We wanted to learn how to get more from our mascara. So we talked to
some of our favorite makeup masters to learn how they create crazy-long,
full lashes. Turns out, there are a ton of tiny tweaks that could make a
dramatic difference in your lash look.
Read on for their secrets to a lush, fluttery fringe.
Curl First
Almost every makeup artist we interviewed for this story said that
curling your lashes before you apply mascara is, hands-down, the most
impactful way to make them legit long and lush.
"I always curl the lashes with an eyelash curler by gently bending at
the base of the lash and holding for a few seconds, then gently walking
it out to the end of the lash," says makeup artist Julie Harris. "This
opens up the eye immediately and lifts the lashes so they stand out
more."
"Lash curlers flip the lashes upward and allow more light to hit the
iris of the eye, so the overall effect is that eyes appear larger and
brighter," says makeup artist Troy Surratt. "If you wake up feeling like
you could use two extra hours of sleep, use a lash curler."
And if you don't have your curler handy—or are too scared of the
contraption—try this trick from makeup artist Lucy Halperin: Apply your
mascara, and while it's still wet, use your fingertips to push up your
lashes. It's not quite as good as a quality curl session, but it will do
in a pinch.
You can also try applying primer before curling and applying mascara.
"Applying primer first conditions lashes and prevents breakage—and
actually helps lashes curl more because they are malleable," says makeup
legend Laura Geller.
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Still not convinced? "Think of a lash curler like prepping your skin
with moisturizer or primer before you apply foundation," says Surratt.
"Sure, your lashes will look nice with a great mascara, but curling them
amps up your look."
Wipe It Off
While some of us are all about the clumpy-lash look, others still
consider it the bane of their existence. Okay, maybe that's a little
dramatic, but clumps when you don't want them can be annoying.
Makeup artist Robert Sesnek—who works with beauties like Chrissy
Teigen and Lily Aldridge—has a crazy-simple fix: "To avoid clumping,
always clean excess mascara from the wand with a tissue," he says. Since
most mascara brushes grab too much product, wiping them off ensures you
only get the amount you need.
Wiggle It
For most of us, swiping on mascara is a strictly one-direction move. But
we could all benefit from wiggling our wands (just a little bit).
"I wiggle at the roots," says Harris. "Then as I sweep upward to the
end of the lash, I blink, so it forces the brush to comb every lash." A
more advanced move is to start wiggling at the outer corners and then
brush inward toward the center of the eyes, which lifts and builds
fullness, says Harris. Then, she wiggles the wand again and lifts
outward to lengthen. To finish, she holds the wand so that the tip is
pointing at the lashes and brushes each lash individually, so they fan
out.
The wiggle helps create a "voluminous, full lash with separated ends
and a well-defined base," says Sesnek. He recommends doing the wiggle
once, letting the mascara dry, and then applying a second coat with the
same technique.
[post_ads_2]Zig Then Zag
We couldn't do a mascara tips story without talking to the Queen of
Lashes herself, Charlotte Tilbury. The go-to makeup artist for celebs
like Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen, Tilbury is such a fanatic about
creating the perfect lash look that she used to cocktail five different
mascaras together to get the result she wanted.
Fortunately, you don’t need to carry around an arsenal of lengtheners
to achieve her signature full, fat lash. After many trials, she created
the mascara in her eponymous line to do the work of five with just one
tube.
To get the most out of it, here's Tilbury's secret method: You need
to apply mascara in a zigzag motion from root to tip and pull it outward
diagonally, from the outer corner of the eye. This creates a sexy,
fluttering Bambi [look] and really flicks out the lashes—great for
amplifying a feline eye! For the bottom lashes, hold a tapered brush
vertically to coat each lash individually. Finally, always use three
coats of mascara.
Halperin is also a fan of the zigzag. "It gives the lashes a fabulous
extra coat of color," she says. "Plus, adding extra mascara to the
roots will give them a boost of thickness and make your eyes look
bigger."
[post_ads_2]Finish With Powder
"I have a great trick to make lashes look fuller," says makeup artist
Brigitte Reiss-Andersen. "After curling them, brush them with a bit of
loose powder." It adds texture and gives them more body, just like dry
shampoo does for hair. After that's done, apply your mascara—you'll be
surprised at how rich your lashline looks.
Work In The Shadows
Did that seem a little high-maintenance for you? If so, Geller has a way
to get the dry-shampoo effect without any extra effort. "If you apply
powder eye shadow first, don’t clean the extra flakes off the lashes,"
says Geller. "That extra powder acts as a volumizer—the same way lash
fibers do—and helps lashes look fuller and plumper." Mascara alone just
can't replicate the added texture of powder, she says.
