Question: “I’m doing my own hair and make-up for my Miss America locals and have taken several makeup lessons in order to get my pageant look right for competition. But I’m having trouble with my eyelashes. I’ve bought an expensive lash curler and have even bought expensive mascara but no matter what I do my lashes won’t stay curled. I even tried one of those heated lash curlers but burned off half my lashes on one eye. Do you have any suggestions? – Marquese S., Florida

Valerie’s Answer:

I’ve had this problem myself in the past and it took me a bit of trial and error to figure out the solution. Just like you I tried high-end lash curlers and mascara but it didn’t seem to make a difference. I have super long lashes but they’re absolutely stick straight and I definitely need to curl them. Here are the steps I now use to get perfectly curled lashes every time:

1. Start by curling your lashes at the base and squeeze the lash curler for a count of 10.

2. Next slide the lash curler halfway up your lashes and squeeze the lash curler again for a count of 10. This way you’ve established a solid, natural looking curl to your lashes.

3. Now here’s the key: apply waterproof mascara to your lashes. Regular mascara that can be removed with soap and water is formulated to release from the lash in water. So during the summer months when you’re typically exposed to the hot and humid temperatures of Florida your mascara is not going to adhere to the lash as well so it can’t lock in the curl. Waterproof mascara is gel based instead of water-based, which is why you need makeup remover to get it off, and it won’t react negatively to the heat and humidity. We have heat and humidity year-round here in Texas so I wear waterproof mascara every day!

4. If you want to use the “lock in your curl” abilities of waterproof mascara but have another favorite mascara you love to wear, that’s no problem. Just curl your lashes, apply a light base coat of waterproof mascara, allow that coat to fully dry and then add one or two layers of your favorite water-based mascara. The waterproof base coat will lock in that curl and you’ll get the advantages of both waterproof and regular mascara!

So go ahead and bat those beautiful lashes, Marquese! You’re going to look Pageant Fab at your next pageant!

Love and success,