Mascara hacks that will up your eye makeup game
No matter what makeup look you prefer, mascara is a regular staple in everyone’s makeup bag. Whether you’re going for the clean girl natural look or dolled-up glam, mascara is essential. We all have our favorite facial features to highlight, but mascara is the one product most people say they can’t live without, as the formula can really change your look. It enhances the eyes by darkening, lengthening and volumizing the lashes. This leaves an overall appearance of brighter, larger eyes that will make you look years younger, according to the president and creative director of Anastasia Beverly Hills Claudia Soare (via Today).
The general application of mascara is simple, as the instructions on most packages say to run a spoolie covered in mascara through the upper and lower lashes. Although applying mascara is seemingly easy, just like with all makeup products, there are so many hacks that can make the process easier and more efficient. Running the spoolie once through your lashes with no prep or other details can’t even make a dent in your look. Luckily, we’ve curated six mascara hacks to help you step up your eye makeup game.
Heat up the eyelash curler
Eyelash extensions are important before applying mascara. Without curling the lashes, the volumizing and lengthening effect of mascara has no room to shine. Heating up the lash curler will take this important step to the next level. Simply warm up the lash curler by blow-drying the top of it for around 10 to 15 seconds. “When heating up the lash curler, have the curling iron open so you get most of the heat on the metal part on top of the curler,” New York makeup artist Sophia Vallejo tells Byrdie. Then use the curler as you normally would, getting as close to the lash line as possible without clipping the lid.
The credit card hack
If you’re a bit of a mess when it comes to applying your mascara, you’re not alone! Shaky hands and unexpected interruptions when applying mascara can cause large spills. Makeup guru Jovita George posted a video on YouTube showing the credit card hack, which is a great alternative to avoid spills. Using a credit card or any thick piece of paper, you can create a border between the skin and the lashes when applying the mascara. This will prevent all that mascara on your face that makes you frustrated, delayed and clean up blackheads where they clearly don’t belong.
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Perhaps the most common way to get long, clump-free lashes is with the wiggle trick. The hack exploded on social media back in 2018 when celebrity makeup artist Georgie Eisdell shared a video of it on Instagram. To try the hack yourself, simply start at the base of your freshly curled lashes and push up while swinging the wand back and forth slightly. This will lift the lashes and give a fan effect on top, for the longest possible separated lashes.
Know the expiration date
Did you know that makeup can expire? Most people don’t realize that makeup has an expiration date in the same way that food does. If they realize it, many people choose to ignore it, but this can make the makeup ineffective or even dangerous. Using expired makeup will downgrade your eye game as it will most likely be too dry and clumpy to work and possibly even cause an infection. The FDA recommends that the mascara be thrown away three months after purchase.
Don’t be afraid to change angles
Changing the brush angle may sound weird, but it can add to the overall effect you’re trying to achieve with your mascara look. Whether you’re looking for length, volume or thickness, this hack will do the trick. “Holding the brush horizontally and twisting it back and forth will give you voluminous lashes, while holding it vertically and running the tip of the brush along the length of your lashes will give you a longer, more natural look,” says beauty expert Brooke Shunatona. Cosmopolitan.
Use tweezers for Twiggy lashes
Model Twiggy inspired us all with her iconic spider lashes in the 1960s. If you want to get this look in 2022, we have the perfect hack for you! Begin by using the tip of the spoolie to lightly coat the bottom lashes. Speaking to Byrdie, Vallejos cautions against “over-coating them with too much product” at first, as you’ll eventually add more. Next, apply mascara to the tip of your tweezers. Use the tweezers to clump parts of the lashes together from corner to corner. You can repeat with the top lashes or do them as normal.
