Perfect Lashes

I recently purchased Maybelline Volum' Express - Waterproof mascara off Drugstore.com (they're having a sale on it!)...and it's the best drugstore mascara I've yet to find!

So here's one foolproof, Asian girl's guide to getting awesome, daytime lashes, without resorting to falsies:

1) Wash your face. Make sure lashes are completely clean and dry. Even slightly damp lashes won't hold curl properly, and mascara might end up looking clumpy. Do the rest of your makeup first and let your lashes dry out completely.

2) Using an eyelash curler (Shiseido, Shu Uemura and even E.L.F make great curlers), curl at the base of lashes by holding and 'pumping' lash curler for a few seconds. Move up slightly along lashes and repeat. For even better hold, heat curler with a hair dryer, but be careful not to burn your skin!

3) Apply a thin layer of a primer (I use Shiseido's Mascara Base) to help fatten and condition lashes, as well as hold curl. Don't overload your lashes with primer, that will just undo the curl and look gunky.

4) Apply Maybelline Volum' Express on lashes. The thin brush lets you get into little corners and small hairs. Run it from the base of lashes right up to the tip, in an outward-upward motion, being careful to maintain curl. Apply as many coats as you think you need, although I personally don't do more than two.
*Also, I hate wiggling the brush at the base of my lashes. It makes them clump together. But that's just a personal preference. If it's worked for you, stick with it!

5) Run lashes through a lash comb, like one from Tarte. If needed, brush through with a clean mascara brush on the other end. (It's always nice to buy a multi-taking tool!)

7) Extra Step for Extra Oomph: Brush the tips of lashes with Shu Uemura's Lash Xtension Mascara for even longer lashes! Run the brush just along the tips, not along the entire length of lashes.

6) Let lashes dry fully. Don't attempt to curl them again until they are totally dry, or the mascara will just smudge off on your curlers and you'll end up doing more damage than good.

P/S If you're like me, and use waterproof mascaras often, and curl your lashes to death, do your flutteries a favor and invest in some lash conditioners. Ardell and Talika both make good ones, and they're supposed to help lashes grow longer and fuller as well as protect them for the constant wear 'n' tear of mascara usage!

Did this advice work for you? Let me know!