one get one half off"

at the big stores and the drugstores--well, every

couple months.

[goldberry]

I also like Maybelline's waterproof Full and Soft.  :)

 

This has been my fave FOREVER.  Seriously, since I started wearing makeup.  Any other mascara clumps and makes spiky lashes on me. 

[HollyDay]

I found another one I really like....Clinique brown/black.  I don't have clue if it is volumizing or extending or what, but I like the color quite a bit. 

 

And MistiDelaney, Clinique has nice brow pencils and brushes and such.  I didn't get the "full" brow line, just one of the pencils with an attached brush.  Makes a huge difference!!!!  I took a look at the Mac counter and they do have lots of brow "stuff" in their line, but the counter was really busy.  I went over to Clinique because they had several makeup ladies about my age.  They knew exactly what I was trying to fix and how to do it as easily as possible with as few products as possible. 

[minuway]

Random, but one of my favorite basic makeup tutorials on the interwebs right now:

http://www.maskcara.com/2012/10/05/mommy-makeup/

[HollyDay]

Thanks!!! Chatherine!!!!  Right now I'm alternating between the Clinique black/brown and the L'Oreal. For everyday wear, I like the Clinique.  The color is a bit more subtle for my complexion and hair color.  It just basically show that I have eye lashes :)  For more effect, I like the L'Oreal.  It is black so it gives  more of an effect, more dramatic I guess. 

 

My daughter looks wonderful in the Mac mascara she chose.  Haven't a clue which one it is, but it is perfect for her.

 

My oldest daughter likes the "pink tube with green top" mascara.  Works great for her.

 

I guess mascara is like homeschool.....lots of good choices for everybody :)