Annoying eye make-up problem

[emsiewill]

I don't know if anyone's going to be able to help me with this, as it's a fairly unusual problem...but I thought if anyone can, it will be the Mumsnet S&B goddesses!

I have a blocked tear duct in my right eye. Contrary to what you might think, this makes my eye water a lot. It varies (depends on temperature, what I'm doing etc), but it's pretty much watering for about 80% of the time I'm awake. I've seen a consultant about it, and it could be operated on, but because of the type of blockage, the operation would only have a 50% chance of working. My right eye is much stronger than my left eye, so I don't see the point of messing with my strong eye with only a 50% chance of making it better and a small chance of damaging my eye, leaving me with worse eyesight (I wouldn't be able to drive if I only had my left eye).

Anyway, to the point. I wear waterproof mascara, but it isn't really waterproof enough to resist an eye watering most of the time, so by the end of the day, I have barely any mascara on my right eye, and, weirdly, the mascara on my left eye is really smudgy. I basically look like Alex out of "A Clockwork Orange" (see pic). My eyelashes are very pale (I'm a ginger so generally pale), so without mascara, especially as I get older (I'm 45), I look old and tired. My eyelashes are also getting sparser, which doesn't help.

So, does anyone have any ideas? I've thought of dying my eyelashes, but as they are so sparse, would this actually work? Any ideas will be gratefully received.

I'd get them dyed and see what you think, couldn't be any worse than what you have to put up with. You can also get individual false lashes which would help, don't know how much it costs or how frequently you'd need to have them redone though. I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be along soon.

LVL lashes might be a good solution for you. look them up, it's basically a lash lift and tint. the only issue would be that you have to keep your lashes as dry as possible for the first 24 hours after you've had the treatment.

Thanks both. The LVL thing looks interesting, about £35 locally I think, and they say it lasts about 6 weeks. The big issue would be keeping my eye dry for 24 minutes, let alone 24 hours...

I realise this is a massively trivial thing but you can't imagine how annoying a constantly runny eye is. I wear glasses and the right lens looks like it is pebble-dashed most of the time. Delightful.

I also don't understand why it's my non runny eye that looks smudgy...strange.

An early evening bump

Have you tried tubing mascaras or just waterproof ones? A tubing one might last and when it comes off breaks into little bits instead of smudging.

I have dry eyes and they also cause watery eyes. The best result i've had is with blinc:

www.blincinc.com/uk/mascara-amplified.html?___store=uk_en

which is a tube one. Although you only need warm water and a cotton wool pad to remove it, somehow it seems to cope well with watery eyes. I think you can only get it online and it is on the pricey side, but I have tried just about every mascara going on the high street and this is the best I've found. And a tube lasts for absolutely ages. I think my present one has been going nearly a year. Hope you find something.

I had a very similar problem although less severe and my duct was blocked I think due to my eyeshadow - I switched to cream eyeshadow and it's stopped! Are you wearing eyeshadow or just mascara? Have you tried different brands? Otherwise I'd give dying them a go..do you think falsies would stay put or would the watering just water off the glue?

I also have eyes that are very prone to watering but having changed eyeshadow and eyeliner, they are much less so ,so would agree with Creme.

I also use tubing mascara - eg Clinique 'lash power' - it's is fine but doesn't give you much if you are after one that provides lengthening. I've recently swapped to Blink Amplifying tubing mascara as someone else also recommended. You can buy it off Amazon from the States..mine came in a matter of a few days. It is great!

Tubing mascara sounds like it might provide an answer, although having read some reviews of various different ones I can see that they don't necessarily provide the lengthening / volumising I would normally look for. However, they certainly sound better than standard waterproof mascara so I will give one a go.

The consultant didn't say anything about make-up causing the blockage; he said it was probably due to scarring from a previous infection.

I don't wear anything else other than mascara. I think I would look even stranger by the end of the day with one fully made up eye & one with none on. But I really feel bare and old without mascara. Just to be clear, I have plenty of days where I wear no mascara & the watering is no different.

Thanks for all of the info

Don't know about falsies. I don't think I could do them myself (very shortsighted without my glasses on & can't see properly out of my left eye). But they might be a nice idea for a special occasion if I got someone else to do it for me.

Perhaps I should just give up & accept the old hag look is what's down for me from now on.

It might be worth asking about the op again - my mums tear ducts had scarred together due to her lifelong awful hayfever, and though one side was able to be unblocked by dilation, the other didn't. They then drilled through from the duct to her nose, which has worked perfectly ever since

It's a couple of years since I saw the consultant and I imagine it would take at least a year for me.to get to see him again, so maybe I should start the process as they may have come up with new options for the op.

Although in my current role I don't get paid if I'm not at work so don't know if I could afford to take the time off to have the op

Apply mascara only on your upper eyelashes. Try it. You'll see that you don't really need mascara in the lower eyelashes.

I have the same problem OP, only it's my left eye that constantly streams.

Diorshow waterproof mascara is the only thing that stays put.

Tried tubing ones, but they come off as they are designed to be removed with warm water, which is what my tears are made of.

It's such a pain isn't it? Sounds so trivial to other people I'm sure but really really annoying now after 6 years. I find it makes my nose run more as well so I'm always well armed with tissues and panic if I don't have a full pack in my bag.

Interesting what you say about your tears washing the tubing mascara off. I thought you needed water and rubbing to get it off. That's what all the blurb says anyway...

I've never put mascara on my bottom lashes in my life btw.

To add to my weirdness, my tears actually go upwards so my eyelids end up sticky and sore

Hmmm that doesn't sound nice. At least mine just roll constantly down my cheek.

I'm like one of those pictures of a sad clown with the tear rolling down their cheek.

I have had this problem with both eyes since having chemo last year, atm I use ELF eye primer, bare minerals foundation powder, then Avon's glimmerstick to tightline above and below my lashes, sometimes I add concealer on top of primer too if really want it cemented on - can't use mascara as my eyelashes haven't grown back but I used to use Lidls waterproof mascara when I had hayfevery watery eyes. I also cycle lots and whilst it doesn't survive it completely intact, it survives enough to make me look like vaguely human!

The blinc one won't come off just with water. It comes of really easily but with a warm, damp cotton pad which you sort of 'pull'' downwards so the tubes come off your lashes iykwim. It didn't used to give any length or volume but then they brought the amplified one out and you can build that one up.

Well I've bought the Superdrug own brand version of the tube mascara. It promises length & volume as well as tubes, so we will wait & see how it works out. It was £10 so it had better be halfway decent.