People have some mixed opinions on clumpy mascara. Some people love it, others loathe it. When I was a kid I remember one of my aunts separating every eyelash with a pin after applying her mascara, clearly she was in the “Loathe it” camp.

I don’t hate it enough to break out a pin and start getting to work separating each individual lash, and I kinda get why some people like the clumpy thing. It’s a look, it just doesn’t happen to be MY look, ya know? I prefer a nice, even fan of fluffy lashes. Give me nice fluttery lashes and a good eyebrow and I’m ready to kick some ass for the day.

So If you’re like me and you just aren’t into the clumpy mascara thing I have five tips to help you avoid the problem and get your lashes right every time. And if you ARE into the clumpy mascara thing, then maybe do that opposite of these tips? It’s like two posts in one 😉

^ Clumps on Clumps on Clumps ^

1. Curl First - If you are going to curl your lashes, always curl them before mascara. I have seen a few ladies curling their eyelashes after their mascara on the premise that it will keep the curl in longer. The truth is, thats just a bad idea. It creates a crimp instead of a curl, pulls some of your lashes out and sticks your eyelashes together to make them look clumpy like no other. Seriously if you want clumps so tight they are basically glued together like the base of a weave then curl your lashes over your damp mascara. (But If you do struggle with keeping the curl in try giving THIS a read)
2. Wipe The Brush - One of the biggest culprits in lash clumping is the overloaded mascara wand. Of course too much mascara will come out clumpy, it has nowhere to go but to blob itself over several lashes at a time! The easy solution to this is simply to scrape some of the mascara off the wand on the mouth of the tube when you pull it out. That way you aren’t wasting product like you would be if you wiped it on a tissue or something (it will just get pushed back in when you put the wand back) but you will get much less product onto the lashes and get a more even application. This step is especially crucial if you have a fresh tube of mascara.
3. Move Swiftly - Imagine yourself painting a wall with a brush. If you slap the brush onto the wall and hesitate for a moment before you begin your brushing motion you will have a splotch or “clump” of paint where the brush landed. If you move your paintbrush swiftly over the wall as soon as you place it down, you will get a nice even stroke of paint. The same goes for applying mascara. If you touch the brush to the lashes and don’t begin to move it swiftly to disperse and even coat, you will get a larger amount of mascara where it first hit the lashes. In other words once you get that wand near your lashes, move quickly and you will notice it goes on much more evenly.
4. Bottom Lash Formula - If you feel like every time you apply mascara to your bottom lashes, it comes out clumpy no matter what you do, try a separate formula for the bottom! I have mentioned before that tubing mascara is fantastic for the bottom lashes because it won’t smudge, but it’s also great for them because it doesn’t clump. Another great option is Clinique Bottom lash mascara. It doesn’t clump either and the tiny little brush makes it easier to apply to the petite bottom lashes without getting too much product on them. I have been loving that stuff lately.
5. Comb It Out - If all else fails, have a spoolie brush or a disposable mascara wand on hand and use it to comb through your lashes while the mascara is still damp. It will instantly separate your lashes again. You shouldn’t really need to use it if you follow all of the other tips, but we all mess up every now and then so it’s good to have around juuuuust in case!

Much better, no?