Q: How can I avoid getting raccoon eyes when I wear black mascara?
A: If you're not being extra careful with the eye cream, start now. Using too much of it under your eyes can lead to smudged and smeared mascara. For daytime, try a hydrating eye cream formula—the primary ingredient will be water—rather than a very emollient one, says makeup artist Cynde Watson. A light dusting of translucent powder on your (closed) eyes before applying mascara can also eliminate smudging because the powder absorbs oils and moisture, she says. Watson recommends one of the new "tube" mascaras, which in her experience won't smudge, clump, or flake, and will wash off more easily than waterproof formulas. (Try L'Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, $11; drugstores.)
