Smooth a quick coat of primer on your lashes – the tiny white fibers adheres to your lashes, thus extending them a little and thickening them as they stick. Some eyelash primers also nourish your lashes, comprising of soy-amino protein to help facilitate lash growth over time. Just think of eyelash primers as the base coat for your mascara; providing a perfectly tacky surface to which the mascara adheres.
Try your hand at this step with Smashbox’s Photo Finish lash primer ($39). We recommend it for its anti-clump ultra-thin, duo-sided brush and lash-boosting formula.
There are three times in which you should bust out your lash curler to give your lashes that extra va-va-voom effect. Before and after you apply primer on your lashes, and one last time after you’ve applied mascara. After applying primer, press your curler down on your lashes softly once. Shu Uemura’s lash curler ($30) has become quite of a cult product, and for good reason at that. With countless good reviews online boasting of the product’s effectiveness in achieving naturally curled lashes, this tool has been deemed by internet users as “one of the best eyelash curlers in the market”.
The third part is where things get a little tricky. Many would advise against curling your lashes once they’re coated with mascara as the curler may stick onto your lashes and pull them out when you release it.
Tip: it’s vital to wait for mascara to completely dry first before giving your lashes a final curl and you’re good to go. This step emphasises your curl and secures them for the rest of the day.
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The easiest way to declump your lashes is to use a lash comb. Take it from us, going at your lashes with your mascara wand ad infinitum in a desperate attempt to separate the clumps will only make things worst. Go in with a clean comb — that’ll truly do the trick.
Give it a whirl with Sephora’s lash amplifier ($6), which works as a backing for applying mascara on one side, while separating lashes with a metal comb on the other.
Soak your mascara tube in a cup of hot water for a few minutes to warm it up. This will soften the formula and make it more liquid-y instead of thick and clumpy. The mascara would then have a thinner consistency and will be easier to apply.
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The best way to hold a curl is to apply a thicker coat of mascara at the root of your lashes and a lighter one toward the ends. You can achieve this by wiggling the wand back and forth at the base, and then lightly combing it through to the tips. Coating your lashes evenly will weigh down the tips of the hairs, causing your lashes to straighten out after a few minutes; not the look we’re going for here.
Another golden rule in applying mascara; wipe off excess mascara on a tissue if your mascara wand has got too much product on it. This prevents clumping and allows for easier application.
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Dust translucent or baby powder over your eyelashes between applying the first and second coats of mascara for extra volume. The powder will stick to your lashes in between each coat of mascara, making your lashes appear thicker.
You can also coat both sides of your lashes in mascara while alternating between looking up and looking down while applying it. That way, the hairs will be fully covered, giving your lashes a fuller, more dramatic look.
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