Beauty Spotlight: 8 Mascara Hacks

If you had to choose one makeup product you simply can’t live without, what would it be? I’ll be the first to admit I depend on mascara. With a few strokes of a wand, mascara can transform lackluster lashes into the perfect frame to accentuate your eyes.

Inner beauty is great, but a little mascara never hurt. –Net-a-Porter

 Not only do flirty lashes create the illusion of bigger eyes, but also they makes us look youthful and vibrant – and who doesn’t want that? However, it requires practice and skill to really master the perfect lash. Read on for some of beauty’s best kept secrets to incorporate into your beauty routine…

1. Turn Up The Heat
You’d never consider curling your hair with a cold curling iron now, would you? You wouldn’t, because the heat is what truly gives your hair that lasting curl. Next time you curl your lashes, run your hair dryer over your eyelash curler on a warm setting. Once your curler is warm, it’s ready to supply you with the best eyelash curl you’ve ever seen! Remember, be careful not to make your curler too hot.

2. It’s All About The Angle
For a natural look, hold your mascara wand vertically to coat your lashes. Or if you’re looking for those va-va-voom, thick lashes, hold your brush at a slightly horizontal angle.

 

3. Brush It
Use a clean, new toothbrush to comb through your lashes from root to ends. The process will eliminate excess mascara and unsightly clumps. Remember to use a clean toothbrush, as a used toothbrush can lead to infection.

4. Bend It
As you take your wand out of the tube, gently bend the brush. The new shape will offer more control and will finally get into those hard to reach spots. Gently bend the wand back into place before you close it.

5. Use Baby Powder
Dab a Q-Tip or cotton swab in baby powder and carefully coat your lashes pre-mascara. This simple trick will make your lashes look twice as thick!

6. Soak Your Mascara
If you’re running low on mascara and your mascara tube is short of its three-month expiration date, you can retrieve the rest of the dried up mascara by soaking your mascara in hot water. The heat will loosen up the remaining mascara for easy access.

7. Use Saline Solution
If your mascara is really dry and flakey and you’re looking for a more permanent result, add a couple drops of saline solution. It will add moisture to your mascara for an easy glide.

8. Don’t Pump It
Many women pump the mascara wand into the tube several times before application; however, it’s a habit to break today. Moving the brush in and out allows air into the tube and it gets deeper each pump. This is problematic as oxygen allows germs to thrive and multiply inside the tube – gross! And, air causes mascara to dry out faster, which greatly shortens its lifespan.

What are some of your mascara tips and tricks? Share in the comments below!

XO Taylor

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PHOTO: Simplicity, Elegance, and Beauty