Mascara enhances your eyes and is a must have cosmetic makeup. The illusion of lash volume and length added to your eyelashes draws upward focus to your top eye lashes and anti ages you! Keep your mascara new. I like a classic shaped Mascara wand for mistake free application. The best mascara is new Mascara, whether it be Dior or Maybelline.

Mascara is a wonderful anti-ager and should definitely be applied to your top eye lashes. So you want the perfect lashes and the best-selling mascaras. You want your eye lashes to look long, thick, and defined. Do you buy Maybelline or CoverGirl? Or do you spend more and get mascara from Lancome, Estee Lauder, Sephora, or Mac? Keep reading for money saving tips on how to volumize, separate and maximize your eye lashes with these mascara tips and tricks.

How to Apply Mascara

Most of us should know how to apply mascara, after all we have been doing it for long enough. Make sure when you pull the mascara wand up and through the lashes that you wiggle slightly as you go. Especially at the base of the lashes, the mascara that gets deposited near the roots contribute greatly towards the illusion of longer eye lash length. Wiggling the wand also separates the lashes and is key for making them look more voluminous.

Some people finish off the mascara application step by closing their eyes and getting the very tips of the lashes. I skip that however. With my eyes open, a decent makeup mirror and two coats of mascara, I can get it on there effectively. I’m not finishing it off with my eyes shut because I don’t want that stuff to get onto the skin accidentally. I apply two coats, waiting for the first to set for a second then applying the second coat. Application of two coats of mascara waiting a moment in between coats for it to set, gives me the volume that I want.

Anti Aging Mascara

Having a double coat of mascara really helps anti age you by accentuating your eyes and eye color and secondarily de-accentuating surrounding aging flaws. For every day I usually only wear mascara on the top eye lashes but to dress up you can lightly hit the bottom lashes but only towards the outside corner of the eye! Generally speaking mascara on the upper lashes make you look younger but mascara going all the way across the bottom lashes can make you look older. You want an overall uplifting anti-gravity illusion to your face make up. Making your upper lashes go UP more with mascara helps achieve anti-aging, where as making your lower lashes go DOWN more drags your eyes down and works against you!

Waterproof mascaras are another gimmick in my mind. I suppose if you are going to be going on a swimming vacation you might want to try one for that. If you cry and have runny mascara issues that you may need it. If you have oily slippery skin make sure to use powder also, as any wet or oily skin near the eyes increases the propensity for the mascara to smear. Smeared mascara is catastrophically bad on a mature woman’s face. So much so, that I would avoid putting mascara on lower lids, where it can smear from so easily. Waterproof mascara has its purposes but I would forego it unless you are really sporty and must have it. The reason to avoid it is that it sticks onto your eyes more and you don’t want to rub your delicate eye skin trying to get it off! I know you can cry if you want to, but don’t for the sake of your mascara hehe.

Always have a spare mascara in your purse that you carry. During the day if you get tired and your makeup wears off having mascara can definitely help rejuvenite your looks and perk you up. All you generally need is a quick tough up but it definitely helps refresh your eyes to apply mascara to the top eyelashes.

Removing clumps from the Mascara

Most ladies would not want to bother with an eyelash comb (I know I wouldn’t) but the idea of the comb is to remove clumps. I for one, wouldn’t want my older sparser eye lashes yanked out by a wand comb! If you aren’t into an eye lash comb just remove clumps by checking the mascara wand before you apply the mascara. If there is too much mascara on the wand it might clump. You can wipe the wand on tissue to eliminate the blobs before you start. You can also gently twist the wand against the edge of the mascara bottle as you take it out to remove clumps too.

Some Mascara brands have different consistency of mascara from thick and goopy to watery and runny even. If you find yourself clumping and lumping it is smart to switch brands. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara is the #1 selling Mascara and it goes on thick. But that thickness can lead to clumping. Try a different brand. Wet n Wild Mascara is one of the cheapest on the market. The consistency of the Mascara is definitely thinner than Great Lash but at the same time, it goes on smooth and less clumpy. You have a choice of using a thick creamy Mascara that gives great coverage (and is more likely to clump because of it’s thickness) or cheaper Mascara that goes on thinner but needs two or three coats for the same final effect.

