April 25, 2016

Yay or Nay: Waterproof Mascara

waterproof mascara

Do you love or hate waterproof mascara?

I have drier eyes so even in humid weather I never have issues with my mascara smearing or running. Hell, I can cry you a river and likely my non-waterproof mascara would stay in place.

But it’s funny because, I always buy waterproof mascara even though I can wear regular without any issues!

And I have no idea why I do that. I just tend to migrate towards a waterproof formula.

But either or is fine by me.

The only time I have a real issue with waterproof mascara would be the ones from Japan. Some Japanese waterproof mascaras are a b1tch to remove so I tend to stay away from them. But here in the US it isn’t an issue and I can easily swipe it off with an oil based eye makeup remover.

Are you a fan of waterproof mascara?

Is it a hit or a miss for you?

Do share!

40 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Cecilia

    I thought non-waterproof was fine, but then one day I biked home through the rain, went to pick up a pizza, and didn’t notice until I got home that my face was completely covered in huge black stains 🙁 Sticking to waterproof from now on!

  • Libby

    I always stick with waterproof mascara because I was luckily blessed with the shortest lashes that hold a curl for a total of 15 minutes! That and I suffer from seasonal allergies and “I touch my face a lot” syndrome 🙁

    I do have difficulties sometimes removing the mascara so honestly, sometimes I skip it entirely T__T

  • inatay02

    I only use waterproof. Yes its more of a pain to remove. I have naturally long lashes but they are straight as phuk! If I dont use waterproof my lashes are so straight you can’t even see that I have lashes even if I curl them before mascara. I’ll take the extra 2 minutes to remove my mascara if I can have curly flirty lashes!!!

  • Christina D.

    Big NAY! Waterproof mascara did major damage to my eyelashes. Fortunately, once I switched back to regular mascara, they grew back to normal. Lesson learned.

  • wingadings

    Only use waterproof mascara. I have *mostly* dry skin but my eyelids are not even if the skin around them is sensitive. If its not allergies its the actual sun- because though I’ve never been goth Ivan always been light sensitive and my tears will ruin EVERYTHING (not just my mascara, but my blush and foundation as well).

    Also, when I was doing physical labour mascara was one makeup item I could still utilize and not make myself feel guilty about. Lipstickjust didn’t cut it when I was busy lifting 50+ lbs boxes of electrical gear in a warehouse with no AC. So I did a ton of experiments with waterproof/sweatproof formulas.

    My favourite is still by far the Bourjois Paris Volume glamour MAX waterproof. I’d need days to sweat it off and the bonus is it doesn’t set off my sensitivities- and it doesn’t smell bad. I once tried some mascara that had olive oil in it (can’t remember the brand) but it stank even after it was dry! For hours afterwards all I could think was that I smelled horrid and everyone could smell me coming! Needless to say that tube went in the trash as soon as I got home.

  • dia

    Nay. I much prefer a waterproof topcoat like Bare Minerals Locked and Coated or Anastasia’s Lash Genius (which has sadly been discontinued) over my favorite mascaras.

  • Thiel

    Because of my schedule, I often end up taking naps in the middle of the day. Since I don’t want to have to take off all my makeup and then put it back on, but I also don’t want to wake up with black smears under my eyes, I usually go for waterproof. It does make it a bit harder to get off at the end of the day, but I don’t mind that too much.

  • Claire L

    I have to use waterproof as normal just smears after an hour on my oily lids. It’s OK as I don’t wear mascara everyday so there’s no damage to my lashes. I do hate that it takes a while to set and can be very messy until it’s set, then I clean up. My favourites at the moment that I use are Max Factor Masterpiece waterproof in black, it’s a good dark black but very messy until it sets, and Kiko Luxurious Lashes in black, it’s not as black but is less messy to use and lasts well.

