15 Mascara Hacks You Need to Know

If you're like me and wear mascara pretty much every single day, you're probably in need of some awesome mascara hacks to make your beauty routine that much easier. Maybe you're not seeing the results you'd like out of your current mascara of choice, or perhaps you're wondering how to make that curl last just a couple hours longer. Regardless, the list of mascara hacks below is bound to cure all your beauty woes.

Although many would argue for diamonds, I believe lashes are a girl's true best friend. They can completely change your makeup look, depending on how big or dramatic you want them. Fluffy lashes paired with a red lip are totally Old Hollywood glamour, while spiky lashes and eyeliner take things in a punk direction. The type of mascara you use, plus how much you apply allows you to really customize your look.

I very rarely step outside without at least a hint of mascara because I believe it makes such a big impact. For girls like me with basically white blonde lashes, a couple coats of mascara makes all the difference. Even if I'm wearing no other makeup, just a hint of mascara can make it look like I've put some effort into my appearance that day. Thanks to these mascara hacks, applying my daily mascara has become almost second nature.

1. Mascara As Liner

If you seriously need some eyeliner and are in a pinch, try applying mascara with an eyeliner brush, according to Gurl. No one will even be able tell the difference between that and your favorite gel liner.

Bdellium Tools Eyeliner Brush, $7, Amazon

2. Coat Both Sides

L'Oreal Paris Telescopic Mascara, $8.96, Amazon

If you have light eyelashes like me, it's important that you coat both the tops and bottoms, according to the Fashion Spot. If you skip the top, your natural color could poke through every time you close your eyes and you'll miss out on some serious thickness.

3. Wiggle The Brush

Maybelline Great Lash Lots Of Lashes Mascara, $4.49, Amazon

To get thicker and longer looking lashes, try wiggling the brush at the root and then pulling it straight until the ends. Wiggling the brush distributes more product at the root, but allows the ends to be a bit lighter and fan out, according to Refinery29.

4. Mascara Cocktail

L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara, $7.97, Amazon

If you can't decide between curling and volumizing mascaras, try layering formulas to get the best out of both of them, according to About .

5. Baby Powder

If you really want to get thick lashes, Minq suggests layering baby powder between each coat of mascara. The baby powder clings to the wet mascara and gives you crazy amounts of volume.

Johnson's Original Baby Powder, $4, Amazon

6. Mascara Mistakes

If you're getting a little to crazy with the mascara wand and end up with black smudges all over your eye shadow, Cosmopolitan says you should wait for the mascara to dry before wiping it away with a dry cotton bud.

Q-tips Precision Cotton Swabs, $8.49, Amazon

7. Mascara For Brows

Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara, $4.49, Amazon

If your brows are not on fleek and you don't have a pencil or gel on hand, try using a mascara with a similar color or a clear formula to comb through the hair.

8. Bend It

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, $7.19, Amazon

To get more control of your mascara wand, try bending the wand to 90 degrees as you pull it out of the tube, according to Cosmopolitan. The angle makes it easier to grip the wand and apply the formula.

9. Add Fibers

Lash Fibres Brush-On False Lashes, $34.95, Amazon

To get some seriously voluminous lashes without falsies, try layering some loose fibers made for mascara between coats, according to XOVain.

10. Smudge It Out

L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara, $6.99, Amazon

If you want a wide eyed look without using eyeliner, try smudging a bit of mascara on your lower lash line, according to Brit + Co. The look ends up being much more dramatic than before.

11. Roller Brush

Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal, $5.27, Amazon

If your eyelash curler isn't doing the trick, try rolling your mascara brush along the lashes for some extra volume, according to Allure.

12. Wipe Off Excess

When you get a new tube of mascara, there could be a lot of excess on the brush, according to Makeup Geek. Be sure to wipe some of it off with a tissue to prevent clumps.

13. Twirl Instead of Pump

If you want to get all you can out of your mascara tube, make sure you spin the wand around to reach the edges rather than pump the wand in and out of the tube, which could trap bacteria inside.

14. Business Card

Michelle Phan recommends using a business card to protect your eyelid from the mascara so you aren't getting smudge marks. Just place the card at the roots of your lashes and pull up your eyelid a bit to get at all your lashes without leaving a mark.

15. Vertical Mascara Wand

To get a more natural look on your bottom lashes, try applying the mascara by holding the wand vertically rather than horizontally, PopSugar recommends.

Images: Courtesy Brands