The Style Glossy: Beauty Counter

5 Things You Never Knew — Until Now — About How to Apply Mascara

By SHELLEY LEVITT for The Style Glossy

If
you’re like most women, mascara is one of your top two or three
can’t-live-without beauty products. But even though you may think
you know everything there is to know about applying mascara, you can
probably still learn a trick or two. Here are five new twists on how
to apply mascara from a couple of top pros.

1.
The best method for applying mascara is a two-step method, says
Andrea Q. Robinson, a onetime Vogue
beauty editor, beauty industry exec and author. Step one: Hold the
wand close to the lid horizontally and in a quick back-and-forth —
almost vibrating motion — move the brush from the roots to the ends
of the lashes. This will give you coverage. Step two: Change the wand
to a vertical direction and move back and forth like a windshield
wiper. This is for separation and will help prevent clumps.

2.
Waterproof formulas are too tough on your lashes for everyday use,
Robinson says. You’ll have to rub hard to loosen the color, and in
doing so you risk breaking your lashes. Save the waterproof mascara
for those times you know you’ll be tearing up — like a weepy movie
or your best friend’s wedding. And keep in mind that most regular
formula mascaras will wear well throughout the day without smudging,
and are easily removable with soap and water or makeup remover.

3.
Do you have droopy lashes that won’t stay curled? Try curling them
twice, suggests Hollywood makeup artist Brett Freedman. First curl
them before you apply mascara and then give your lashes a second curl
after your mascara is on (and dry).

4.
If you’re going to pump up your lashes with individual false
lashes, apply them after the first coat of mascara.

“That
way you can see exactly where you want a little extra fullness and
length,” Freedman says. “Then apply another coat of mascara to
marry your real and false lashes together.”

5.
Colored mascara looks gorgeous in candlelight. Purple, blue or
emerald mascara “reads black,” Freedman says, until you get next
to light, when your lashes show a touch of hue. It’s subtle, but it
gives your lashes a little more interest. Use a coat or two of your
regular black mascara, then layer just the tips of your lashes with a
colored mascara. Tip: Deep blue mascara looks good on every eye
color.

Shelley Levitt, managing editor of The Style Glossy, is a former West Coast editor of Self and senior writer at People.