Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Our make-up, skincare and beauty guru solves all your beauty dilemmas

Hi John

I've always avoided using mascara on my bottom lashes and only sparingly on the top as whenever I put mascara or even eye liner it tends to go south and I usually end up looking a bit like a panda after about an hour or so, then I have to go and touch up my under eye areas which will go on throughout the day. I would like to wear eye make-up but at present I only do the bare minimum. I've tried all sorts of waterproof mascara but they all run.

I only tend to wear a light covering of mineral foundation and blusher and have just hit my forties. Is there something I can do apart from having my lashes dyed?
Kind regards

Liz

Liz,

There are all sorts of fantastic waterproof and long-lasting products out that should make migrating make-up a thing of the past. But before you start investigating these, make sure you are doing your removal and care properly. Are you using a proper eye make-up remover? If you are using a lotion cleanser, baby oil, Vaseline, or other products not intended for eye make-up removal; you will have running eye makeup the next day. The make-up you are applying will not stick to the skin and will shift by the end of the day. Are you using a proper eye cream, in the correct amount, and in the right area? If not, there will again be a film that will prevent eye make-up from adhering. If all eye make-up gives you a problem, this is usually more the problem than the make-up you are using. But if you need a very long-lasting mascara, Guerlain's new le Deux Waterproof stays extremely well, as does Paul & Joe Waterproof. There are also a few thermal reactive mascaras like the Kanebo 38 Degree and Clinique Lash Power. Or you could go to a "tube" mascara like Blink or Becca. All of the above will stay on no matter what. Bobbi Brown does her Gel Eyeliners in a plethora of shades and that will solve the shifting line problem, as would the Clarins Waterproof pencils and the Lancôme Waterproof pencils. For lasting shadows, Bobbi Brown Long Lasting Creamy Shadows and Lauder Double Wear will stay the distance. Those, along with your mineral powder foundation, should give you a pretty good starting point.
All the best,

John

Dear John,

I very much adore your beauty articles on Handbag and follow them almost religiously! My question is perhaps a little more medical than cosmetic, but I hope that you will be able to help. I have a mole on my cheek which, although not enormously large, is still raised and quite prominent. It's beginning to upset me more and more, and think that I would like to have it removed for both vanity and health reasons. Do you know if this is possible or does facial skin scar very badly from such a procedure? Also, could you perhaps make some recommendations as to how I might cover the area more effectively with make-up for the meantime?
Hoping you can help.

Sarah

Sarah,

I had a similar problem with a large raised mole behind of one of my ears. And I didn't have it removed because I thought the scar would be worse than the mole. But using new procedures like radio surgery you can have it taken away with minimal effort, cost, and recovery. Radio surgery involves a little injection of anaesthetic to the mole, and then it is gently shaved away using a radio signal. The skin is immediately cauterised and the area didn't even need to be covered when it was done! A few days later the scab fell away and I have been mole free since. I think you would be best to go and see a cosmetic dermatologist and have them look at your particular mole and advise you of your best options. But honest, this is not going to be a big deal, nor will it cost you an arm and a leg. The cost of my mole removal was under £200. And I have never looked back. You wouldn't even know it was ever there. But there will be a few stipulations, such as colouring and positioning of your mole - that is why it would be best to let a doctor have a look and advise you. Covering a mole is actually quite futile, in my experience. The more you try to do to disguise it, the more visible you make it. If it were just a dark one, you could use a heavy camouflage concealer, but if the mole is raised...concealing is not really an option. I wish you luck with seeing a doctor for removal and, as I said, it is not a scary or big deal, and you are more likely to be happy with the results than if you had left it.
Regards,

John

John

Please Help. As a teenager I had very greasy skin. Now as I'm in my early 40s and a shift worker, I have very dark circles under my eyes, making me look washed out and exhausted. Can you recommend a good concealer that doesn't look caked on?
Regards

Amanda

Amanda,

First, I would try very hard to get rid of the dark shadows. I have been blabbing on about Strixaderm S.O.S. for months in the Q&A and would highly recommend you looking back through the archive and digging out a bit of information. American Medical Association trials proved it was able to reduce the appearance by 60 per cent in only one month. That is a very impressive number. To try and conceal them without looking heavy, you need a very moist concealer. A couple that I have found to be more fluid than most are Estee Lauder Disappear, Lancôme Longue Tenue, Lauder Ideal Light, and Chantecaille Biolift Concealer. They are not as covering as some of the others on the market, but they won't leave the under eye area looking dry and crusty. If you want more cover and a good selection of shades, look at Laura Mercier Secret Concealer and Becca Concealers. They will give really good cover but you will have to be a little bit more careful in their application. As a helpful hint: if you have applied a concealer and it looks a little bit cakey, pat a tiny amount of your eyecream over the top to dampen it down. This works a treat and will take the look of weight away instantly.
Warmest regards,

John

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