Applying mascara seems self-explanatory, right? Just open the tube, swipe it on, and move on with your life. But if it’s really that easy, why is it so hard to make your lashes look perfect every single time?

When you’re dealing with a makeup product that’s as pigmented and messy as mascara, and you're working in an area that’s as small as your lash line, you’re bound to make mistakes and get super frustrated. Luckily, these beauty YouTubers, below, have more than a few genius eyelash hacks and mascara tutorials to help you step up your game so you never have to leave the house with blah-looking lashes again.

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How to Apply Mascara for Beginners

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Just because you’re a beginner doesn’t mean you need to settle for basic lashes, and this mascara tutorial shows you how to amp yours up. After you’ve prepped your lashes with a few pumps of an eyelash curler, grab your mascara and close your eye.

Instead of just coating the hairs with the mascara, press the wand against the root of your eyelashes, and blink as you wiggle the brush through the hairs. The force of your lashes blinking against the spoolie will allow them to pick up even more product, which means evenly coated lashes for you. And don’t be afraid to get a little messy. Lashes this full and thick are worth a little extra clean-up time.

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How to Layer Multiple Coats of Mascara

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The number of times you coat your lashes totally depends on the look you want. For a more natural effect, stick with one coat. For bigger, thicker, more dramatic lashes, layer on two or more coats. A cool trick to making sure they don’t look too clumpy or spidery? Switch up your mascara formula with each layer.

This YouTuber first uses a thinner formula with a curved brush to separate and define her lashes, then a thicker formula with a fuller brush to add volume and length. If you do end up with a few clumps, grab a lash comb to separate the hairs. Tip: Use the tip of your brush to coat the hard-to-reach lashes on the very outer or inner corners of your eyes.

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How to Prevent Mascara From Smudging on Your Eyelids

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If you’ve been blessed with lashes so long they hit your eyelid or your under-eye area, I don’t feel bad for you. Kidding! Ish. But if mascara smudges sound all too familiar, dust a little setting powder exactly where the tips of your lashes hit your skin before you apply your mascara. The powder will help create a little barrier while you brush on your mascara and, more important, will also absorb excess oils that might cause smudging later. Brilliant, right?

How to Apply Mascara on Lower Lashes

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If you love that big lash look, but don’t exactly have a ton of bottom lashes to coat in mascara, don’t stress. This YouTuber’s genius trick creates the ~illusion~ of a fuller lower lash line with the help of a liquid eyeliner. Before applying mascara, use a fine-tip liquid liner to draw tiny dots between the hairs along your lash line. Once the marks are in place, wiggle your mascara through your bottom lashes. The combination of the mascara and the dots will give your bottom lashes an instantly fuller effect that looks surprisingly real.

Brooke Shunatona Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.

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