How to Apply Mascara for Crazy-Long, Thick, Voluminous Lashes
This trick is going to revolutionize your face.
Hot take: Everyone knows how to apply mascara. I mean, think about it: Did anyone ever teach you how? Have you ever watched a tutorial on it? Do you spend your mornings trying to perfect your process, with the skill of a surgeon? Probably not. Because somehow, we were all born with an innate knowledge of beefing up our lashes.
So I was confused when I came across a video of makeup artist Georgie Eisdell applying mascara to a model whose eyes were closed. Where was her mouth-agape fish face? Where was her head tilt? And rather than lightly combing mascara through the model’s lashes as us normal folks do, Eisdell was pushing and wriggling the mascara into the model’s lashes. Basically, the whole process looked weird and wrong.
A post shared by Georgie Eisdell (@georgieeisdell)
A photo posted by on
Still, the image stuck with me. So, for the hell of it, I tried it out at home. And holy god, my eyelashes have never looked better in my entire life. This isn’t an exaggeration. My skimpy, short, itty-bitty-baby lashes suddenly looked thick, full, and fluttery. And I realized in that moment that we’ve all been applying mascara wrong our entire lives, and that I would spend the rest of my days telling the world about this application trick—starting with a group text to my friends.
After much cajoling, follow-up, and before-and-after pics, my friends are converts too. “I just FaceTimed with my sister and she goes, ‘Oh my god what did you do to your lashes they're so good’ 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼,” is an actual copy-and-pasted text I received from one friend, while another wrote, “OH MY GOD WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?!”
Mind you, we were all using different mascaras of varying prices and, uh, expiration dates, and yet we all ended up with brilliant, thick, Betty Boop lashes. Why? Because the magic is all in the technique. Instead of tilting your head back, widening your eyes, and delicately brushing through your lashes a few times like you usually do, try this: Keep your head straight and squint your eyes, then push the mascara wand into the base of your lashes—yes, your lids might get a bit messy, but don’t worry—and wriggle it back and forth about five times to really load up the roots of your lashes with formula.
Then, instead of brushing the wand up and over the rest of your lashes, hold it still at your lash line and blink hard through the bristles to really force the mascara to coat your lashes. Your lashes will pick up more mascara through the sheer force of blinking than they do when you gingerly brush it on. Repeat the wriggle-and-blink as desired/necessary. The result is thick, voluminous, falsie-level lashes.
Of course, as you might have guessed, this trick doesn’t leave you with the cleanest of lids. But, when your lashes look this good, you “so [w]on’t even care,” as another friend put it. To clean up the smudges fast, though, gently rub a damp Q-tip over the marks after they dry (mascara is harder to remove when it’s wet), or, try my personal favorite: a bit of eyeliner.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Are you officially a believer? If not, then you must be a soulless makeup demon, and may the heavens have mercy on your lashes. But if you are blown away by this revelation, please, pick up a mascara (check out the formulas currently sitting in my makeup bag, below), and try this trick yourself.
Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton Didn't Just Move to "Modest" Windsor Home to be Closer to Queen Elizabeth, Royal Expert Says
"There's not a huge amount of space, but Adelaide Cottage ticks all the right boxes."
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Taylor Swift Takes the Boyfriend Blush Trend Out to Dinner
With coral lipstick and eyeshadow to match.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Prince Harry Just Sent Out Invites to an Intimate Christmas Party He's Hosting Solo
"He appreciates that the festive season can be hard."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why Dyson's New Airstrait Ad Ignited a TikTok Controversy
"They said y'all can buy the product but it is not meant for you."
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Burberry Beauty's All-Time Classics Finally Relaunched at Nordstrom
Here's how to shop reviewer-vetted products first.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Contrast Makeup Theory Is the Viral TikTok Anti-Trend Everyone Should Try
Here's how to find your signature makeup look with this makeup artist-approved technique.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Maed Beauty Gives My Lips a Three-Step Skincare Routine—And They've Never Been Softer
Maed Beauty’s inaugural launch delivers a three-step system.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
13 Best Drugstore Concealers That Feel Surprisingly Luxurious
Great things *do* come with small price tags.
By Iman Balagam Published
-
Urban Decay's Relaunched Naked Palette Is Just as Iconic as the Original
All the nostalgia, plus a silky new formula.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
TikTok Is Making "Unsexy" Beauty Products Seem Very Appealing
There's more to worthwhile products than pretty packaging.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Hailey Bieber Has a New Rhode Baby on the Way, Too
The brand's first color cosmetics launch is pretty and pink.
By Samantha Holender Published