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What eye products do you find unnecessary in your routine?

False lashes, not because I don’t like them but because I suck at applying them. I don’t use eyeshadow primer that frequently, but if I was a normal consumer, I would use it daily.

— Christine

55 Comments

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kjh Avatar

Lashes. Mine are adequate without. Brow products: idk why lashes can be fine and brows not at all. Invisible blond, sparse, could go on but won’t. Many docs think I have ‘thyroid brows.’ Not coping or learning at my age. Pretend they don’t exist/cover them with glasses frames, when I can wear glasses. Primer, under or over, is a sometimes thing. Don’t always do all the classic steps in eye m/u, either.

Nicole D Avatar

kjh, I said to my Endo who told me the same thing seven years ago, that he should take down his MD diploma and go into landscaping. And now my brows are full again and with long tails.
If I may ask and it’s not too intrusive, do you have low hypo function caused by autoimmune Hashimoto’s or low thyroid without anti-TPO antibodies?

Carolann Avatar

I don’t use brow tinting/filling products nor do I use mascara. I have full brows and long lashes and find these products are not really necessary for me.

pamela Avatar

I almost never buy a shadow palettes. I’ve never seen a palette that had more than two or three colors in it that I would actually use. I’m fine buying eyeshadow singles

Carla Avatar

Pamela said, “I’ve never seen a palette that had more than two or three colors in it that I would actually use. I’m fine buying eyeshadow singles.”
I could not possibly agree more!
The trouble is, single eyeshadows can be hard to come by, in the Age of the Palette, especially since I quit buying MAC.
Thank Heaven for NYX, Inglot, Kiko, and Coastal Scents.

Mariella Avatar

False lashes here too. In fact, I find that so many people really, REALLY overdo them to the point where they’re not flattering at all, look very artificial and also seem to drag the eye downward. Mascara, most of the time and also the whole mishegoss of curling my lashes – too easy to do myself an injury! I’m sure there’s more that I’ll only think of when I see others’ lists.

Agona Avatar

Pencil eyeliner. I use liquid and while I’d love to augment with a pencil on my upper inner rim, I have yet to find one that doesn’t smudge in me.

Carla Avatar

Not many – I usually do a “full job” on my eyes, featuring eyeshadow primer, undereye concealer, lash primer, [gel] eyeliner, brow powder, three shades of [matte neutral] eyeshadow, a lash curler, a corner-lash curler, and two types of mascara.
What I *don’t* use: false lashes, pencil eyeliner

Rachel C. Avatar

I agree, false lashes are unnecessary for me. Also, l don’t use liquid liner. I prefer a pencil liner for everyday looks. If I want a very precise line(which is rare) I use an angled brush and gel liner.

Shannon. N Avatar

Liquid eye liner! I have severely hooded upturned almond eyes

my hooded eyes are due to my race, so my one hood starts in the inner corner, and the other eye has a partial monolid. So winged liner doesn’t really look “good”. Also since my eyes naturally turn upwards I don’t need the winged liner to give a lift to them.

Also, lash primers! I like them when i have a sample of them. But I have never gone out and specifically bought one!

Carla Avatar

SusanG, I hear you, if you mean that you have straight, curl-resistant lashes.
I have that type of lashes, but I’m intent on making the little stinkers curl.
To that end I use a “normal” lash curler, then a heated one and a little “corner curler” thing like this:
http://tinyurl.com/y72l8t93
Back to what I don’t use in my eye makeup routine: cream eyeshadow
I have very oily skin, and cream really tends to crease on me.

Wednesday Avatar

Eyes:
False lashes – I have lash extensions
Mascara – same reason and I actually have great lower lashes
Black liquid liner – I rarely have the patience for a winger liner and I have hooded eyes and it’s more trouble that it’s worth. I don’t suit it.
Primer – I swirl a bit of concealer over lid instead

Brows: bring it on. I’ve managed to limp along and coax some brow growth, but I still have barely any tails to speak of. I have these crazy long brows in the mid portion which brush into the tail area and practically glue in place and then feather into some fake hairs with a thin marker style pen. I’ve been contemplating microblading, but holding off until I figure out what colour my hair is going to be when I finish my gradual lifting process.

