Written by Kelly Tick
Q. Why am I getting black stuff under the eye even when I’m not wearing eye liner or mascara on the bottom?
A. Black stuff under the eye (when unintended) is annoying. In fact, it ranks right up there in the top most annoying things having to do with makeup. Black stuff under the eye can be caused by several things.
You are not wearing eyeliner on the bottom (yay! brightens the eye, keeping us more fresh looking) and you don’t wear mascara on the bottom, so that means your upstairs eye makeup is falling.
Put on your your moisturizer, then your eye cream and you let them both soak in. A primer might help at this step, it locks in the moisturizers and gives the makeup something to stick to. I love Benifit’s “that gal” brightening face primer. You put primer wherever you are going to put any foundation or concealer.
Your foundation, goes on first then your concealer, and blend, and blend. What I recommend at this point is taking a fluffy ponytail brush and dust on the slightest little bit of translucent powder or secret brightening powder by Laura Mercier, right under your lower lash line, but NOT any farther (one wouldn’t want the powder to settle into any, ah-hem, fine lines). This will help keep your eyes smudge free. You can also use the powder on chin, nose and forehead to reduce shine.
Make sure your upstairs mascara is fresh; old crusty mascara will start to flake and small flakes will end up on your lower lid and start the smudgy sludge. No one wants that. Mascara should be used no longer than three months.
Okay, not to sound like your mom but…. Don’t touch your face! Hands down, face touching is the worst thing ever for makeup! Your eyes will smudge your cheeks will disappear, your pimples will reappear. Hands must stay below the jaw. It’ll keep you stay healthier too. If you’re not touching your face you can’t bring the germs from your hands up to your nose, mouth and eyes.
Lastly, you just have to make a point to take a look in the mirror every couple of hours or so and clean the area up, even if the above tricks work. Keep in mind that makeup is not an art that remains beautiful without attention all day.
Generally speaking, the skin turns over new cells on the face every four hours. That means by the end of every four hour period your makeup needs attention. It’s a good idea to check your face to check for other things anyway (eye boogers, cave dwellers, spinach in teeth etc.)
I hope this helps. Remember: primer, foundation, conceal, light powder, no touching!
Kelly Tick is a freelance makeup artist in Charleston, South Carolina. She worked for years as a makeup artist at Saks Fifth Avenue and is specifically trained by Yves Saint Laurent Cosmetics and Clarins of Paris. She believes that simple techniques and excellent products can transform a person.