Making waterline eyeliner / lower lash mascara stay put?

[Chlobalt]

Hi there BIC! I'm wondering if y'all can help me with a problem I've been having...whenever I try to use eyeliner on my waterline (top or bottom, but especially bottom), OR put mascara on my lower lashes, it always ends up flaking on to my lower lid and creating a sort of "raccoon eye."

I've tried everything—waterproof liners/mascaras, mascara primers, setting powder on my under-eye (I always set my concealer anyhow), and I don't even have oily skin (my skin is usually normal-dry), but nothing ever seems to work. The only liner that I could even tell had ever been on my waterline after about 2-3 hours was the Marc Jacobs one, but even so there was only about 15% left so barely any of it hung on (compared to 0-5% for all other liners though, it was still better). Even when the makeup was professionally applied, nothing on my waterline or lower lashes ever lasted more than 4 hours at very most.

Would anyone happen to have tips? If it helps, the primer I currently use is Smashbox's (and does anyone know if there's a mascara topcoat of some sort?)

[torymalt]

Have you tried setting the liner with a same coloured shadow? I personally like to set my waterlines with a creamier shadow, this way the product still remains comfortable during wear.

[Chlobalt]

Ooh, haven't tried that, thanks for the tip! Will be sure to test it out 🙂

[Chlobalt]

Update: hey everyone! I browsed the forums a bit and saw some people recommending tubing mascaras; I don't think I've ever tried one before and they look pretty promising—can anyone speak to their experience with these?

KEVYN AUCOIN - The Volume Mascara

Blinc Original Tubing Mascara Black

I also saw the Make Up For Ever Aqual Seal recommended for waterproofing waterline eyeliner; has anyone tried that (and does it work well for sensitive eyes)?

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Seal 0.4 oz/ 11 g

Do you guys ever use a primer for your waterline?

[SuzieQJ]

Hi @Chlobalt,

 I use the Mac 24 hour concealer, however I have never had the problem you are having, I have noticed that you really need a great mascara and mascara primer if you want good results & I would trust their eyeliner as well, I would never have tried it except my friend is a beautician and she got me onto the best, after trying many, many, many poor Mascara’s.

 I use the Lancôme CILS Mascara primer - you need to try to start at the base and work your way up, (or down in your case), then choose the right Lancôme Mascara that is geared for what you want (volume, length whatever), I would recommend them all above any else.  I personally don’t usually use a Lancôme pencil liner, but when I have, they are literally amazing, (I’m just not really using many pencil liners these days), however I have recently tried a Marc Jacobs one and I do like it too, the Lancôme one will be a world of difference, you should see how that baby goes on. 

The best advice I can give you is to try to get (or even try for free at a Mac store the 24 hour concealer, set it), try to find a Lancôme mascara set that either includes a CILS primer, as well a Lancôme set of different mascaras, you could even get a gift with purchase straight off the Lancôme site, if not, even here on Sephora, there is a Lancôme mascara, Lancôme mascara primer, Lancôme eyeliner & makeup remover set as well there is a set with many different Lancôme Mascaras to try.  I would literally be able to use any Lancôme Mascara, they are just that good, don’t forget the Lancôme CILS Mascara primer, you won’t believe it!  No way will your mascara come off if you use the Lancôme mascara primer and Lancôme mascara, no way!

I hope this helps, look around, you should be able to get low cost sets, I never have to buy the CILS Lancôme mascara primer, I always get them free with other Lancôme purchases.

❤️‘S, SuzieQ.

[Chlobalt]

Hey there! Thanks for the product recommendations; I've actually tried Lancome's mascaras before and while it did wonders in terms of volume and length it also flaked like hell for me. That said, I haven't yet tried it with primer, so that'll be something I'll look into! I have tried fiber mascaras which seem to work slightly better but don't get rid of the problem entirely.

[Fortyniner49]

Makeup forever waterproof mascara and Milk makeup's new gel liner are fantastic and solved the problem for me.....when done makeup close your eyes and spray urban decay all nighter spray. Also make sure your eye cream isn't the problem, it might be too oily. Hope that helps!

[Chlobalt]

@Fortyniner49 Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to take a look at those products! 🙂

I usually use oil-free products because (oddly enough, even though I have normal-dry skin and almost no acne naturally) I break out easily from products that contain oil; I will check my eye cream though it doesn't feel very oily. To be honest, I have a very dry under-eye area even after eye cream if anything.

Question: I only apply eye cream by patting along the orbital bone (like I was taught by Sephora staff, so that it absorbs upwards) and so physically it goes nowhere near my lash line; is it still possible for an eye cream to affect the staying power of makeup on or near the lower lash line? Even if that probably isn't the issue for me, it'd be a good piece of advice to know in case one of my friends runs into the same problem!

[Fortyniner49]

@Chlobalt

Yes absolutely! If an eye cream doesn't get absorbed well it can definitely interfere with your makeup, that's why it's important to use a small amount and let it absorb before applying makeup  😊

[Chlobalt]

@Fortyniner49 thanks! Looks like that's not the problem for me then, will keep looking 🙂

[gonerogue]

@Chlobalt Are you in a high humidity area? I feel like the only time I struggled with keeping my mascara and eyeliner on without looking like a raccoon was in Mexico with the high humidity. Despite using waterproof products, I still got major transfer on my upper and lower lids so my solution was to just not use anything on my lower lids. I know it's not much of a solution but if you are using setting powders, sprays, waterproof makeup and still have these issues, then I'm not sure what products might work for you.

[Chlobalt]

@gonerogue Nope, unfortunately I actually live in a super dry area (Northern California) and I go to college on the East Coast in a place where it's wintery and dry most of the year as well 😞 I do visit Taiwan in the summer which is a hot, humid, marine-tropical mess but oddly enough don't experience any more of a problem keeping makeup on (on the lashes or waterline anyways)