Your eyes are the mirror to your soul and the first thing that people see. No wonder a lot of people are obsessed with having beautiful expressive eyes and they’ll do anything to make them stand out.

But the road to vanity can lead to tragedy, especially if you’re not picky about the kind of make-up or eye cosmetics you’re using. Those endless rows of cosmetics found at big department stores may look like a dream come true for people who want to alter or improve their eyes. But they can spell disaster for those who aren’t careful. In some cases, they can harm rather than help your eyes.

“Eye cosmetics are usually safe when you buy them, but misusing them can allow dangerous bacteria or fungi to grow in them. Then, when applied to the eye area, a cosmetic can cause an infection. In rare cases, women have been temporarily or permanently blinded by an infection from an eye cosmetic,” warned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Office of Cosmetics and Colors.