There are still many ladies who can’t go a day without wearing kajal. Kohl-rimmed eyes make them feel empowered and confident in their own skin. Unfortunately today, the craze is slowly dying out. Most women prefer to keep their makeup subtle and neutral. They don’t mind giving kajal a miss and are comfortable with playing it low-key with their eye makeup game. In fact, a few of my colleagues too have chosen the natural route. They don’t use kajal anymore and aren’t keen on welcoming the product back into their lives either. Want to know what motivated them to do so? Read on to find out!
1. Been There, Done That
“I am a big kajal junkie. I started applying kajal when I was in class 9 and then there was no looking back. My makeup kit always had so many different coloured eyeliners. I have tried getting the smokey eye-look with my kajal stick, winged eyeliner and even tried a fishtail. When I was in college, not a day would go when I wouldn’t wear a kajal so much so that my batchmates had never seen my bare face. Until one day, when I was running late to class and my best friend said I look ill when I don’t wear it. Gradually I stopped wearing it completely and started hoarding on lipsticks. *Wink*”.
– Saachi Bamba – Editorial Coordinator
2. He Said I Looked Pretty Without It
“In school, I was very self-conscious about the shape of my eyes. I have tiny eyes and most of the time my classmates would make fun of me. This drama went on till college. I wore kajal every day because it made my eyes pop and everyone treated me normally. Even though kajal suited me, I wasn’t comfortable wearing it. I knew if I stopped, I would be made fun of again. Until one person opened my eyes. It was our third date and I was running late. I forgot to apply my kajal. I was so nervous about meeting him because what if he thought I looked unattractive or unwell without it? I even considered canceling the date, but he had reached the venue and booked us a table by then. I then mustered up the courage to show up. To my surprise, our date went superbly well. Just when I thought he didn’t notice, he pulled me aside and told me that I looked pretty without kajal. A kiss on the forehead followed this compliment. I needed a person to accept and see me as I am. Ever since that day, I’ve come to terms with the way my eyes look. I’m more comfortable in my skin today than I ever was before.”
– Sharon Alphonso, Beauty Writer
Also Read Best Underrated Kajal Brands In India
3. I’ve Swapped My Kajal Obsession With Mascara
“Like most girls in college, I went through that phase where I would never step out without kajal on my eyes. It truly was my favourite go-to makeup product. However, as I got older, my obsession with it started to fade. I think it’s more so because I felt like kajal was accentuating my dark circles more than I liked, plus it’s really a pain to take off completely without leaving behind any residue. I’m also a big champion for going natural, so I save the kohl only for occasions when I go all out with my makeup. I prefer using mascara over kajal to open up my eyes and make my lashes look dramatic on a daily basis now.”
– Priyanka Ghura, Assistant Editor
4. It Never Suited Me.
“Why don’t I wear kajal? It’s because no matter what I tried, at the end of the day, it would smudge. Instead of making me look and feel better, mid-way through the day, it looked like someone had given me a black eye. I was constantly cleaning up the smudged off kohl from under my eye. And my go-to hack for making sure no one asks me if I’m looking unwell? A dab of concealer that lights up my under eye area and instantly brightens up my face.”
– Nitya Uppal, Assistant Editor.
5. My Eyes Looked Smaller.
“Kajal was my go-to during school days and I would never step out of the house without applying some, but while learning makeup someone told me that kajal always makes your eyes look small and liner makes them look bigger and brighter. I never believed it until I tried it, I applied kajal on one eye and winged liner on the other – the difference was obvious. It was that day when I ditched my kajal! Further, the hassle of the smudging kajal is something I don’t have to deal with anymore.”
– Arushi Sakhuja, Editorial Coordinator
Also Read 8 Simple Tips For Perfect, Smudge-Free Eyes Every Time!
6. It Usually Gets Smudged
“I remember the first time I put kajal. It was in college and only because all my besties put it. We didn’t have gel eyeliners and with the heat, it used to get smudged before I finished applying it. When I started working in Beauty, I got to know about (and used) gel eyeliners. They were a lifesaver, they still are…but I still don’t like the fact that kajal manages to stick to my waterline for days on end. I’d rather put an eyeliner any day!”
– Manavi Siddhanti, Beauty Editor
7. My Goth Phase Put Me Off It For Good
“I know every girl has a kohl phase in her life. My kohl phase came with a fake nose ring, black clothes and bangs! I would slather on the kohl, even when I was at home. A thick layer on my lower lash line. As you can guess, it was one of my first and only makeup item. Along with that phase ends, I also had a few body changes where I lost a little bit of the fat around my eyes and they started looking bigger. Somehow kohl used to take that look away. So I packed it up along with my nose ring and bangs (I still love black). Now I barely put anything on my lower lash line, and usually, my eyeliners and kohl pencils are brown.”
– Kannagi Desai, Junior Beauty Editor
Also Read Best Brow Pencils Available In India
8. Tossing It Out Of The Makeup Kit Was My Safest Bet!
“I’ve been off kajal for many years now. And the reason that led me to give up the humble kohl pencil is two-fold. A) I have light eyes and if I apply a black kajal rim around them, they look a tad bit too stark for my liking. As is evident, I’d rather have a more soft look that the bold kind. B) The smudged kajal look might be liked by many, but I prefer a clear, bare face. The thought of having kajal all over my under eye area makes me cringe. So, the safest bet was to toss it out of my makeup kit. I do fancy a good (non-shiny) brown liner though, and am always on the lookout for the lightest brown eye pencil out there (that won’t smudge, of course).”
– Sakshi Budhraja, Junior Beauty Editor
Are you team kohl or nah?
