Thinking back to waterproof mascaras of yesteryear makes me wince and I have to be honest and say that I haven’t always been a fan. The first time I tried one I was 17, on holiday and trying to impress a fellow teenage holiday-goer by wearing makeup everywhere, including in the pool. It was such a pain to remove with my terrible cleanser that I had such sore eyes the next day. Honestly, I didn’t touch one again until I started attending weddings in my twenties and it became an absolute necessity.
Luckily, since my teens, the formulas of waterproof and water-resistant mascaras have drastically improved—as have the oil-based cleansers that we need to remove them effectively. Yes, the best waterproof mascaras at the moment offer the lift, length and volume of your favourite regular mascara, but with the promise that no matter what the weather conditions, your eye look will not be compensated. I’ve also found that waterproof mascaras tend to crumble less in hot conditions and mean that panda eyes are never an issue, so it’s become something of a go-to for me whenever I’m heading out for more than a quick shop.