  • blee

    Only on the bottom lashes if I have too. Its hard to get off but stills gets on my face. I guess that better that no lashes to put it on LOL 🙂

  • Z

    omg the Japanese waterproof mascara, I had tried Fasio, Heroine Make, Majolica Majorca…etc, while they make my lashes look amazing, they also removed half of my lashes by the end of the day lol, nothing removes them, not even good old oilve oil. Never again!

    • Isabella Muse

      lol likewise! It’s horrifying how much work it takes to get of Japanese mascara!

      • Jen

        Not to mention non-waterproof Japanese mascara is already made to last. I was there during the typhoon last year and the humidity was 85% for at least the following 8 days; the mascara did NOT budge. I’m oily AF too.

  • Joyce

    It’s a very necessary yay for me, Muse! My short, straight Asian lashes require waterproof formulas or else they’ll just droop down.

    But I’ve found that it depends from formula to formula. Some waterproof mascaras are still too heavy and droop my lashes down.

    Waterproof mascara is ALWAYS a pain to remove. Because I wear it almost everyday, I go through a lot of dual-phase remover, so I have to use drugstore removers (Bi-Facil is too expensive!). No matter how much product I use, I still have residual mascara on my lashes that don’t fully remove until my shower the following morning.

    But! I have found that using super duper jumbo cotton balls definitely helps! My mascara has been removing so much better since I switched to those pillowy monstrosities.

  • MaquiLab

    I hate waterproof mascaras – I always find them a hell to remove and my eyes suffer greatly 🙁 Not to mention that I feel the mascara itself on my eyes, as most waterproof ones are stiff to the touch!

  • Amy Guest

    I like to wear it when I go abroad so I can wear it to the beach, swimming etc. but I hate trying to get it off at the end of the day!

  • Heidi

    Nay for me. I’ve never found a formula I liked. If I could get one that would stay put but would come off after a few minutes of oil-based cleanser without me losing a bunch of lashes, I would, but I have never found that formula.

  • Rachel R.

    I’m allergic to almost all waterproof mascaras, so they’re a “no” for me most of the time. I can wear Almay’s waterproof formula, and that’s it.

  • Kharanya

    Waterproof all the way! My eyes starting leaking as soon as I leave my house (allergies) and don’t stop, so I wear waterproof everything. I always double cleanse (first with jojoba oil/castor oil mix, then with my cleanser) so removal is not an issue. I haven’t tried any waterproof Japanese mascaras luckily lol, that stuff sounds like you need paint thinners to take it off!.

  • Carolyn2

    Nay for me! I cry a lot so deal with raccoon eyes .

    Will keep waterproof on hand for funerals , sad things … But most part nay!

  • Katmary

    I normally wear regular as my lashes take a beating with waterproof, but I’m at the point that I need to search out a good one. My allergies have been so crazy that I don’t wear mascara half the time at this point or else I decide to wear it and end up wiping my eyes until most of it’s gone. I also have super-straight lashes that don’t hold a curl long, so time to start experimenting!

  • Dani

    I haaaate waterproof mascara. I don’t need the curl hold and I’ve never had issues with my mascara smearing or smudging, even when worn on my lower lashes, so it’s just not worth it to me considering how much of a pain it is to remove!

  • Amanda

    Definite yes on waterproof mascara. Regular mascara never holds a curl for me.

  • Zovesta

    I hate waterproof mascara. =( My eyelashes are so brittle that I have to space out when I wear mascara by weeks, or else they break. And waterproof mascara is 100x harder to remove. No bueno.

  • Yen

    Waterproof mascara is my life! I’ve always wanted to like regular mascara when I was younger, but one day I realized they make my Asian lashes straighter than they already are. I have to curl my lashes to even see them since they’re short AND point downwards. Regular formulas would undo my curl in under 1 minute and it killed me. The day I discovered waterproof mascara was the happiest day ever!

    As much as I love waterproof mascara, they are difficult to remove. Majority of the time I end up having to massage my lashes with remover after swiping with a cotton ball. Then, I follow up with a q-tip to remove mascara from my lash line and then wash my face.

