I know that you’re not “technically” supposed to curl your lashes after you apply your mascara, and that almost everyone pooh-poohs the idea…but I do it all the time. 🙂 And I swear that it totally works! You just have to be exceedingly careful.
I do it because my lashes are like tiny twigs, straight and thin, and they struggle to hold a curl when I use a lash curler, especially when I couple that with a heavy-duty mascara formula, or one that just doesn’t have firm hold.
When I do curl after mascara, a few things help…
Like making sure that my lashes are completely dry before I use the curler. That way the lashes don’t stick as much to the clamping surface.
I also — and I know this sounds silly but I’m just gonna say it anyway — give El Hub or anyone within my immediate vicinity a heads-up, like, “I’m curling my lashes now, so please don’t make any sudden movements.”
It’s just that with the pranksters in my family, you never know when someone’s going to jump out from behind a corner and go “Blaaa!”
It happens a lot, and I’d rather sound a little kooky than accidentally rip out my lashes while I’m curling them…and that is a bigger risk when you curl them after applying mascara.
I’m also just very, very careful. I don’t press down too hard on the clamp, and I use easy, gentle pressure to avoid breaking lashes or pulling them out. I’m talking extra, super-duper careful.
I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone or say, “Oh, yeah, totally! This is the best way!” but it’s just what I do, and for me it works.
A commonly debunked beauty myth/product that you swear actually works?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I often read that toner is a gimmick and there’s no reason to bother. But I adore toner, I do notice a difference in my skin and it’s a great way to cleanse in the morning without using cleanser. I also love running it over my neck on hot days.
I actually heat my lash curler with the hair dryer (must make sure curler is not on fire when applying to lashes ..lol).
I curl my lashes, then apply mascara. I find if I add mascara then curl my lashes can stick to the curler which pulls them out 🙁
Monica.
Well, I’m not so sure who to believe about this one, but people say you should pull your skin when putting on eyeliner (one hand pulling the skin just to the side of the outside corner of the eye to help straighten and tauten the skin), but I do it every time. They say it creates wrinkles, but I just don’t believe it.
OMGGG Karen, I do the exact same thing! I always felt I was the only one and never understood why people curl before, granted it means washing my curler more often than most, but I think it is totally worth it. I am so happy you posted this because I don’t feel alone anymore in my post curling of my eyelashes lol
Janet
I wonder if putting a tiny amount of vaseline on the curler before curling lashes with mascara would make lashes less likely to stick to the curler and potentially damage…hmm…
Heated lash curlers are about 1000000000000x better than normal ones for my incredibly stubborn short lashes.
Hey Eleine,
do you have a brand of heated curler you could recommend? I’m kind of desperate lash-wise…
I like my Panasonic, but I have heard great things and want to switch to the Eyecurl II. Both are on amazon. The Eyecurl has a slightly curved wand, which I think is better for curling all lashes evenly. Be careful with these though!
When I use a tubing mascara (my HG is DHC Double Protection Pro) and then use the heated curler afterward, I get INCREDIBLE sky high, fanned out curls. Non tubing mascaras will melt with a heated curler so it’s best to use them post-curl, but they will also make the curl droop a tad.
Thank you so much, it sounds great!
I’ve heard don’t pop whitehead zits….but if I don’t do it in the clean environment of my bathroom, I’d be afraid they would pop if I rubbed against something and then they’d be essentially an open wound in a not-so-clean place. I do make sure, when I have them, that they are ready to be popped – if they aren’t, you could have scarring. Zits are a part of life no matter how good your cleansing routine is or what kind of BC you are on. I have oily Italian skin, so I get the lovely ones on my chin at least once a week. I use a Vitamin C serum to reduce any dark spots, and foundation if they need to be covered up.
Meh, some rules are meant to be broken, right? 🙂 As long as your lashes look fine I guess there’s no harm in curling them after you apply mascara. I’m trying to think of something that I do that actually shouldn’t be done according to ‘the rules’… Does squeezing blackheads count?
I commit the ultimate beauty no no, I shampoo twice! My hair is so thick that my scalp just doesn’t get clean the first time through.
Wow, I didn’t even know such a rule existed! I’ve always shampooed twice, my entire life, and I’m still alive :p
I sometimes (okay, fairly often) peel my nail polish off, especially glitter polishes, because I know nail polish remover is going to be a pain with those… I definitely don’t have pristine nail surfaces because of all my polish habits though, so I wouldn’t recommend it!
I’m going to venture into dangerous territory on this one and say: parabens. Granted, I buy paraben-free when I can and do prefer to exercise caution, but the research just isn’t solid enough on this one yet to truly prohibit me from buying some drugstore (or even high-end) products that work really well. There are two sides to every coin: sure, there is research to support that parabens are associated with breast cancer, but there’s also research that completely negates it (correlation does not imply causation), and until there is proof on either side, I’m going to continue dabbling with them. While it’s better to be safe than sorry, I also know that using a product with parabens is not going to kill me where I stand. Call it a beauty “vice” but to me, it’s like eating sugar: I love it but try to consume in moderation 🙂
I don’t always wash my face everyday. If I’ve worn no make up or spf I just wash with water some days. Even though I use gentle cleansers, if I clean my skin 2x a day 7 days a week it starts getting hella dry in the cheeks and like an oil field everywhere else!
I have always loved shiny eyeshadow. I have deep set eyes and the shine helps them show up and highlights my eyes. I’ve always heard that after “a certain age” you are NOT to put anything shiny on your eyelids. I do it anyway and will probably still be doing it when I’m 100! I like the way it looks! 😀
Definitely curling lashes after mascara is something I do, holding a curl too long in my hair with a curling iron, and using mascara after the 3 month mark. I guess I’m going to beauty hell lol!
I sometimes curl my lashes after putting on the first coat of mascara, if they are being stubborn about curling. I’m gentle with it, and I’ve had no problems.
I also keep makeup past the recommended time, with the exception of mascara. That always gets thrown out after 3 months. Anything else, I only ditch it if it changes color, texture, scent, taste, etc.
I have super stubborn straight lashes (some of which insist on pointing downwards :/) so I might give it a try.
In general I’ve noticed that volumizing mascaras are the worst at holding curl, and with most formulas a single layer is what works best.
Oh and for the debunked beauty myth, for me it’s clearly: “thou shall not pluck hair above your eyebrows, only below”
I have stray hair way above my natural eyebrow line (like on my forehead and temples), and the day I started removing them despite the “warning” was a glorious day. Luckily the woman who threads my brows agrees with me.
I’m with you on that one, Lulle. Strays must go, even if they are not under my eyebrows. 🙂
I wash my hair almost every day. I really prefer not to, but I have relatively thin hair, crazy trapeze and aerial workouts, and a heart condition that makes me sweat excessively. Not washing my hair is not an option most days!
The no plucking above the eyebrows AND the toner mentioned above. I make a toner that does wonders for my skin lighting, brightening, and making it so soft. It’s also critical for prepping my eyes for shadows AND I have these patchy like spots that I always pluck away on my brows. Them gone and my brows are the perfect shape.
I’ve been following s trick I learned from Wayne Goss which goes against the “Thou shall not use cream or liquid over powder” rule. I lightly powder my face after moisturiser and primer and then apply my foundation and concealer and it is amazing! I used to have my makeup sliding all over my face and being shiny but this makes it last all day and totally evens everything out!