After being in denial for some time now, I’ve finally come to accept that I am allergic to mascara. Maybe when I was younger I wasn’t, or maybe it was too minor to notice. But now that I’m older, it’s definitely becoming more apparent that whenever I apply a full coat of mascara, my eyes start getting red and irritated. Bloodshot even. The next morning I wake up with redness and discharge from both eyes—almost like conjunctivitis but not quite as severe. This minor infection then usually lasts 2 to 3 days (with the help of medicated eyedrops).

I think in the past years I’ve been able to get away with it because I normally apply mascara just on the very tips of my lashes. But recently I’ve been wanting more volume so I’ve been applying from root to tip. Well, and that’s how I came face to face with the realization that I’m allergic. It didn’t matter if it was a brand new tube. Didn’t matter the brand. I just knew that waterproof kinds really irritated my eyes so I stayed away from them.

So now I’m on the hunt for an alternative. Luckily, some few years ago I bought a hot eyelash curling wand by Panasonic. It works well, but I have to wait for it to warm up and it can be a tedious process. What I like best about it is that I don’t get the midway crimp that I normally do using a traditional curler, and the curl itself lasts longer throughout the day. I’ve read from some online sources that Vaseline is actually a good alternative to mascara so I’ll be giving this combo a try. Wish me luck!