posted
I often disagree with certain issues in OSC's columns, but not usually on the topic of makeup application.
However, this week, he asks and answers the question "Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?". He states his theories on the necessity of the Mascara Face (lift your eyebrows, open your mouth, half shut your eyes).
Well, I'd never heard of this, and I wear mascara most days. So I ran to the mirror and realised that I just lift my eyebrows and tip my head back a little bit when applying. I never open my mouth - don't need to, and it always turns out looking fine (I don‘t put it on very thickly - it‘s just that I have blonde eyelashes which make my face look bald).
So... A) Have I been doing it wrong all these years, and everyone else has been secretly sniggering 'look, that girl doesn't even know how to do the Mascara Face properly'?
B) About to discover that the Mascara Face is an urban myth, sightings of which are as rare as seeing a Yeti?
posted
I don't open my mouth when putting on mascara, either, but I've seen a lot of women who do. I think it has more to do with concentrating/holding your hand steady than anything it does to your eyes, some people open their mouth a little when they're carefully focused on a task that involved fine motor control.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I (male) pretended to put mascara on by closing my eye and stretching my face to give myself enough room to run my finger over my eyelid, and I found myself reflexively opening my mouth. Sometimes I'd just stretch my cheeks out vertically and purse my lips, though.
Did it strike anyone else as creepy to read a man analyzing this? Maybe (hopefully) OSC's wife or other female friends and relations told him about it?
Posts: 781 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I have no idea if I open my mouth or not - I rarely wear mascara.
I'll have to look next time.
However, I think it makes sense to do so if you trying to stretch out the skin a little to make sure you don't get mascara on your eyelid.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I do the mascara face. That and eyeliner are very tricky to do without making a smudge. The "face" helps pull the skin away from the eyes so that you can have better aim. It is impossible to put on mascara when you are smiling, for instance. The eyes go crinkly and the cheeks go up.
quote:In other words, you vertically stretch the skin around your eyes. To create the widest possible gap on top, you raise your eyebrows while lowering your upper eyelid. To create the widest possible gap on the bottom, you raise your lower eyelid (until your eyes are actually squinting), and you stretch the skin of your cheeks.
The only way to stretch the skin of your cheeks is to lower your jaw. And when you lower your jaw, your mouth naturally opens. (You can keep your lips together, but why bother?)
He gets it right, I think.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Hey, just to be clear, I wasn't trying to horn in on a women's thread. I really just wanted to say that I thought the idea of OSC writing about it was creepy. I was going to start a thread about this on the "OSC Discussions" forum, but then I saw this, and ...
Posts: 781 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I do the mascara face, and most of my housemates do, too. I think it depends on your bone structure, though. If I don't do "the face" there's no way to put on mascara without getting it all over my face. Other women may have more space between their eyes and their cheekbone/browbone (Or whatever you call that second one).
Posts: 368 | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
All of my roommates and I have to do the mascara face when we do our bottom lashes. It isn't as much an issue for the top lashes, and has everything to do with, as Tante suggests, pulling away the skin to avoid more smudging.
Tilting your head back is okay for the top lashes, but will most definitely make it harder to do the bottom lashes. For those we typically lean forward a little bit, again, to create more space between the lashes and our cheeks.
I think a lot of women don't realize that is why they are doing it, because it is more or less a reflex--you are really focused on a task and something is in the way so you instinctually move it out of the way.
I didn' realize I made the face until someone was watching me put on my makeup and I got self conscious.
Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
I noticed this morning, after reading the column. No open mouth, but head tilted up, half-closed eyes. I curl my eyelashes first, though, so that may affect the spacing issue. (Yeah, I'm high-maintenance like that.)
Posts: 834 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
I can do it without opening my mouth, but much easier less uncomfortalbe owtih my mouth open. Especially on bottom lashes which I try not to do since I already look like a baby doll.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I don't even try to wear mascara anymore, even though I think I look better with it on. After years of trying I finally gave up. No matter how smudgeproof, it smudges under my eyes. I guess I just have oily eyes!
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posted
My mom has been known to tell me my Mascara smudged to find out I just hadn't slept the night before.
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posted
I open my mouth and stretch my face around when I'm putting on foundation, but not mascara. Then again, with mascara I pretty much only do the tips of my top lashes, since my eyelashes are already stupid-long and curly, just with blonde tips. Lately, I've been using eyelash tinter instead of mascara.
posted
It's less-goopy stuff that just makes them a darker, or something (as opposed to SUPER VOLUME HIGH DEFINING CURLING MAXIMUM EXTREME or whatever other gimmick mascara the kids are buying nowadays). It's not nearly as sticky or messy; that's for sure. And it doesn't show up as bags under your eyes if you fall asleep without washing it off.
posted
favorite mascara: Very Black by Napoleon Perdis. It's one of those super ultra mega deluxe mascaras, but it lasts all day, and makes my lashes...well, super and ultra, etc. It also has a long shelf life for mascara, at least four or five months. Twenty two dollars, but totally worth it.
Yves St Laurent has a mascara in a gold tube that glides on like butter, and looks great. Still no match for Napoleon, but it felt niiiiiice.
Chi-chi mascaras that are not worth it: Fatty Mascara by Urban Decay. Big globby mess, Doesn't having stay power or shelf longevity. Nice packaging, though. Sucker---> me.
Bad Girl Lash is a little bit better, but peppers off during the day.
Non chi-chi: Maybelline's mascara with the mini wand is great for gals that have a hard time putting on mascara, especially for the lower lashes. Doesn't have a super great shelf life, but it's a tiny tube, anyway.
Almay had a great lengthening mascara that went on nice.
Currently using a CoverGirl mascara that more or less sucks.
Next week: Goodbye paycheck, hello newly fabulous lashes. It may be a little excessive but I received comments and compliments on my eyes and eyelashes EVERYDAY with the Napoleon stuff.
edit: I really like lash tints, too, ph. 'Specially in the summertime.
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