Isn’t it interesting when people are asked what attracted them to someone else, they always say, “His/Her eyes”?

Our eyes always seem to capture attention. We all love the old Hollywood glam look with the extra long lashes. Even though it’s old fashioned, it’s still gorgeous in this day and age.

Ancient Egyptians were the first to use mascara. They mixed kohl and crocodile droppings and applied it on their lashes with little sticks. Making your eyes look longer and thicker is much more simple nowadays–and it’s less gross. The secret to long lashes is in the way you apply your mascara. You actually don’t need an eyelash curler!

1. However, if you have stick straight lashes, you may want to give it a little curl with an eyelash curler. There are also mascaras that have a “built in curler” on the brush. The brush is made in a curve instead of straight across. You can use those in place of an eyelash curler.

2. When you’re applying mascara, start at the base of your lashes, then slowly move up the lashes wiggling your brush from side to side. This keeps your lashes from clumping together.

3. If thicker lashes is your goal, it’s a good idea to use a waterproof formula. They are usually a little bit thicker than regular mascaras. A great application tip for thicker lashes is to coat both sides of your lashes. Take your mascara brush, and brush your lashes down to coat the backside of your lashes. Wait about 20 seconds, then brush them back up to coat the front side. Use the same wiggle method in step 2. Coating both sides of your lashes makes them look more voluminous. You can do this double coating on your bottom lashes as well.

4. When applying mascara to your bottom lashes, hold your brush horizontally, and lightly brush your bottom lashes. If you have a steady hand, you can hold your brush vertically and use the tip of your brush to coat your lashes. I don’t recommend that method for a shaky hand because you can poke yourself in the eye!

5. Another great way to make your eyelashes look longer and thicker is by using a mascara primer. I’ve only tried a couple of primers-and both of them were unlikeable. They had a very thick formula that was hard to apply evenly, and it looked clumpy. But it’s still an option for anyone who wants to try them.

6. If making your eyes look wider is your thing, long lashes along with highlighted lids is the way to go. Take a shimmery eye shadow or eyeliner that is the same color of your skin (or very close to your skin color), and line your top and bottom lid with it. Lining the waterline of your bottom eye lid with a white (non shimmery) eyeliner can also make your eyes look wider.