DIY - Clear mascara

This simple do it yourself clear mascara will be perfect for you if: you don't care for make-up, mascara is irritating to your eyes, or you hate the raccoon eye look at the end of the night from your mascara. It works great for short lashes because it will help them grow. It also works great if you have long, unruly lashes that never curl. Regardless if you can live without your mascara or not, it's always good to give your lashes and eyes a break from time to time from the irritating chemicals that are in them.


You will need
-Vegetable glycerin
(buy/health food store)
-Aloe Vera (fresh)
(garden center, Walmart, Home Depot)
-A mascara wand
(buy/old tube mascara)

Optional:
-Eyelash curler
(buy/drug store, walmart)


To create, add together an equal amount of aloe and vegetable glycerin. (Only a drop of each is needed for single use.) Apply to lashes with a clean mascara wand. It will dry quickly. This mixture acts like a gel mascara to lengthen and separate lashes, while also helping lashes grow and thicken. You can use a wand from an old tube of mascara...just clean with soap and hot water. I prefer to use fresh aloe because it is the most natural source and it has a better texture than store bought aloe. After you have applied, curl lashes with an eyelash curler. I find this step almost crucial for those with extremely short or extremely long lashes like myself. Both lengths tend to stick out straight with no curl without the help of an eyelash curler. An eyelash curler is a natural/on the go girls best friend because it gives those tired looking eyes a quick pick me up. Instant bright eyes! Some may feel that vegetable glycerin isn't necessary. I found it useful because aloe alone can be too goopy and thick. The glycerin helps to thin out the aloe so it evenly applies on the lashes. It also helps to separate the lashes instead of goop them up. Aloe can also be too drying on its own. Many people like to add base oils to their own clear mascara. Oils are great for growing and conditioning lashes before bed, but during the day if you rub or touch your eyes it's just an oily mess. Glycerin is gel like and has a sort of oily feel to it, though when it dries with the aloe, it is a perfect alternative. I find it a much better option!

Now, here are some tips if you're trying to keep a larger amount of it. I suggest purchasing an empty mascara tube online, or you can use an old tube of mascara and clean it out...which is a PAIN in the booty. Trust me on that (images of disgusting waxy waterproof mascara all over my hands comes to mind...) Empty mascara tubes are very cheap and 100% clean, so you know your product will be pure. Take fresh aloe, slice it in half, take a butter knife or a small metal tool and begin scraping the gel from aloe into a small container (one like this with a lip on the lid that will make it easier to pour into the mascara tube). Make sure you scrape the gel from the aloe gradually...just a little layer at a time so that you don't get large chunks in the dish. If there are larger pieces of gel, just pick them out with a pair of tweezers. Remove the little plastic/rubber cover over the container to make it easier to fill with the mixture. Fill the tube half way with aloe vera gel. You will have half an empty space left in the tube. Fill half of that empty space with vegetable glycerin (1/4th of the bottle). If you want to make a separate overnight growth gel to help lengthen/thicken eyelashes (and eyebrows), you can add in 2-3 drops of jojoba/coconut/avocado oil to the tube. I also add in ONE drop of ylang ylang essential oil (nourishes and stimulates growth). Rosemary essential oil is a cheaper alternative, but both are completely optional. Let me tell ya, I already had long lashes to begin with but WHOA baby, did my eyelashes flourish from using this mixture!

Below are my before and afters. Click photos to enlarge. (Absolutely no mascara was used..only my clear gel mixture.)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

^^ It straight up looks like I'm wearing mascara, huh? Sure, it's no where near as dramatic, but, they are my REAL lashes and I think they're beautiful all on their own.

If you create it, let me know how it turns out!