The Mascara Wand

I absolutely hate it when I get a clot of Mascara onto my face. If you are an older woman and this happens god forbid under your eyes it is even worse because it can destroy your concealer and foundation which hopefully you have applied perfectly (and don’t want it messed up). Did you know that some people do their eyes first before the rest of their makeup even to avoid this problem? They can clean up eye shadow and mascara mess before the rest of the makeup even goes on. Sounds like a decent idea but I really can’t relate because I like to do my eyes after my concealer and foundation is set and perfect. I find the eye makeup goes on better like that, at least for me.

Since there is no way I want to do eyemakeup first, I have to be neat when I go to do it. I’ve learned that the mascara wand is the major makeup mess up maker. The mascara wand is important. The thing about mascara is the consistency of the fluid and whether you like it thin or thick, and the wand size and shape. There are curved wands that try to act like replacements for the eyelash curlers. I’ve also seen wands with brushes on one side of them, and long and short wands.

Let’s keep it simple, a medium sized wand and a relatively new bottle of mascara is the best way to go. If the wand is too small it won’t grab enough width of the lashes to uniformly pull them out and enhance them prettily. If the wand is too long, then it increases the chance that you will accidently touch your skin with it and wreck your makeup. I also would not bother with a curved brush because a straight end wand is easier to not hit yourself with. If you are using a curved mascara wand for the purpose of curling lashes or giving them a curl, consider using an eyelash curler separately instead (I’ll do a separate beauty post on curling your eye lashes). The best mascara wand for an old lady to handle is the basic old school mascara wand. Medium length, straight, no brush, curve ball or gimmick, and wand bristles that get the job done. Go for the old school style because honestly it is easier to handle. With my bad eye sight I need something easy to handle that I am used to.

As I got older and am in my forties pushing towards fifties now, I stopped wearing mascara on my lower lashes altogether. Not only does that solve the problem of having smeared runny mascara, it makes me look younger. Under eyes are rife with aging signs, from gray bags, to wrinkles to sagging lower eye lids. Sagging lower eyelids are when you see a lot of white under the iris because the lower lid dips down due to gravity and aging. Not to mention, crows feet and wrinkles! I think mascara on the lower eye lid lashes draws attention to all these aging flaws and accentuates a downward illusion which is aging. If you are going to use any mascara at all on the lower lashes, then accent them very lightly, focusing mostly towards the outer corners only. This gives a cat eye effect. Again, avoid mascara on the lower lids or focus it towards the outer third of the lower eyelash. Keep it light and avoid looking like raggedy ann (or tammy faye baker in her her hay day).

A regular sized wand with no curves, brushes, or extra length is the safest bet. Mascara wand bristles vary from wand to wand so experiment with different mascaras to find an inexpensive brand that has the right fluid consistency, wand size and wand bristles. You want long luscious lashes that draw attention to your eyes but at the same time you don’t want clumps and errant mascara on your face.

The Best Mascara

A new bottle of mascara with a standard straight wand is the best mascara. I like Wet n Wild mascara in black because it’s inexpensive, goes on easily and has a good standard size wand. I do have to use two coats with it to get anywhere so it’s rather thin yet I like that because it doesn’t clump. Honestly speaking, if you want a thick mascara that goes on strong, Maybelline great lash mascara (pink bottle, green top) is the best for the price. Any of the drugstore brands are fine though, as long as they are replaced regularly. Fresh mascara is the best mascara. It’s more about it being newer than anything else.

My mother is one of those makeup gift with purchase junkies and she gets gift after gift with purchase. She has drawers of free gifts with purchase mascaras so I’ve tried a lot of them. Estee Lauder, Clinique, they are all actually pretty good. I recently got a free Almay one coat triple nourishing mascara free from her that worked fine too. Drugstore mascara works fine, just keep it fresh and replace often. Try a few different brands to get the wand size and thickness to suit your eyes.

