There are a few reasons mascara flakes off or smudges on the skin causing dark circles, or “panda eyes”. It can be a result of rubbing the eyes due to pollen or other allergies. Or the mascara might have dried out, causing it to come off – the shelf life of an opened mascara is about three months.

There’s another factor that could be affecting how well your mascara lasts. “The most common cause of panda eyes I’ve discovered is concealer,” says Dominic Skinner, director of makeup artistry at Mac Cosmetics. “A lot of concealers are oil based, and mascara is normally removed with cleansing oil. So if you use an oil-based product under the eyes and it works its way to your lashes, it will start to break down and the colour will transfer.”

Using a long-wear concealer like Mac Pro Longwear Concealer or Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-refreshing Skin Concealer might help as they have a lower oil content, which helps them last longer on the skin and, in turn, play better with mascara. “You can also use loose setting powder in the under-eye area and on the lashes to set and protect the mascara from the oil,” Skinner adds. If that fails, then a waterproof mascara might be in order, but Skinner warns: “Waterproof mascara can still panda if the mascara doesn’t dry before concealer is applied, so always give it five minutes to dry properly before using concealer.”

Got a beauty question for Anita? Email her at beautyQandA@theguardian.com