Cosme

Your eyes are the most expressive part of your face and highlighting them with make up is one of the simplest ways of looking beautiful. Normally one uses kohl pencil, eyeliner and eye shadow to highlight the eyes. Another important part of the eyes that can be highlighted to make your eyes look wonderful is the eyelashes. Eyelashes that are made up accentuate the eyes and bring out the color of the eyes. You can make your eyelashes your best asset. Here are a few tips on how to do this.

• While applying mascara, begin from the roots and then move towards the tips for best results.
• Use brown/black mascara instead of a black one. This will give you a softer and more flattering look.
• Mascara looks good only if your eyelashes are in good condition. Use a good lash conditioner to improve the quality of your lashes.
• When you are in a hurry apply just one coat of mascara only to the top lashes. This is quick and will make your lashes look natural.
• Remember to replace your mascara one in three months.

Here we share 15 tricks and tips on how to apply mascara correctly. If you suffer from thick, clumply, spider-like lashes, you may be applying mascara incorrectly.

• Tip #1: How to apply mascara. Ace your mascara application with a three-step process:
  Step 1: Wiggle the wand left to right at the base of lashes. It's the mascara placed near the roots -- not the tips -- that gives the illusion of length.
  Step 2: Pull the wand up and through lashes, wiggling as you go.
  Step 3: In this final step, close the eye and place the mascara wand on top of lashes at the base and pull through to remove any clumps.

• Tip #2: How to use a lash comb. For some, lash combs are simply too fussy. But for some makeup artists, they're a great invention and keep lashes glob-free and perfectly separated.

  So how to use? Apply mascara at the lash base. Then wiggle the lash comb through to the tips of your lashes.

  Not into the lash comb? Get rid of clumbs without them by removing excess mascara from the wand. Wipe wand on tissue, this eliminates blobs BEFORE you start.
  
  

• Tip #3: Try a spoolie (a clean mascara wand). Sweep a clean, fresh mascara wand through lashes when they're wet. Don't worry, you don't have to buy them. When you finish a mascara, clean the wand in a capful of eye makeup remover, then wash with soap and dry. Keep it clean by washing it whenever you wash your makeup tools.
  
  
• Tip #4: Don't shy away from colored mascara. Basic mascara rules are simple: Black works for everyone but can be harsh on blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night. Blue mascara, however, can brighten blue eyes while purple mascara makes brown eyes pop. The most popular mascara sold in the US is Maybelline Great Lash mascara, a great buy at under $6. The company estimates one tube is sold every 1.6 seconds in the U.S.
  
  
  
  
• Tip #5: Thin, short brushes are best. A thinner brush allows you to get into the corner of eyes. Short brushes give you more control.
  
  
• Tip #6: Give a few coats to the edges by blinking. Blink onto the brush to give ends an extra coat.
  
  
• Tip #7: Powder under the eye before applying mascara. Sometimes mascara smudges because it's attracted to oily concealer or eye creams.
  
  
• Tip #8: Use an eyelash curler Curling lashes gives eyes the appearance of being wider and brighter. Shoot warm air from your blowdryer on the mascara curler for 3-5 seconds to warm it up before curling lashes. Touch it first to make sure it's not too hot. It's a myth that you have to curl lashes before you apply mascara. You can curl lashes after mascara application, just make sure the mascara is dry first. Shu Uemura makes the most popular eyelash curler on the market ($18-$22).
  
  
  
  
• Tip #9: Zig-zag the wand. Zig-zagging the wand back and forth during application helps cut down clumps.
  
  
• Tip #10: For a dramatic look, apply mascara only to the upper lashes. To make eyes seem wider, apply to the bottom, too. But make sure you give lashes a light touch. Not great at getting those bottom lashes? Try putting a tissue under them before application.
  
  
• Tip #11: Use a mascara primer. Primers coat lashes and separate them before you apply mascara. Makeup artists swear by mascara primer. I tried it and like it, but because it's an added step, I usually use primer only on special occasion when I spend more time on my makeup.
  
  
  
  
• Tip #12: Want that 2nd coat? Just make sure to do it before the first coat dries, otherwise you'll get clumps.
  
  
• Tip #13: Do NOT pump wand in and out of the tube. This only introduces air into the tube, which will cause your mascara to dry out sooner than it should.
  
  
• Tip #14: Another smudge-proof tip -- bend the wand. A top makeup artist once gave his secret to his steady hand: he always bends his wand at a right angle.
  
  
• Tip #15: Wait five seconds before blinking. You don't want to paint your lids, do you?
  
  More on mascara:

Waterproof mascara can be a challenge to remove. If you’re not careful, you might end up pulling out precious lashes, irritating the skin around your eyes, or even developing an eye infection. To keep your peepers healthy and lashes clean, follow these easy steps to remove even the most stubborn waterproof mascara.

The Easiest Way to Remove Mascara

The easiest (but not necessarily ideal) way to remove waterproof mascara is simply to use a good facial cleanser (try Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser, $7.50 or Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, $6.59). Gently massage the cleanser in a circular motion over your eyes and lashes and then rinse well.

The problem with this method? If you get even a small amount of cleanser in your eyes, it’s going to sting. Furthermore, these kinds of cleansers tend to dry out both your lashes and the skin around your eyes. In particular, those with very sensitive skin or eyes are likely to find this method of removing mascara to be too harsh.

Whether or not this method works well for you, there is a gentler, yet still effective, way to remove waterproof eye makeup.

Makeup Moxie’s Preferred Method for Removing Waterproof Mascara

What you’ll need:

• Cottonballs
• An excellent waterproof eye makeup remover. One of the best is Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover ($26). For a more budget-friendly option, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover ($7.99).
• A gentle face cleanser like Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleaner ($17.50) or the classic standby, Cetaphil ($11).
• Q-Tips

Once you’ve got everything you need, follow these steps to remove even the most smudge-resistant mascara:

1. Saturate a cotton ball with eye makeup remover.
2. Close your eye and position the cotton ball on the bottom side of your lashes (the side where you’ve applied mascara). Once the cotton ball is underneath your lashes, apply gentle pressure so that the underside of your lashes are pressed against the cotton ball.
3. Continue to hold the cotton ball against your lashes for about 10-20 seconds without moving it. Doing this allows the makeup remover to do its job and start dissolving the mascara.
4. Begin to slowly move the cotton ball up the length of your lashes. Minimize tugging by always “wiping” your lashes in the same direction.
5. Continue to gently wipe the undersides of your lashes with the cotton ball and then check your progress in the mirror. If you still have a lot of mascara left on your lashes, you’ll need to repeat the above steps until your lashes are clean. If you find it difficult to remove the last bits of mascara from the base of your eyelashes, dip a Q-Tip into the makeup remover and use it to gently “scrub” the roots of your lashes.
6. After repeating these steps on your other eye, use a gentle face cleanser to remove any last traces of makeup and any oily residue that may be left behind by your makeup remover. Be sure to rinse well with plenty of lukewarm water.

Though it’s more time-consuming than other methods, the steps above allow you to remove even the most stubborn mascara with minimal tugging or stress on your lashes. Most importantly, properly removing mascara greatly lessens the risk of eye infection while reducing lash breakage and keeping your flirt fringe in tip-top shape.