Thoughts: Mascara And Mascara Base

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I think mascara is the true case of "one man's meat is another's poison." Some people have the allergy issue and so can’t use certain mascara (base). And others will have different requirements: the size of the brushes, waterproof or non, volumising, lengthening, full, dramatic, natural, glossy, glittery, basic and etc. And there is yet the issue of eye vs. mascara colours! I don’t know about you, but it took me ages to find my HG products in mascara and mascara base, worse than finding the right foundation!

Well, that’s because I have poor lashes. I am 100% Chinese so part of the package being Chinese is our small and slanted almond shaped eyes with flat eye lids and short, straight and stubby lashes. (I am just talking about the upper lashes. Many of us don’t even have visible lower lashes!) I am not exaggerating at all. That's exactly how my lashes are prior the application of mascara base and mascara.

I thank God for the great invention of mascara by T. L. Williams who did it for his sister. (I need a brother like him!) I truly believe all women need mascara, regardless she has great lashes or not. Mascara is the most basic makeup item that any woman should have as it brings the eyes to life. Here is a little information on MASCARA I dug up. I didn’t know The word "rimmel" still means "mascara" in several languages till I read this! (By the way, I heard Rimmal, the makeup company makes good mascara too!) And here are couple of useful video clips on Mascara Applications. I also like this clip a lot as she talks about applications as well as CARING for mascara (and the video is clearer.)

How To Apply Mascara

I have watery eyes and so I must have waterproof mascara. Trust me, there isn’t much real waterproof mascara in the market. I’ve tried so many that so-called waterproof ones but all ended with panda eyes. At some point, I even tempted to try NON-waterproof ones just to see the difference. Well, that was one of my worst experiments with makeup. Let’s just say that I was a walking raccoon even before I stepped out of the house!

Here are couple of mascara (base) that stand out for my type of lashes:

Shiseido The Makeup Lasting Lift Mascara
Pros: really waterproof, long lasting and “extends” lashes well, holds curls
Cons: almost impossible to remove

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Lengthening Mascara
Pros: lengthening lashes, less clump, small brush for tough corners
Cons: not really waterproof and needs a boost of a waterproof base

Anna Sui Super Mascara DX Long Lash
Pros: waterproof, adds dramatic length and some volume, holds up lashes well, easily removed
Cons: there are feathers and can be a problem for some, it’s scented

Chanel Inimitable Mascara
Pros: though not waterproof, it doesn’t smudge easily, flexible brush, adds good volume
Cons: doesn’t lengthen much and not as glossy, has lumps if applied more coats

Shiseido The Makeup Mascara Base
Pros: colour is gray so it’s easily covered by mascara, adds great volume and holds curls like no others
Cons: dries up fast both on lashes and in the tube, large brush thus difficult to use on small corners

Anna Sui Mascara Primer
Pros: small brushes, translucent pearl so it doesn’t show through the mascara, doesn’t dry up fast on lashes nor in the tube, holds up lashes well, create dramatic effect
Cons: hard to access, small tube, expensive

Chanel Mascara Base:
Pros: holds curls well, flexible brush, doesn’t dry up fast on lashes nor in the tube
Cons: can cause lumps, not as much drama, needs more coats of mascara to cover the colour

I will put up a review on my HG Mascara and Mascara Base later...