I finally tried blinc’s Kiss Me Mascara, an alternative to traditional mascara that binds to the lashes by forming “tubes” around them. Their claim is that it increases volume and length, does not smudge or run and is easy to remove without make-up remover.
I don’t know if it increased volume or length, but is did the best job of any mascara I’ve ever used at holding the curl I work so hard at getting from my trusty shu uemura eyelash curler. I also wear contacts, so I’m used to getting mascara flakes in my eyes…I rubbed my eyes several times during the day and it did not smudge or flake! And, it was very easy to remove…it did not come off in tubes as the instructions indicated – it actually felt more like acrylic paint to me, but was easy to remove nonethless…and, my eyelashes did not feel stiff and caky during the day, but the even better news is that they feel very soft right now.