Wearing contacts can complicate your makeup routine a bit, but if you follow a few simple rules on how to apply eye makeup with contact lenses you can get the right look and avoid any problems.
Makeup with Contacts: Before or After?
Each decision has many supporters and can have both good and bad consequences. Most women who wear contacts prefer putting the contacts on before. This does restrict your choices a bit, but it’s safest for both the contact lenses and your eyes. Putting the lenses on after you’re finished with the makeup increases the risk of damage to the contact lenses and can also cause smudging to your finished makeup.
Since you’re already exposing your eyes to the contacts fluid, you should minimize any risk by using non-allergenic makeup. If small specks of makeup get into your eyes, they’ll be less harmful to both your eye and the contact.
Makeup with Contacts: Eyeshadow
When you want to apply eyeshadow after you’ve put on your contact lenses, you should use cream eye shadow, specifically water-based products, that are less irritant to your eyes than oil-based ones. Powder eyeshadow has a higher risk of getting onto your contact lenses.
If you do decide to apply eye makeup in powder form, keep your eye completely closed during the application and use a finger to press the lashes on your cheek.
Makeup with Contacts: Eyeliner
If eyeliner applied under your lashes is a must for your look, don’t ever do it with contacts on. In both situations, whether you put on your contacts before or after makeup, it’s safer to apply eyeliner above the eyelashes, ensuring it won’t get into your eyes, where it can irritate them and damage your contacts.
Makeup with Contacts: Mascara
Once you start wearing contacts, avoid mascaras with lash-building fibers, since they “shed” a lot more particles. You shouldn’t apply mascara at the bottom of your eyelashes anymore, start from the middle of your eyelashes and apply upwards to the tips.
Wearing makeup with contacts can lead to a higher risk of eye infections if you don’t follow these simple rules. To avoid any problems, use the right makeup products the correct way and don’t hang on to products too long: change them every 3 to 4 months.
Even if you’re familiar with all the tips to apply eye makeup with contact lenses, don’t forget to remove it the right way too. Get the contacts out first, then use the eye makeup remover.