    After a decade of using waterproof mascara, I can say that I have lost lashes along the way. This is the reason I don’t use mascara everyday anymore. I couldn’t live without it before, but now I like to give my lashes a break. Instead of mascara I would opt for really black eyeliner to hide my lashes.

  • Emmi

    I love using waterproof mascara. For me I find it’s less prone to smudging and glides onto my lashes with no issues. If I absolutely have to use a regular formula I picked up a waterproof topcoat from Hard Candy that should do the trick.

  • Shisha Birmingham

    Nay. Whatever they put in the mascara to make it waterproof bothers my eyes. I can’t handle my eyes being that uncomfortable so I stick to regular mascara.

  • Dora

    Just thinking that it was the time of year to switch to waterproof — after I came back yesterday from a slightly sweaty walk with my family and hello, racoon face! I should just use it year round since I tend to get smearing and flaking even when it’s not warm/humid but I like to try out different ones and was working my way through some sample/gifts. I don’t mind taking it off since I use an oil cleanser (DHC or Clinique Take the Day Off) and that seems to work fine.

  • Christy

    Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Super Water Proof is the only mascara I’ve found that will hold a curl on me, and it looks phenomenal! I do need an oil cleanser to remove it. It’s a Japanese one, and I order it on Amazon.

  • Chynna

    I used to hate waterproof mascara, but then I moved to a city where I often deal with 80% humidity in the summers and now I have to use waterproof or wind up in a restroom wondering what the hell happened to my face and why not one of my friends passed me a napkin and mentioned that I looked liked a demon with black wells for eyes.

  • eva

    I love waterproof mascara except when the formula is too harsh to take off and I start losing eyelashes I can’t afford to lose what I have left lol.

  • Lorrie

    I use waterproof mascara all the time. To hold the curl mostly. I don’t have problems with it. I use a dual phase type remover & saturate a cotton ball and go over my lashes gently & never lose lashes. In fact I had a year I didn’t wear it due to surgeries and my lashes were just as healthy. I’d suggest using more than you do now on remover, or a second go at it with a lot of remover to dissolve mascara to not lose lashes. I haven’t tried Asian waterproof, so even twice cleansing with eye makeup remover sounds like not enough from what I’ve been hearing. 🙂

  • Shana

    Waterproof Mascara.. I tend to have dry skin and eyes as well.. but I have super sensitive skin. I have not seasonal or outdoor allergies but a lot of allergies to chemicals and household product. If lysol will make me cough and hack and then my eyes will start to water! So due to this I need waterproof mascara. Although I think the Tarte Amazon Gifted Mascara seems to stay put pretty well even thought it is not waterproof. Maybe because of the clay?

    • Shana

      Also.. I do the wash face twice thing! Once a little bit of face wash and coconut oil to move my makeup and then with just face wash to wash! The coconut oil works wonders!!

  • Nina

    My eyes do tend to water easily so I’ve found that wearing waterproof is just a must for me on a daily basis. I also wear glasses, and when I didn’t wear waterproof mascara my lashes would always end up pointing downwards again a few hours. Wearing waterproof mascara helps my lashes stay curled throughout the day so I don’t think I would ever go back to wearing normal mascara.

  • Saiba

    I want to use non waterproof mascara but I can’t if I want a curl. My lashes just do not hold a curl without waterproof. No less than 15 minutes later after I curled and put on regular mascara they droop. And I can sit there and curl for a while and use a heated curler. Nope. Just won’t do it lol My lashes are just too straight and pointed downward I guess. So waterproof for me.

    But I hate removing it.

    ….Especially Japanese formulas.

    • Amanda

      I feel you. Anytime I use regular formula, I find I can literally sit and watch my eyelashes straighten out again. Waterproof is a pain in the butt to get off. I just sit holding a cotton pad with eye makeup remover on it on my eye for a minute or so