My mascara was running out, so I bought a new one (Maybelline Long Extreme Stiletto in case you’re curious) as a replacement. But it turned out to be the worst mascara I’ve ever used. It smeared my eyes, within one hour of application. Oh, did I just parade on the street like a panda in that way? My goodness…
My “Waterproof” Mascara Nightmare
My first reaction is I must have used the wrong application method. So, in the following weeks, I plucked and combed my lashes with extra care that bordered on fussiness. But disappointingly, it didn’t work. I still got smudges below my eyes. Whenever I went out with my mascara on, I had to sneak one or two glances once in a while into my pocket mirror to see if any smudges were left on my eyes. Weeks passed, and I still couldn’t figure out why I got those smudges, and I concluded that it wasn’t a problem with my application method. It’s a problem with the mascara itself. It’s not waterproof! It’s simply low quality!
However, in spite of all the reasons I gave for my bad luck, the mercenary me still rebelled. I didn’t shell out a fortune to buy this “waterproof” mascara,” but it’s still money, money that I earned through sweat and toil. I could have bought a new one, but what if the new one also has the same problem? Does it mean that I have to try out every brand on the market until, by some stroke of luck, I land a good catch?
No, I can’t accept this. At the very least, I have to find out why this “waterproof” mascara isn’t waterproof. So I do my own homework.
A search on Makeupalley quickly gives me some idea about this Maybelline mascara. It only scores 3.1 out of 5. But no one (it seems) complained about its melting issue. One of the commenters even said she “never experienced any running or smearing with it.” So, is it just me who get the smudges?
Waterproof Mascara Isn’t Oil Proof
I did another search to look for rants about this Maybelline mascara. But my effort proved to be fruitless. Not a bit disappointed, I finally find what I want on this blog. To paraphrase what the blogger said, waterproof mascara does just what it claims but provides no other fringe benefits such as oil-proof. If you have changed your skin care, it’s very likely that you have switched to something that doesn’t go with your mascara.
For me, it may be the coconut oil I apply at night and the eye cream I use in the morning. Both of them are oil-based. Below is the ingredient list of my eye cream. As you can see, the word “oil” pops up quite frequently, and major ingredients such as ethylhexyl stearate and squalane are also oil-based or derived from oily sources.
For the Maybelline mascara, it’s also oil- or wax-based, as you can see in the ingredient list below.
Water (Aqua), Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cera Carnauba (Carnauba Wax), Acacia Senegal, Gum, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG/PPG 17/18 Dimethicone, Steareth 20, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Sodium Polymethacrylate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Simethicone, Rayon, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Silk, May Contain ( /-): CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Mica, CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), Titanium Dioxide, CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide).
The fact that I have used coconut oil and an oil-based eye cream is enough to tell you why I got smudged eyes. On top of all, I have used oil-based mascara.
Solution 1: Discontinue Your Skin Care Regimen
To solve the problem, I have to either discontinue my oil-based skin care regimen, or opt for other mascara. My choice is obviously the latter. My eyes simply can’t do without my current skin care regimen. Even though coconut oil can’t completely restore my eyes to its previous smoothness, not using it would make the situation worse.
Solution 2: Tubing Mascara
If you are like me, tubing mascara may come to your rescue. This type of mascara isn’t something new. It has been in the U.S. for at least ten years. Maybe I’m one of the few who are ignorant about this product. Well, I’m not a makeup gal… You shouldn’t blame me for that…
Back to tubing mascara. According to what I can find on Elle, it uses a flexible polymer to form a film on your lashes. When you apply these tubes onto your lashes, they wrap around your lashes and lengthen them. But mind you, this kind of mascara is water soluble, which means it can resist against normal sweats, but don’t expect you can still keep it intact with splashes on your face. Another drawback of it is it can’t add plumpness or volume to your lashes.
Sometimes, you just can’t have a cake and eat it too. Do you think so? Do you use waterproof mascara? If you do, I hope you don’t have the problem I have. Either way, feel free to share your comment below.
I find your article very helpful!! I was wondering all the time why my mascara is smudging on me… It doesn’t matter which brand I tried, it happens all the time and it’s driving me nuts! -__-;; I always carry Q-tips with me so I can fix the panda eyes.
I think you should try using Japanese brands, they carry smudge and water-proof ones which seem to be better. I’m also using Maybelline but like I mentioned it also happens to the high-end brands like Dior and Helena Rubinstein, so why don’t stick to Maybelline which is way cheaper? I really want to try out Fiberwig or Majolica Majorca in the future to see if it makes a difference or not. ^^
I used Maybelline before, but sadly this time the problem is that the waterproof function is futile. I guess I may have to use some tubing mascara to solve my problem. Those high-end brands might be good, but it would be such a big investment if the same problem happens. So, yes, I think at the moment, I would stick to the drugstore brands or try out some Japanese brand, like what you suggested.