Steer Clear of These Mascara Errors That Can Age Your Appearance

Before mascara comes the step most of us skip but shouldn’t. Your first port of call should always be an eyelash curler, or as Charlotte Tilbury aptly puts it, the “push-up bra for your lashes.” It’s a small step with an outsized effect. As Hernandez advised, “Curl the lashes if your lashes are straight and flat. This can make the eyes appear less open and tired.

It’s true: a few well-placed pumps at the lash line can instantly lift and open the eye, creating the illusion of wide, more youthful features. And that’s before a single coat of mascara even enters the picture. Hernandez recommended starting at the base of the lashes in small, careful motions.

It’s easy to assume more mascara equals more impact. Sometimes that’s true, but not always in the way we want. As lashes age, they tend to thin and lose their natural lift. Piling on product to compensate can backfire, leaving lashes clumped together in stiff, spidery shapes that pull the eye downwards rather than opening it up. “Whereas this may have been a look we loved when we were younger, says celebrity makeup artist Caroline Hernandez, “this unnatural style of lash can be heavy and weigh down your eyes, making them appear smaller and more tired.”

Clumpy lashes also draws attention to the one area we’d rather distract from. As Hernandez warns, “the very heavy lash can highlight fine lines around the eyes, and makes your lashes look heavy, rather than wide-eyed, light and fluffy.”

Luckily, renowned makeup artist Wayne Goss has a simple technique for avoiding clumps. “Take it from the root with no pressure,” he advised in a YouTube tutorial, guiding viewers through a soft, upward sweep. “Be really kind, really delicate,” he stressed, repeating the mantra: “pull up, and no pressure.” For extra separation, he suggested using the tip of the wand, finishing with what he calls “a beautiful upward motion” — a far more flattering approach than the usual zigzag, which, he warned, tends to build unnecessary thickness.

This next tip involves a cardinal beauty sin that most of us are guilty of: keeping mascara far past its prime. “Unfortunately, mascara doesn’t have a long shelf life once you start using it,” warned Hernandez, who strongly recommends replacing it every three months. “As this is around the eye area,” she added, “there is possible repeated microbial exposure from mascara, which can lead to eye infections.” It’s a reminder of the dangerous reason not to use expired makeup — especially near such a sensitive part of the face. 

And whilst the hygiene risk is, without question, reason enough to toss that old tube, there’s also the issue of performance. As mascara driest out, it becomes more likely to clump and flake. You won’t achieve that gentle, defined finish from a formula that’s stiff and stale. “Replacing the mascara every three months,” she said, “means your mascara won’t dry out and therefore be more flattering.”

You wouldn’t wear the same contact lens for months on end, so why hang on to that crusty mascara? Consider this your friendly reminder to let it go. Your lashes (and infection-free eyes) will thank you.

One of the most common mascara mistakes, particular with mature skin, is applying too much product in a single go. It’s an easy habit to fall into when you’re trying to add definition, but the result can be the opposite of what you intended. “If you have dark shadow under the eyes,” says Hernandez, “heavy mascara, particularly dry mascara, can emphasize dark circles, any fine lines, or puffiness by drawing attention to this area.”

The best eye makeup tips for enhancing the beauty of mature skin rarely involve piling product on. A densely coated lash line can bulk visual weight where you want lightness. A more minimal approach, with fresher formulas and a more natural finish, is often far more forgiving. Focus on precision through a single clean coat, combed through and fanned outwards.

Finally, your blackest black mascara shade might be casting shadows — which can especially exacerbate eyes that are already contending with other factors. A gentler approach can, often, be more effective. To heed the final words of celebrity makeup artist Caroline Hernandez, switching to a darker brown might be a better option, because “the definition will still be achieved, with a slightly softer finish.

Switching from black to another color is one of those makeup tricks that will highlight your eye color for a standout stare without overwhelming — a minimum-effort tweak with a maximum payoff. Hernandez suggests L’Oréal Paris’ Paradise Big Deal for a solid high street option, but for added volume that stays light on the lashes, she turns to Urban Decay’s Perversion. “For a splurge,” she divulges, Chantecaille’s Faux Cils “contains a lash-growing peptide, so this acts as mascara and lash care at the same time.” Just be sure to wiggle wand into the roots for full effect. If you’re curious about colored mascara to try for every eye shade, now’s the time. Even just stepping down a notch from jet black can lift the whole face.