A waterproof mascara is only as good as the way you put it on and take it off, and Lancôme Lash Idôle Waterproof is a perfect example of that. It’s made to hang on through rain, watery eyes and a long day behind glasses, yet with the right remover it can slide off at night in one slow, gentle wipe. Learn what the bent wand is for, move a little faster than usual because the gel sets quickly, and give your remover a few seconds at night, and you’ll have lifted, fanned-out lashes with no tugging at bedtime.
Start with a curl, not a coat
Begin with clean, dry lashes. Any eye cream or oil left on your lash line can keep a waterproof formula from gripping.
Then reach for your curler, like the Shiseido Eyelash Curler, before the mascara. A waterproof formula dries in whatever shape your lashes happen to be in, so the curl needs to be there first, and clamping a curler down on lashes that already have mascara on them can bend them or even pull a few out.
Open the curler and settle it right at the base of your lashes, then squeeze gently. Slide it halfway up and squeeze again, and finish with one more soft press near the tips. Three light presses give a rounded curl, while one hard clamp leaves a sharp crimp.
Why the wand looks bent
If you’ve ever wondered why the Lancôme Lash Idôle Waterproof Mascara brush looks slightly crooked, it’s on purpose. The wand is soft and flexible, with tiny bristles all the way around, and that curve turns it into two tools in one.
Hold it flat and level with your lash line, curved side facing up. The inside of the curve hugs your lashes and spreads them out like a fan, which builds fullness, while the outside of the curve combs through for length. Lancôme suggests using both sides.
For your top lashes, try it in three easy moves.
Wiggle at the roots. Press the inside of the curve into the base of your lashes and wiggle it side to side for a second or two, since that’s where most of your lift comes from.
Sweep up and out. Pull the wand up through to the tips, rolling it a little as you go so the bristles separate each lash instead of pressing them together.
Flip it for length. Turn the wand so the outside of the curve faces your lashes and comb through the tips one more time.
How much Lash Idôle is enough
One coat gives you a clean, lifted look that works for an ordinary day. It’s also plenty if you wear glasses, since longer lashes are more likely to brush your lenses.
If you want more drama, go in with a second coat right away, while the first one is still a little wet. This gel sets fast, so if you wait a few minutes and then layer on top, the wand drags across a dry film and that’s usually where clumps begin. For fullness without much extra length, keep that second coat to the outer third of your lashes.
Smudged your lid? Grab a cotton swab with a dab of eye makeup remover and lift the mark off right away, before it has a chance to set.
Bottom lashes, minus the raccoon look
For your lower lashes, turn the wand upright and use just the tip, sweeping down and out a few lashes at a time. Using the whole brush puts more mascara on the skin under your eye, and that’s what prints when you blink.
When you’re done, look up at the ceiling for a few seconds so the formula can set before your lashes touch your cheek.
Glasses wearers can skip the bottom row altogether if they like. Those lashes sit closest to the lens, and a lifted top lash line does most of the work anyway. Our guide to eye makeup for glasses walks through the rest of the eye.
Who gets the most out of the waterproof version
This is the mascara to try if your regular one never seems to last. It’s a great fit for glasses wearers who are tired of gray smudges on their lenses, for anyone with watery eyes or oily lids, and for days spent in humid weather, at the gym or out in the rain. It’s made for 24-hour wear without flaking or smudging. The gel is made without fragrance, oils, parabens or silicones, and it’s suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
The finish is lifted and feathery rather than thick, so if you love very dense, dramatic volume, a chunkier volumizing formula might make you happier. And if your nighttime face wash tends to be a rushed affair, the regular washable Lash Idôle comes off with less effort.
For a drugstore price, Maybelline Sky High Waterproof works on the same idea, with a slim, bendy wand and a lengthening waterproof formula. It holds up well once it’s set, so just give it a little longer to dry before you blink hard or slide your glasses on. We also put the washable Sky High up against another drugstore favorite in Maybelline Sky High vs Essence Lash Princess.
Getting it off without losing lashes
Your usual face wash won’t budge this one. Waterproof mascara needs a remover with some oil in it, so reach for an oil cleanser or a two-layer remover, the kind you shake to mix before each use.
Lancôme’s own Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover is the one the brand pairs with Lash Idôle. Shake the bottle until the oil and water blend, soak a cotton pad, then close your eye and hold the pad against your lashes for 10 to 20 seconds. After that, wipe once, gently, down and out in the direction your lashes grow.
That pause matters most, because rubbing is what pulls lashes out, not the waterproof formula. Let the remover soften the mascara and it slips away. Our guide on how to remove makeup properly covers the rest of a gentle nighttime routine.
Mascara habits that protect your eyes
Any mascara can carry germs to your eyes if it’s old or handled carelessly, but the FDA’s safety advice is easy to follow.
Swap your mascara out two to four months after you buy it, which is what manufacturers usually recommend. If it dries out, toss it instead of adding water or saliva to bring it back, since both can let bacteria grow. Keep your mascara to yourself, skip the store testers, and wash your hands before you do your eye makeup.
Never put it on in a moving car, because one sudden stop can scratch your eye with the wand. If you get an eye infection, stop wearing eye makeup until it clears up and throw out whatever you were using. And if a mascara leaves your eyes itchy or irritated, take it off, stop using it, and see a doctor if the irritation doesn’t go away.
Lash Idôle is suitable for contact lens wearers and sensitive eyes. If your glasses leave marks on your makeup, that comes down to your base and powder, and our piece on foundation and glasses nose marks has the fix. You’ll find more eye and lash ideas over in Makeup.
Curl first, use both sides of the wand, and give the remover its few seconds at night, and your lashes will look just as full a few months from now as they do today.
