If your eyes are the window to your soul, and eyebrows are frames for your eyes, then good 'window dressings' in form of mascara and brow products are a must to show them in their best light, don't you think?
If I could only pick four makeup items to use before I head out door, mascara and a brow product would definitely be two of them. Just a few sweeps of mascara after curling my lashes (a very important step!), but it makes the biggest difference to
your face. If you're wondering, concealer and blush would be my other two items, my dark circles would scare any child I might bump into at school drop off, and blush just makes your face look fresher and more alive; but that is a story for another day.
Back to mascaras, my favourite kind of mascaras are of the 'tubing' variety, and there are many reasons for that. Instead of the
traditional oils and waxes used in mascaras, tubing formulas use a
flexible polymer that goes on slightly wetter than regular versions, and when it dries, it shrink-wraps around each lash, creating a "tube" around them so that the lashes are smooth and well-coated. As more of the polymer is brushed on, the tube
builds up and out, as if it is stretching out the lashes, but with a precise, pristine finish.
But most importantly, I love 'tubing mascaras' because not only does the
emulsion create a smooth, shiny surface, but it’s also water soluble, so
while normal sweat and tears won’t disturb it, several splashes of warm water
will cause the tubes to swell and loosen their grip on lashes, easily
rinsing off. That means they are smudge-proof (no panda eyes here please), great for days I wear contact lenses, and last through rain, sweat, humidity and tears, BUT are easy to remove. No smudging on my eyes when washing my face, I can actually see the mascara washing off, and see my lashes in its natural state after, without needing makeup-remover.
I also love an arched wand, just to hold a curl that bit extra after using an eyelash curler. C
linique's High Impact Curling mascara's arched wand in particular, scoops up, and lifts up every last lash. Smudge, flake,
smear-resistant for up to 24 eye-opening hours, and is then easily removed with warm water (39 degrees being the ideal temperature, I've been told). The High Impact range of mascara is designed to kick up the volume and length of each and every lash with pure, deep colour for added impact, giving lashes instant volume and length. It comes in its
original version, as well as
waterproof,
extra volume and
curling, and I love them all (in black - 'Curling' being my favourite for reasons outlined above). The waterproof version is great for when a reliable, waterproof mascara is essential, such as weddings, rainy days, swimming, sports and humid climates. Also, the formula is good for those who find that non-waterproof mascaras don't hold the curl.
I have spoken
previously about my need to fill in my brows (which I sadly over-tweezed in the 90's), and have since discovered
Clinique’s Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse. It is a 24-hour-wear
light-wear cream gel that tints, tames, and fills-in
brows with natural-looking
color for
thicker, fuller brows. I love that with the little applicator brush I can do so much and do away with having to use lots of different products to achieve the same effect (but can still also use pencil and/or brow powder if I want a little extra). I use it in black/brown, but it comes in four different shades, that would suit blondes, redheads and brunettes alike.
I use the side of the wand to sweep through brows from tail to front, brushing in an upwards motion, then giving it a slight horizontal flick at the end to smooth over the edges, then very gently use the tip to put some more product in sparse spots, and brushing through again.
My fabulous 'window dressings':
I'd love to hear which are your favourite mascara and eyebrow products you use?
This post was created in collaboration with Clinique Australia.
All images taken by me.
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