Have you ever noticed how much more difficult it is to apply your mascara and eyeliner when the winter chill starts to set in? Your mascara might be just a little stiffer coming out of the tube which makes a clean application near impossible. Or perhaps your eyeliner is much harder than usual and doesn’t even seem to leave any color on your eye lid. It’s because the cold of winter can pose a few problems with makeup application, especially when it comes to eye makeup. I have a few makeup tips that I use on a regular basis that I hope will make your life a little easier.
The key to a smooth eyeliner application is to have it be the right temperature. It is so frustrating when eyeliner is too cold and hard and doesn’t seem to want to go on. The exciting thing is that each of us has a secret weapon; our bodies. Your body heat has just the right effect on your eye makeup to get it to the perfect temperature without over warming it. If you just stick your eyeliner right next to your hip letting the elastic on your pants hold it to your body, after a few minutes, it will be ready. I always do my hair while my eye liner warms up.
The same trick works for your mascara. If mascara is too cold when you are trying to apply it, it is often thick and too many of your lashes will stick together causing the “tarantula” look to your eyelashes. To avoid this problem, you can use the same technique as used with the eyeliner. Simply allow your body temperature to warm up the mascara. I find that the mascara usually takes just a little bit longer than the eyeliner to warm up so you’ll want to factor that into your time to get ready.
Curling your eyelashes is also an important step in many womens’ eye makeup routines. In the winter, your eyelash curler is often ice cold. I would recommend warming it up as well during the colder months. Just like your hair curling iron, your eyelash curler will work much better when it’s slightly heated. I sometimes use my body heat to warm my eyelash curler.
Sometimes I find myself in a rush. In these cases, I simply run my blow dryer over it for a few seconds to warm it up. If you use your blow dryer, be cautious not to heat it up too much. Your eye area is sensitive, so test the temperature of the curler with your finger. With these cold weather tips, you can still look great and create beautiful winter makeup looks.