Tracey E. Avatar

Eyeshadow glue. When I see it mentioned to help control fallout, I’m no longer interested in the product. I haven’t had the want/need for false lashes.

Another Deb Avatar

Eyeliner. Applied normally, just above the lashes, I’m just not happy with the look; there’s too much skin between my eyeliner and my eye. I love the way tightlining looks but my eyes are really sensitive and they get red and watery. Upper waterline looks good but also irritates my eyes, of course. I don’t put anything on my lower lids because of shadows and dark circles under my eyes. So… unless it’s a special occasion and I have time to let my eyes settle down after tightlining, I just skip eyeliner.

kellly Avatar

Definitely no false lashes, no primer (but I do use concealer on most of my eye area including the lids and it works just fine), no eyeliner and no color on my brow bone. I have deep set eyes and color on my brow bone would make my eyes look skeletal.

Silvia Avatar

Fake eyelashes and liquid eyeliners. False eyelashes I would like to experiment with adding a single few but find it too much hassle won’t even attempt. The exaggerated ones I do not like better left for drag queens. Eyelash primers no way. Avoiding using primers at all more gunk and needless stuff on face. No.

Helene Avatar

I must confess I need it all, not everything at once and not every day. But when I read through what other’s had said I found one I don’t need, don’t use, never have and hopefully never will, eyebrow stencils. Thank you susan for mentioning something I actually own (got some in an ABH everything for brows package thingy years ago) but have no use for.

Carla Avatar

I’ve never used eyebrow stencils, either, and have no plans to start.
I’m fortunate enough to have brows that have a nice natural shape; as long as I tweeze “stragglers” maybe twice a year or so, and fill in sparse spots using a small angle brush and matte brown eyeshadow, I’m fine.
Something else I refuse to use: bright eyeshadow or liner
I have bright green eyes, and bright blues, greens, pinks, etc. tend to “wash out” my eye color, making it less striking, instead of more so, and doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of eye makeup?
It’s neutrals all the way, for me.

DVa Avatar

Ditto, lashes.
Not that I need them anyway, but I had a MUA show me how and I purchased individual ones and strip ones — just for some oomph now and again. Because I’m so new and fumbly with them they take way too much time to add to my look, so I don’t use them and ergo, never get better/faster.
No to winged eyeliner either. At a certain age, the fine lines and looser skin make it look scratchy and horrible (unless someone over 40 has a trick they can share). I also never mascara my lower lashes.

Marla Rae Avatar

Brow tint and eyeshadow primer. I just use clear mascara and a full coverage concealer. I feel like both are one of those things that sounds good, but very unnecessary.

CeeBee Avatar

Under eye concealer. Have never bothered with this, ever. I see Youtubers slathering it on and yeah, they make it look amazing but for me, I just don’t see the point. I wear thick black spec frames though, so. Always gonna be shadows under my eyes, no matter what. I don’t have a lot of lines or dark circles or anything though either, so YMMV of course.

False lashes. Did this once for a big night out and had them brushing against my lenses every time I blinked. Very disconcerting. I must have looked perpetually surprised all night long.
Went to a daytime, backyard wedding and the bride and bridesmaids all had these really dark, thick, full Vegas nightclub drag queen style false lashes applied (the rest of their makeup was gorgeous) and it looked a bit odd. The guy behind me asked his wife why they all had “teeny tiny bat wings glued to their faces” and I nearly lost it.

DVa Avatar

OMG, teeny, tiny, bat wings… that’s hilarious!
I think when you are surrounded by makeup, and people who wear it boldly, you sort of become immune to how over the top it can look.
It kind of frightens a lot of people who don’t wear a lot of makeup, or are *with* people who wear very little of it. To them even a little colour, or false lashes/perfectly arched and shaped brows, can be waaay too much.

