If you suffer from thick, clumpy, spider-like lashes, you may be applying mascara incorrectly.

Ace your mascara application with a three-step process:

Step 1: Wiggle the wand left to right at the base of lashes. It's the mascara placed near the roots -- not the tips -- that gives the illusion of length.

Step 2: Pull the wand up and through lashes, wiggling as you go. The wiggling part is key: Wiggling separates lashes.

Step 3: In this final step (which I always skip), close the eye and place the mascara wand on top of lashes at the base and pull through to remove any clumps.

Lash Tips

• Keep lashes from clumping. For some, lash combs are simply too fussy. But for some makeup artists, they're a great invention and keep lashes glob-free and perfectly separated.

• Apply mascara at the lash base. Then wiggle the lash comb through to the tips of your lashes.
  

• Not into the lash comb? Get rid of clumps without them by removing excess mascara from the wand. Wipe wand on tissue, this eliminates blobs BEFORE you start.

• Try a spoolie (a disposable mascara wand). Sweep a clean, fresh mascara wand through lashes when they're wet.

• Mix mascaras. A trick makeup artists use to make lashes pop is apply one coat of lengthening mascara, followed by one coat of thickening mascara. Remove excess product with a clean spoolie wand.

• Don't shy away from colored mascara. Basic mascara rules are simple: Black works for everyone but can be harsh on light-skinned blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night.

• Blue mascara brightens blue eyes while purple mascara makes brown eyes pop.

• Use an eyelash curler Curling lashes gives eyes the appearance of being wider and brighter. Shoot warm air from your blow dryer on the mascara curler for 3-5 seconds to warm it up before curling lashes. Touch it first to make sure it's not too hot. It's a myth that you have to curl lashes before you apply mascara. You can curl lashes after mascara application; just make sure the mascara is dry first.

• Give a few coats to the edges by blinking. Blink onto the brush to give ends an extra coat.

• Powder under the eye before applying mascara. Sometimes mascara smudges because it's attracted to oily concealer or eyecreams.

• Zig-zag the wand. Zig-zagging the wand back and forth during application helps cut down clumps.
  

• Use a mascara primer. Primers coat lashes and separate them before you apply mascara. Makeup artists swear by mascara primer. I tried it and like it, but because it's an added step, I usually use primer only on special occasion when I spend more time on my makeup.

• Want that 2nd coat? Just make sure to do it before the first coat dries, otherwise you'll get clumps.

• Do NOT pump wand in and out of the tube. This only introduces air into the tube, which will cause your mascara to dry out sooner than it should.

• Another smudge-proof tip -- bend the wand. A top makeup artist once gave his secret to his steady hand: he always bends his wand at a right angle. Wait five seconds before blinking. You don't want to paint your lids, do you?

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