Mascara can have your back through the darkest of days. It can bless you with the bright-eyed ‘I-sleep-eight-hours-a-night’ look, and it can gift you with fluttery lashes that will distract from even the most offensive of pimples.
BUT if you’re not careful, it can also clump your beautiful, wispy lashes into one big flaking mess.
So if you can’t quite figure out why sometimes your mascara behaves and sometimes it doesn’t, make sure you aren’t breaking any of these application rules…
1. Skipping the eyelash curler
If you find the concept of bringing a metal clamp close to your delicate eyes intimidating, we are here to tell you that you need to move past it. For anyone whose mascara starts off looking gravity-defyingly amazing, but quickly fades, this might be why.
Without curling, the uplifting effect from your mascara will all but fade away once it has dried, leaving you with straight, dull lashes.
2. Going OTT with product
Too much formula on your mascara wand is going to result in lashes that are clumpy and heavy. The easiest way to control the amount of product is by brushing off any excess onto the side of the tube, leaving the wand with a light coating and then applying one layer at a time.
3. Only doing one eye at a time (and no, we don’t mean you need a wand in each hand)
Another surefire way to avoid any clumping of lashes is to nail your timing between layers. Each layer needs to slightly, but not totally dry before the next is applied.
The easiest way to navigate this is by applying each layer and bouncing back and forth from your left to right eye.
4. Curling after mascara
While we are major advocates for a curled lash (hello, step #1), any curling going on after your mascara has been applied, is a one way ticket to losing lashes. So, to avoid any breakage, curl first, always.
5. Pumping to get out excess product
The motion of pumping the wand into the bottle can attract unwanted air and bacteria while also drying out the product and messing with the formula. To avoid this from happening, try a twisting motion instead.
Does your mascara clump? Do you have any other tips?