Carla Avatar

DVa said: “It kind of frightens a lot of people who don’t wear a lot of makeup, or are *with* people who wear very little of it. To them even a little colour, or false lashes/perfectly arched and shaped brows, can be waaay too much.”
I think it *is* a matter of perspective.
For example, a friend of mine tells me how her “wonderful husband” encourages her to not wear makeup, and she finds it very liberating.
I, on the other hand, enjoy makeup, and find it fun to apply and wear.
My friend doesn’t judge me, but she finds everything I put on my face “unnecessary.”

Iron Maiden Avatar

A lot of different shadows. I wear one or two shades for everyday, and that’s it. I’ll do more for a special occasion or going out at night, but I hate the look of overdone shadow in daylight. No liner on the waterline/under bottom lashes. No powder shadows (too irritating for everyday–I use creams or liquids), but I will use them occasionally anyway.

Miska Avatar

And here I thought I was alone in not wearing/liking false lashes! I will NOT mess with any type of adhesive so close to my eyes. Never gonna happen, period. I also wondered if prolonged use of false lashes would cause you to loose your own over time. I’ve read that can happen and don’t think it’s worth the risk. Seems like everything is fake nowadays…lashes, hair, nails, extreme contouring, I could go on and on. Put all of it together and it’s complete overkill. I’m all about wearing the makeup you like but sometimes I really think that people need to be more comfortable in their own skin. In my 20’s I never used to step out, even to get the mail, unless I had a full face. My priorities changed in my 30’s and although I love makeup, I’m finally okay without it. I think it speaks for itself that if by the time you take everything off your face, you look like a different person. It’s overkill. I wish more people would play up their natural features and enhance the natural beauty they already have. If everyone looked the same, the world would be a boring place.

Lisa Avatar

Eye primer, mainly because I always forget lol. I don’t have major issues with creasing anyway. Falsies, because I’m not good at applying them. Liquid liner, because I find it seems to close off my eye, making it appear smaller. But maybe I don’t know how to apply the rest of my eye makeup to compliment it.. *sigh*

Deborah S. Avatar

I never wear false lashes. I just don’t like hassling with them and my natural lashes are okay. While I do use brow products I have to admit I don’t spend a lot of time or money on my brows, just enough to make sure they show up. I don’t line my upper lid because of very hooded eyes and I have developed a small skin tag on my lower lash line so haven’t been doing any lining or e/s there until it is removed. I do use eye shadow primer every time I wear eye makeup.

Deborah Avatar

Speaking of false eyelashes, I used to wear them every day in late 60’s and 70’s – then stopped at some point. Tried them two days ago and wow! Very, very natural and so easy. As far as eye products I don’t use regularly, it would be eye shadow primers.

Carla Avatar

Deborah said, ” As far as eye products I don’t use regularly, it would be eye shadow primers.”
In MY dreams!
Eyeshadow primer is one of my “must-use” items.
Without primer, my eyeshadow is quickly reduced to greasy lines in my creases.
Fortunately, though, if I use a good primer, like Too Faced Shadow Insurance, plus blotting powder(Soap & Glory), my shadows look fresh for hours.

Deborah Avatar

I’m so glad you replied so if I ever need a primer and how to use it I will have your recommendations! Thank you! Isn’t wonderful to find something that works!?!

Genevieve Avatar

Eye products that I find unnecessary include:
False eyelashes – I wouldn’t even bother to try and apply them considering I am half blind without my glasses on
Liquid eyeliner – with hooded eyes. these are a miss for me
Eye primer – I use an all over face and eye primer (nude by nature) and I don’t need a special one.
Brow filling agents – nope
Eye lash curler – Again, without my glasses it would be very hard to use and I don’t need my lashes to be longer.
Undereye pencils – if I put anything under my eyes it makes them look smaller.

Genevieve Avatar

Hi Carla,
A MUA told me that you can use any face primer as an eye primer as long as it doesn’t contain any sunscreen – as that would irritate the eyes.
Nude by Nature is a cruelty free Australian brand and I am sure you can get it pretty easily from where you live or on ebay.
I was recommended to use this product when I was searching for a good primer and it was a professional makeup artist who told me that this was the primer she always used. I have been using it for the past three years.

