Elizabeth Siegel, Allure magazine
Ah, the lower lashes: They're so little. But they can go so wrong. Add a smidgen too much mascara and they clump. Two smidgens, and you've got scary spider lash syndrome. The only people who seem to be able to pull this off are makeup artists, so we asked them how to apply bottom-lash mascara like a pro. (Or, at least, like a non-crazy-looking person.)
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Switch to a waterproof formula. This works best on lower lashes, since it doesn't have the same tendency to smudge as regular formulas. Keep in mind that waterproof formulas tend to make lashes stiff as they dry out-typically after three months or so, so change yours regularly. If you can't part with your favorite mascara, follow makeup artist Quinn Murphy's advice and dust a bit of translucent powder under your lower lashes to prevent the formula from migrating south.
Do "The Pinch". Clumps happen. And a lot of us (ahem, me) don't own a mascara comb. Do as Chanel celebrity makeup artist Kate Lee does, and pinch the clump between two fingers to make it disappear.
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Don't coat them from root to tip. Makeup artist Jillian Dempsey, who works with celebs like Kristen Stewart, uses a mini fan-shaped brush to apply mascara precisely on lower lashes, stopping short of the ends so they don't look unnaturally long. (But you can get away with just pressing a regular mascara wand gently against the base of the lashes.)
See more from Allure:
The 12 Best Eye Creams
10 Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Years Younger
Best of Beauty 2012
The 10 Most Gorgeous Hair-Color Ideas for Brunettes
