Want beautiful lashes? Just swipe on some mascara. Simple enough and it works, right? But if you
really want to take your lashes to the next level, these nine easy mascara
tricks are simple, quick, and guaranteed to score you the longest, thickest,
most incredible lashes ever.
Lashes look their thickest when the mascara goes all the way
down to the roots. Trouble is, it’s hard to get it there without getting black
gunk all over your lids. To combat this, take a business card and hold it at
the base of your lashes, then swipe on mascara. The excess will end up on the
card, not your lids.
Another great mascara hack is to use a mascara guard when
applying multiple coats of mascara, especially if you have an unsteady hand.
What’s a mascara guard you ask? It’s a small plastic guard that looks a little
weird but works like a charm. This nifty gadget forms a barrier between your
eyelashes and your skin. It has two different edges – one for your top lashes
and another for your bottom lashes. These “edges” are lined with tiny teeth so
you can coat each individual lash. The mascara guard even comes with an eyelash
comb on the opposite end for brushing out clumps or lashes that are stuck
together.
Baby your lashes.
Sometimes we forget just how delicate our little lashes are. And
they can take a hammering as we swipe and coax the very last micro-millimeter
out of them. Spare a thought for this fragile fringe that works hard for us
throughout the day, filtering light before it reaches our eyes and protecting
them from sweat and damaging impurities. It’s time we were kind to our lashes!
Just like the hair on your head, your lashes need to be
conditioned. To do this, take the time to swipe on a special lash gel every
night, or multi-task by using a mascara with conditioning agents already built
in.
You can also give your lashes some love with our unique lash and brow activating serum that’s
formulated with a peptide blend and botanicals. In just weeks your lashes will
look longer, fuller and healthier. Now that’s a dramatic enhancement to the
look of your lashes with lots of TLC!
Bulk up your base.
Remember to always apply two coats of mascara, waiting for the
first coat to dry before applying a second coat. If you’re in a hurry, use your
blow-dryer on the cold setting to dry your lashes gently and quickly in-between
coats. This will go a long way in avoiding lash-clump and that row of little
dots that happen when wet lash tips touch just beneath the brow bone.
Revive old mascara.
To avoid eye infections, we highly recommend replacing your tube
every three months. If your mascara gets gunky before that time though, blast
the outside of the tube with a blow-dryer for 10 seconds to temporarily thin it
out and make it easier to apply.
If you're struggling to get that last bit out your mascara tube
and it hasn’t yet reached its three-month expiration date, pop the tightly
closed tube into hot water to loosen the last of the product from the sides.
To keep your product in the best condition, try these mascara
hacks
Clean the wand for best results. Cover the mascara tube and soak
the wand in hot water for five minutes to loosen gunk and clean the bristles.
Make sure it’s completely dry before placing it back in the tube.
Swivel the wand. Never pump your mascara wand into the tube! All
you’ll do is force air into the wand and suck moisture out, which means it will
dry out quicker. The professional technique for getting more lash-lengthening
formula onto your brush is to open the tube just a little, then swivel the wand
around inside the tube to coat the wand without letting air inside.
Go vertical.
After swiping on your mascara as you’d usually do, try holding
your wand vertically and touching the tip of the brush to each individual lash.
This is a mascara trick used by most makeup artists. It takes just seconds, but
adds tons of extra length.
Curl without a curler.
If you don’t have an eyelash curler handy, try pressing a spoon
against your eyes for a few seconds before applying mascara. The curvature of
the spoon will cause lashes to bend gently.
For instant length, try a mascara with heart-shaped,
lash-hugging fibers that locks onto lashes like Avon True Color Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Quad. If you just can’t do without your lash curler, here’s a helpful
makeup artist mascara trick:
Heat your eyelash curler with your blow-dryer (this has a
similar effect to curling your hair around a brush and applying heat for extra
curl). Once heated, try the warmth on the back of your hand first so you don’t
burn yourself, then curl your lashes as usual.
And for another mascara trick: instead of clamping down a few
times on your lashes then swiping on your mascara, first start with your lash
curler at a 30 degree angle and clamp at the roots for 15 seconds. Do this at
the middle of your lashes and again at the ends for a more dramatic curl.
Stop clumps before they start.