Pearl Avatar

Same, false lashes and for the same reason. Also eye protector fallout thingies, eyebrow stencils or liner stencils and recently undereye concealer. I don’t know that I ever needed it, just used it because I thought I was supposed to.

Donna E. Avatar

False eyelashes
Lining the inner lashline top and bottom, I do tightline.
Winged liner – I have extremely hooded eyes.
I do pretty much everything else.
I’m 59 and happy to say that I can wear color and different finishes along with my neutrals.

bibi Avatar

I don’t wear false lashes any more because I’ve become sensitized to the glue.
I don’t use eyelash curlers as my lashes won’t take a curl.
I don’t use liquid or gel liner any more because I prefer a softer smokier look from kohl kajal or eyeshadow.
No other brow products other than clear gel & a micro pencil to fill in sparse spots.

Alecto Avatar

False lashes, liquid liner, glitter, glitter stick-um — these are all for “glam” makeup, and when I choose to overdo it, I go dark, not glam. White pencil (at all, but I’m thinking specifically on the waterline … primarily because it seems uncomfortably mannequin-like, though I do use a skin-colored pencil for the same reason others use white).

A few I would never have thought of until I read the comments: eyebrow stencils, eyelash curlers; just have no need for them.

JFM Avatar

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but mascara. I find myself skipping it more and more lately. Now that’s partially because it’s summer; between the oil, sweat, heat, and humidity, even most tubing mascaras fail on me this time of year. I don’t miss it at much as I used to, though. There’s something rather chic about a wash of neutral shadow and a bit of brown liner smudged into the lash line paired with a bright, bold lipstick. No lashes necessary.

As for false lashes… I don’t even think of those as part of a normal beauty routine, although I know they are to a handful of people. I just can’t be bothered, ever.

Bonnie Avatar

I don’t often use false lashes, because, like you said, they are a pain in the ass. But once in a while I do use them and they do make a HUGE difference. I tried them for the first time the day I got my license renewed and the picture came out a million times better. So while they are not a daily necessity, I do think they have a valued place in my collection, and no, I’m not particularly good at applying them either.

I suppose I don’t need a designated lid primer, but I do always use something – either an actual lid primer or concealer followed by a powder shadow base in a light to medium neutral color. I’ve been doing this since I started watching YouTube earlier this year and it makes a huge difference in both application and longevity.

Kristiina Avatar

Liquid liner and false lashes. I use liner very rarely and have never used falsies. I just feel that liquid liner is not as flattering on me as the more diffused effect eyeshadows create. And falsies are just unnecessary. I’m quite happy with my natural lashes and use a great mascara.

Kuávsui Avatar

I find I use liquid eyeliner so rarely that I need to throw out the ones I still have. Even when I do what could be called a look, I prefer pens and pencils and sometimes creams. I like a softer, smokier liner for my small hooded eyes, and also the ability to smudge, blend and fix my liner as needed, although I am reasonably well-versed in liquid liner too (including winged liner lol).

I have never had falsies or lash inserts but I am curious to try, although I still think they wont ever be necessary in my routine.

I find I have no need for eyeshadow palettes, really. If Viseart sold singles that fit their Theory palettes, I would be set with my Minx and a few other shades – a couple pops of colour and some jewel tones, plus a matte black. In fact scratch that, I could just use up the cream eyeliners I have because they blend well enough to be used as eyeshadow 😀

MM Avatar

I don’t have the best brows in the world but still I don’t tend to use eyebrow products. I’ll never have instagram brows but I think I’m okay with that lol

Carla Avatar

MM said: “I’ll never have instagram brows but I think I’m okay with that lol.”
I hear you!
Personally, I don’t *want* “Instagram brows.”
I could probably do nothing, makeup wise, to my brows, and be okay, but I think I look my best when I “doctor” them a bit with my small angle brush and brown eyeshadow. Maybe it’s my age (mid 50s) but my brows have become a bit sparse from roughly the arch out toward my temples; from the inner section’s plenty thick. So if I strengthen the “tails,” I’m good.
I think it’s one of those minimal effort things that can make a lot of difference.

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