The truth about eyelashes

[flexagon]

Heh, thanks everyone for the compliments on my legs. :) I've been interested lately in a few things that are, well, visual, which probably tied in to my photography choices. So let's keep it superficial here -- I want to ask about your eyelashes.

[Poll #1534801]

See, I have chaotic lashes. With that plus my light skin, I could never wear eyeliner -- I used to try, but it would make a dark line about 2mm away from the edge of my very pale eyelid and just look retarded. Then I learned a fantastic tip from someone over on silentq's blog... it's possible to use a tiny little angled brush, and dark powder, to tap color all the way down into the lash line. I accosted two very light blondes who wear a lot of eye makeup (not strangers, but not my bestest friends either) and dorkily asked them if they knew the secret of the angled brush, and they both said YES. So I got an angled brush last week and started practicing, and the results were very pleasing. When I've used the brush (and how accurate the term "face painting" suddenly seems), it looks a lot like I'm wearing mascara but is a lot less messy.

Still, all the eyeliner tutorials on YouTube refer to "the lash line". And they all show the angled brush brushing sideways above the tops of the lashes, which on me results only in That Dorky Look. The only way I've gotten this to work is to tap upwards with the brush, from under the lashes, where I can tap the powder past at least the lowest line of the thicket. None of this is important, but it does make me wonder if my lashes are remotely normal... luckily for me, LJ polls know everything. So vote, please.

Comments

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

I voted for the double line, but it's a little hard to tell right now because I have eyeliner and smudgy mascara right now (I snoozed on the sofa earlier). I like liquid waterproof eyeliner because otherwise my eyeliner tends to rub off on the crease of my eyes.

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Fascinating! I have the same problem with eyeliner that you do, never knew why. And I have also always had better luck with powder + angled brush from a visual perpective, but less so from a lasting wear/non-allergenic standpoint, so instead I just wear mascara.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

huh, i really can't tell! it seems like my lashes are more than one lash deep, maybe 2-3? but it's so dense that i can't figure out how to get a peek inside. however, i wouldn't call it chaotic. it's like the grass that would grow in a 1" sidewalk crack, scaled way down. i have never had any trouble with eyeliner. i also can't quite understand this tapping up business. but i guess i don't need to.

[flexagon]

Your analogy is a good one and makes me wonder if I asked the wrong question in my poll. Maybe the problem I have is more of having a wide "sidewalk crack" with pretty sparse growth in it, and uneven edges, rather than the number of rows of hairs there are.

Anyway, if you can use regular eyeliner on your upper lids with no problem, you win. And I win too, I just wish I had learned all this about 15 years ago.

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I know exactly what you mean. I discovered the wonders of using a brush this summer, but didn't even think about the tapping. I'm going to try that next time I attempt eye makeup.

Hey, I'm making what looks like pretty good progress on the pt exercises. I'm hoping to be back in circus action by June, but was thinking about going to Boston before that for a day trip or weekend. Got any particular weekends free in a month or so? I'm not sure I could do any circus, but I'd love to hang and maybe be a groupie an observer at one of your classes if that's allowed. I always learn a lot when I watch.

[flexagon]

OK, replies on this post are definitive: it's not just me! :D I really like the look I'm getting by tapping upward into the eyelashes. It's visibly eye-defining, but REALLY subtle -- since the color doesn't appear above my lashes, you can look where you'd usually see eyeliner and not see anything.

I'd love for you to come visit and observe something (maybe participate a little... just a LITTLE)? The only thing is, I don't usually have acro-type classes on weekends, they are all during the week. Z-dawg sometimes runs an open gym on Sunday, but it's not to be counted on. If it has to be weekend though, I think I could at least arrange a gathering of 3-4 friends at someone's house to do some acroyoga and hang out! Happy to take you the Fluevog store too, maybe walk down Newbury Street from there.

No plans on the calendar yet, so you get to pick when.

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

Cool! Hmm. There is always the possibility of taking a Friday or Monday off from work, so if you have any sorts of acro type things going on then, let me know.
Paritcipating: oh, I'd *love* to. But I realize just how not-strong I am right now. Not sure I could do much of anything. So far, I can only sit in a very light straddle, any bending forward pretty much rips my SI joint to shreds. Ugh.

Eyelashes/eyeliner: Wow, I just tried your trick this morning and holy cow! It looks fantastic! You're right, it's subtle, but *just right*. I had sort of thought I was going to have to deal with the line above the lashes, but your way is MUCH better! I also have a habit of touching my eyes probably more often than most people. Tapping it in means no smudging. :) Thanks so much for posting that!

[silentq.livejournal.com]

Huh, it's a bit chaotic on me too, and I'd mostly given up on wearing eyeliner since it tends to look weird. I think I also have a greater density of hairs on the quarter of my lids near the nose.