Melting mascara!

[TheDetective]

Help! I appear to have a real problem with mascara!

I have tried all the cheaper brands of mascara, including waterproof. All of them left black smudges under my eyes the second I got hot. Which is a lot admittedly. I am a very warm person, and I work in a very very warm environment.

I bought a Benefit mascara after nearly dying at the thought of paying almost £20 on bloody make up! 2 days ago after trying it out. It's done the same thing!

I am so bloody gutted. Feels like an utter waste of money. Okay so it gives me lovely long lashes, and is very easy to apply. But what is the point if I look like I have 2 bruised eyes. :(

What can I do?! Please help!

I've previously had samples from the more expensive brands (Dior, Guerlain and so on). So maybe it would be worth asking at the makeup counters if they have a sample you can have.

MAC waterproof mascaras are awful and smudge massively on me. I don't remember if some of the non-waterproof ones cause problems.
Guerlain maxi lash smudges within an hour of applying. Le 2 volume mascara (the one with a normal brush and a doe foot) from Guerlain is really good on me.
Clinique high lengths is very good too - and cheaper than Guerlain. La Roche-Posay have decent ones too.

How about getting your lashes tinted instead?

I have had them tinted in the past, for a holiday. They still needed mascara. :(

Perhaps I have shit lashes. Quite possible...! I am blonde - so are my lashes. They are long, but very thin. They are also very 'messy' so I find I need mascara in order to sort them out!

I will try the free sample thing, thank you! So Clinique might be my next step?

I also bought an estee lauder foundation at £28. Normally spend £7! The sample pot gives a better finish than the full sized product.

I had decided I should spend more on make up as I was fed up of it not lasting. Seems I need to spend even more! I cried at spending £50 on foundation and mascara!

You need max factor masterpiece water proof stuff, doesn't shift.

I know YSL Babydoll (expensive though!) does not smear. You can buy a sample on Ebay (if they're still around..there were lots on the other week when it launched). I paid about 8 quid for 2mls. I gave it to my mum and she said it lasts great :)

Ooh, ooh, Clinique high impact curling mascara! This is what you need! About £17 so not cheap but after years of suffering the same problem I can tell you this is the one! It doesn't smudge at all, as it is a "tubing" mascara so when you eventually take it off it comes off in kind of pieces. Some people don't like this but personally I don't give a stuff how if feels when removing it now that I have an end to the years of panda eyes!
Try it.