Top 8 mascara hacks to try

Even on the days that I can’t bring myself to apply a full face of make-up, I always give my lashes a coat of mascara.

It’s the one make-up product that really has my back. Looking tired? Mascara opens your eyes. Feeling lazy? Mascara makes it appear like you have put in some effort. Skin playing up? Mascara helps draw attention away from the pesky spots and to your eyes!

But that’s not all mascara does. We’ve put together the top eight hacks for getting the most out of that little tube.

Wing it

Did you know mascara can also be used as eyeliner? Take an eyeliner brush and wipe it over the mascara spooly or wand. The brush will pick up the colour pigment so you can use it as liner!

Declump

If your mascara starts to clump, put the tube in a glass of hot water to make the consistency more like liquid again. You can also hold the tube under running warm water for a minute or so.

All about that base

Use a business card to pull your eyelid up so you can apply mascara to the very base of the lash. Coating as close to the roots as possible will give you the appearance of fuller, thicker lashes.

Make-up magic

Mascaras have a tendency to dry up. Before you give up on your bottle, add a few drops of saline solution into the tube to help revive any dry formula. And hey presto!

RELATED: The lowdown on tubing mascaras

Flatter your face

Try applying brown mascara to your bottom lashes. It looks like black from a distance, but it is not as harsh as black can sometimes be. Plus, in an interview with allure.com, Beyoncé’s make-up artist Sir John said this look is “more flattering up close”.

Clean it up

It’s never fun when your mascara makes its way to places other than your lashes. To avoid the dreaded clean up, use a spoon under your lashes to stop any product getting on your skin.

RELATED: The best way to apply mascara

Curl away

While you have that spoon handy, use it to curl your lashes before applying mascara. Press your lashes against the edge of the spoon, rotate and pull upwards.

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Fake it

Change the shape of your peepers just by the way you apply mascara. For rounder eyes, apply the mascara in a zigzag motion up and outwards towards both corners. For a cat eye effect, brush the mascara towards the outer edge to elongate your eyes.