Do You Dare To Go Bare?

Are you a big mascara fan?

I used to be and would never leave the house without it, but over the years I've started to think it's more hassle than it's worth.  I naturally have very long lashes and I touch my eyes a lot because I wear glasses, so by the end of every day I end up having a second line of mascara flaked underneath my eyes.  Trust me when I say that this was not a good look.

I tried about a dozen different brands, and I had better luck with waterproof mascara, but I found it so hard to get off at night that I was basically rubbing my skin raw.  Again not a good look.  About a year ago, I gave up mascara completely, unless I was going out somewhere at night, and while I didn't miss the dark flakes or the red under eyes, I did miss the polish that it gave especially when I was out of my daily uniform of jeans and sneakers.  I had this great idea that I would just get my lashes tinted, but that was quickly quashed when I found out doing so was illegal in Massachusetts so I went in search of something new.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of eyeliner, one day I was getting ready to go out and I found an old stick in my bathroom drawer.  Just for fun I drew on a pretty thick line, just to see what it would look like without mascara, and you know what?  I loved it.  Since that day, whenever I am getting dressed up, I always sweep on a light shadow and follow it up with a thick sweep of liner.  It gives the illusion of dark lashes without any of the flaking or running and at the end of the day it is so much easier to get off.  Last summer I even experimented with colored liner (my favorite being blue) and I loved how fresh it looked without the heavy lash line around it.  Now, I get so many compliments when I am "done up" believe me when I say a little liner and some chap stick go a long way.  I've experimented with a few brands and thought I'd share my favorites with you.

When I am really looking for that va va voom effect my go to is definitely Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner.  This is one foolproof liner that really does stay all day.

Jouer Liquid Eyeliner in Charcoal is my absolute favorite for daily use.  It goes on easy, comes of without a lot of rubbing and the charcoal color is a little less intense than the black.  The slight shimmer is really illuminating, and really makes my blue eyes pop.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Chaos. This is just about the best blue there is, and I love the creamy finish and how easily it glides on.  Paired with a simple white dress, this is my go-to look for summer.

How about you?  Do you dare to go bare? I think from now on I'm just saying no when it comes to mascara.