Looking up the top five best mascaras I’ve seen it all reviewed on the net from the expensive ones Givenchy at a stunning $27.00 per bottle at Sephora, Lancome Fatale for $21.00, Lancome Hypnose $22.00, Dior Diorshow Mascara $27.50, Chanel Inimitable multi dimensional also $27.50. Great as the products may be, I can’t afford them. The Givenchy Phenomen mascara is a totally new mascara design that is actually a ball designed to grip the lashes, separate and thicken them. Weird! The Chanel Inimitable one shows a classically good size mascara with a standard brush with good bristles on it. The Chanel Inimatable is the wand I would try to match at the drug store! For slightly less expensive mascaras the Clarins wonder volume, Elizabeth Arden double density max volume and estee lauder magnascopic max volume mascaras are popular sellers.

As far as I am concerned, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara would have to be the best selling mascara hands down, and it is cheap. It is most likely the worlds best selling cosmetic product and since it’s been around since 1971 then by god it’s past muster. If I see a tube of it on sale at Rite Aid I would get it. Weirdly for me, I actually like Wet n Wild in some ways better because it is a thinner smooth consistency. With two coats my lashes look thick but like I don’t even have it on. If you can’t justify the cost of the high end mascara, try Maybelline or Wet N Wild. Use the Maybelline for more dramatic results. Use Wet n Wild for a natural look. Even with all the hype, I like Wet n Wild just fine!

What color Mascara should I Get?

I generally don’t bother with colored mascara, mascara primers, or anything else fancy or more expensive having to do with mascara. I would not bother with colored mascaras after the age of forty. Urban Decay Cosmetics has the Big Fatty Colored Mascara. The turquoise and navy hues are going to give your eyes a jolt but generally not in the way you would want it. If you are over forty, please stick to basic black mascara. Colors are either love it or leave it, and for our age bracket that means leave it ladies.

Mascara colors come in blackest black, very black, soft black, brownish black, dark brown, royal blue and clear. There is also mascara primer. I really wouldn’t waste my time on fancy mascara colors or clear coats or even primers. It just add money and steps to the makeup process. I like the blackest black. If that is too harsh, try looking for a thinner more fluid brand of black mascara which goes on lighter. If you are very fair and the black is still too harsh, then consider a softer black or darkish brown color. Most women do fine with black mascara. If you have oily skin or are prone to smearing and runny mascara look for waterproof versions.

Removing Mascara

Always wash mascara and makeup off when you go to sleep at night. I use Neutrogena Body Oil to get my makeup off because I don’t want to rub hard under my yes. If you are ending up with black under eyes after washing your mascara or taking a bath you definitely need to try a product like Neutrogena body oil or a more expensive makeup remover if you have to, to get it off. There is something to be said for washable hypoallergenic mascara and that is that it comes off when you really need it to! Don’t use waterproof mascara unless you have to because it is harder to remove and you don’t want to be harsh on your mature skin. If waterproof mascara makes you rip at your eyes to get it off then it’s not worth it – your eye skin is really delicate. Get a makeup remover or change brands to one that washes off easily! For mascara application mistakes, or if you poke your skin with the wand and get black on your face, keep Q-tips on hand which work great for spot mistake removal.

Should you apply mascara to your lower eye lashes?

I am not a fan of mascara on the lower lashes. Mascara on the upper lashes is the ultimate beauty secret however. It draws eye-ward attention upward in the desired direction and gives you an instant eye lift. If you curl the eyelashes slightly and put on your mascara nicely it subdues aging eyelids and creates a camouflage for the aging upper eyelid skin and upper eyelid dropping. It minimizes the bug eye look that aging eyes get plagued with because your lashes are in front of the lids distracting from their over sized droop.

Lower lash mascara on the other hand is a totally different story and in my opinion an instant bad ager. The mascara drags the lower lid even further downward. Attention is drawn right to the bad zone of under eye bags, wrinkles, crows feet, crepe like delicate skin, and drooping lower lids. Instead of covering the droopy lids it further creates the downward droop. I also think that too much mascara and lash separation on both the upper and lower lids can contribute to a crazy over made up lady look.