After pulling your wand from the tube, take a makeup remover wipe and clear away any
big globs of product. Removing the excess before you start swiping means it
won’t end up on your lashes! If your mascara has thickened, use a blow-dryer or
glass of warm water as mentioned earlier, to thin out and de-clump your
mascara.
Another great way to de-clump lashes is to comb through them
with a clean toothbrush.
If it’s already too late and you’ve ended up with smeared
mascara, make sure you don’t attempt to remove it while it’s still wet – you’ll
only smear it even more. Once smudges have dried, you can do one of two things:
take a stiff synthetic makeup brush and flick the mascara off or carefully roll
a Q-tip over the dried mascara mistake to remove the smudge without taking off
your eyeshadow.
If you regularly end up with clumped lashes and smeared mascara
by the middle of day, it might be oil that’s the culprit and not your mascara.
Some eye creams and emollient concealers have a high oil content and may break
down the mascara when you blink over a period of hours. If your eye cream and
concealer have been matched to your skin type, there’s no need to stop using
them. Just use a fine-milled powder under the eyes and make sure the area is
dry to touch before applying mascara.
Tried everything and you’re still smearing? Here’s a
professional anti-smudge mascara trick:
Swipe on your regular mascara then follow with a coat of waterproof mascara. A waterproof mascara is
good at holding curl and keeps your mascara from smudging throughout the day.
And there’s another bonus to this method – your waterproof mascara will be much
easier to remove at the end of the day!
Powder your way to bolder
lashes.
Apply one coat of mascara, then brush translucent face powder
(yes, really!) on the top and bottom lashes with a fluffy eyeshadow brush.
Finish with another coat of mascara to lock it in. The powder adds heft and
length - it’s an old makeup artist trick for gorgeous mascara—and it totally
works!
For bolder lashes, even if yours tend to be naturally thin,
start applying your mascara at the root of your lash, moving the wand back and
forth lightly whilst moving carefully outward. This way your lashes are less
likely to droop because most of the product will be at the root of the lashes
and not the tip.
You can also thicken thin lashes by coating both sides of your
lashes with mascara. Begin by carefully swiping the top of the lashes downward,
then the bottom of the lashes upward as you’d usually do.
Another mascara hack that works to plump up lashes is to use
liquid concealer on the lashes before applying your mascara. You can use a
small brush to comb the product through, then wait for it to dry before topping
with mascara.
Customize your lash look.
The eyeshadow color you choose can make a big difference in how
your lashes look. With lighter shades, your lashes will be visible from root to
tip, so they’ll automatically look longer. If you’d like them to look thicker,
use a darker eyeshadow along the lash-line. This tricks the eye into thinking
your lashes are thicker than they really are. (Sneaky, right?)
One of this season’s catwalk makeup trends is color mascara. And
why not? Makeup has always been about experimenting with color and that’s
exactly what this trend does! Expert advice is that blue and purple tinted
mascaras have an especially brightening effect on the eyes.
There are just a few rules to using color mascara to enhance
your look:
First – find out which tinted mascara suits your eye color.
Typically, green mascara looks good on hazel eyes, plum works well with brown
eyes, and deep blue looks beautiful with gray eyes.
Second – when using color mascara, tone down the rest of your
makeup to balance the extra pop of color on your eyes. Blue mascara always
looks its best when teamed with nude or neutral makeup. If you love the idea of
experimenting with color mascara but you just don’t think you’re bold enough,
try wearing it only on the upper lashes. Another subtle way to use the product
is to wear your regular black or brown mascara then swipe over your lashes with
a purple, red, or poppy pink mascara.
For more drama, team a plum mascara with matching lips but keep
the cheeks neutral. To take your party look to the next level, match your
mascara with your eyeshadow but add a white or silver eyeliner on the lower
lash line. Trending neon shades like orange and lime green are best worn
without eyeshadow. You can make the look as subtle or intense as you like.
Of course, color mascara is all about drawing attention to your
eye area, so make sure you get the application right – this means no clumps,
smudges or spidery lashes.
Last, but not least, remember the next time you get to the end
of a mascara to keep the wand. Clean it carefully and keep it in your makeup
bag or purse – it’s one of the best mascara hacks for de-clumping, combing out
your lashes, and toning down the intensity of your look.
