How Many Coats of Mascara Is the Secret to Perfect Lashes?
Main Image – Annatabakova/Stocksy
When it comes to mascara, it can sometimes be tricky to know just how much to apply to achieve the finish you’re after. Ever gone in for “just one more coat” and then realised it was a step too far and now your whole look’s gone out of shape? Yup, me too.
Keep scrolling for expert mascara advice from myself, a beauty editor and consultant of 18 years and Pilar De Mann, makeup artist and co-founder at Pilar BLLaC.
Why do we wear mascara?
In short, to bring out the best in our eyes. “It frames the eyes and makes them stand out by coating the lashes, making them darker, thicker, longer,” De Mann explains. And she says it’s come a long way.
“What was once a brush with a cake pan (like an eyeshadow) now has hundreds of creamy dreamy options with wands made from synthetic brushes to silicone. [From] formulas that have fibre to thicken and lengthen [to] formulas that contain components to help grow.”
The modern-day mascara possibilities are endless!
What are the best techniques to use when applying mascara?
“I like to get my wand as close to the base of my lashes as possible and move my wand upwards to the tip of the lash,” De Mann says. “I go from the inner corner to outer corner and go over the lashes about three times to build them.”
But she says there’s no right or wrong. “Some people coat the tips first, then corner to corner, gently moving the wand zig-zagging first, then swiping up after that.”
As for me, I like to start from the outer corner, twisting the wand as I move up.
Image – Sanneberg/Adobe
Layering your mascara
How many coats you apply comes down to the finish you want, what type of mascara you’re using and also what kind of lashes you have.
One coat
“One swipe can give a light layer of colour, length and volume – a very soft, natural look,” De Mann says. “Some heavier formulas will give much more than that with one swipe.” If you have short, straight lashes, one coat might not be enough but on long, naturally curly lashes, one might be all it takes to get the right effect. Use a mascara with a light formula and small brush for a natural finish.
The mascara end of Ruby Hammer Mascara & Brow Duo (£28) is perfect for this.
Two coats
“Two coats will give a fuller, more even application,” De Mann continues. “You will have your first swipe as your base later, so it will basically double that look.” Use a mascara with a medium formula and medium brush like Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara (£9.99/$11.10) which is ideal for this.
Image – Max Factor
Three coats or more
“Again, it’s all in the formula. But as you apply mascara, you are ‘building’ the more you use, and the longer and thicker your lashes will be.” I find that Jones Road The Mascara (£24/$19.99) is brilliant if you want to build a really thick lash look, and as long as you apply each coat whilst the former is still slightly wet, it doesn’t clump or make lashes go out of shape.
How to layer mascara
Personally, I like to apply the first coat, wait around 10 seconds, and then apply a second. If I wait too long between coats, the first one can dry and then it’s tricky to apply the second one on top without it going crusty.
De Mann has a similar system. “I like my mascara to tack a bit,” she says. “I will do one layer, one eye, and then go back and forth as I build so the product has a few seconds to set, without setting completely.”
The takeaway
How many coats of mascara you wear depends on the formula of your mascara and what your desired finish is. If you like a natural makeup look, do one swipe and your lashes will look defined but not over the top. This is easily done with a mascara that has a light formula and smaller brush.
If you like a full lash look, 2-3 coats of a thicker mascara will do the trick, but remember to not leave it too long between coats as the mascara can dry up and make lashes look clumpy.
Meet the expert
LA born Pilar DeMann is no stranger to the Hollywood life. Her roles in the box have included makeup artist, producer and manager. Now, this makeup maven is shunning the celebrity circuit and sharing her expertise with the rest, real-world people of all ages.
Get Glowing!