If your under eyes are aging well, the only thing I might do is a slight little touch of mascara, keeping it towards the outer corner of the eye. If it doesn’t drag your eyes down, a bit of enhancement towards the outer corners can accentuate a miniature cat eye look and counter balance strong evening mascara on the upper lids. So use mascara on the lower lashes sparingly, keep it towards the outside corners only, and use it primarily when counter balancing a fair amount of mascara on the top lids such as for an evening look.

How often to Replace Mascara

A common makeup tip is to avoid pumping the wand in and out of the Mascara because that dries out the Mascara too fast (Duh). Face it, to use the Mascara the wand has to go in and out and to use two coats of the Mascara the wand is going to go in and out twice. Rather than worry about pumping the wand, just replace the Mascara at least every few months. When you go to replace foundation, pressed powder or concealer, pick up a new mascara and throw the old out (or into your purse where it will really spoil quick and then throw it out).

Keep two mascaras handy, one in your makeup arsenal at home and one in your purse. You can rotate. When you buy new mascara replace your home mascara with the new one and relegate the current home one to the makeup bag in your purse. When you replace again, throw the one in your purse away since the heat and elements finish wrecking it anyways. Every few months move your home one to your purse (throwing the one in your purse away) and replace the home one with the brand new one. That way you are only spending money on one new mascara bottle every few months. Mascara can breed bacteria so don’t keep it around longer than a few months. If it’s not going on smooth anymore, get rid of it.

The best mascara is new Mascara, so replace your Mascara often. Out of all makeup products, Mascara should be replaced the most. Pressed powders and foundations tend to get used up quickly so when you go to replace those items, consider picking up a new Mascara bottle too. Every few months is a good replacement point for Mascara. Pumping the wand in and out of the Mascara bottle really pushes air into it and dries the fluid right out. Obviously you have to put the wand in and out to use it, so merely using it results in it getting old. Not closing the Mascara tightly can also contribute to it drying out. The second a Mascara dries out, it won’t go onto your eyelashes as smoothly. Not only that, the brush will get clumped and grungy.

How many coats of Mascara to Apply

If you want to get fancy with the mascara tricks, then you can mix mascaras. You can apply one coat of lengthening mascara followed by a coat of thickening mascara. You can even go so far as to use Mascara primer. Women who use the primer swear by it as the Mascara goes on more evenly and smooth. I’m not keen on the extra step of using a primer. If I had a choice between using a primer followed by a coat of thick creamy mascara, I would probably skip it and use a cheaper thinner consistency Mascara and apply two coats. In fact, that is exactly what I do.

If the Mascara is not too bulky and thick then two coats of it does wonders. I apply the first coat and let it set for a quick second. Then, I apply the second coat. For me, the two coats make my eyelashes thick yet they never look clumpy. If a Mascara is too clumpy I don’t like it. Two coats of Mascara is a great approximation to using a Mascara primer because it has a similar effect which is that lashes get separated and coated nicely.

How much should you pay for a good Mascara?

I really don’t think you should pay over $6 dollars for a tube of Mascara. Did you know that a tube of Mascara is sold every one or two seconds in the United States? Ha that is a lot of Mascara. In general I would recommend finding less expensive Mascara and replacing it more often, over paying a premium price for a high end Mascara brand. If you try a few drugstore versions of Mascara you should find one with the right color, thickness, consistency, and wand size just for you.

Once you find a Mascara that is inexpensive and works well, you are set and can start to save money. In my mind, the best Mascara is new Mascara, as the liquid inside has not had a chance to clump, dry out or get lumpy. Replacing the Mascara often is a way more important factor in the quality of the finished makeup look than what cosmetic particular brand makes made the Mascara.

Perfect mascara for mature eyes is shown in the photo at bottom left! Upper eye lashes lift the eyes and lower lashes aren't dragging eyes down! I like classic black mascara most