The budget-friendly, pro-tested trick for thicker lashes

What’s the deal with all of those dual-ended mascaras coming out these days, yo? On one end is the regular mascara (which I understand) and on the other, some kind of strange white goop (which I do not). Okay, I know it’s supposed to prime your lashes and make them look thicker before you put on the mascara, but I haven’t had great success with it yet. (Last time I tried one, I think my lashes looked grey with a few white clumpy bits.)

Luckily, when I visited the set of Look-A-Like last week—an amazing celebrity-double makeover show that you should most definitely check out—I learned a better trick for boosting the fullness of your lashes.

This is not only (a) cheaper than buying new mascara and (b) easy enough for a six-year-old to master, it’s also (c) endorsed by makeup artist extraordinaire Paul Venoit. (He’s the real mastermind behind the Look-A-Like transformations. I observed “Katy Perry” last week, and he totally blew my mind with the gorgeous retro makeup. More on that in a few weeks.)

But I digress—here’s the trick, courtesy of Paul:

Before you apply mascara, dust some regular loose face powder over your lashes. Make sure to coat both sides (they shouldn’t be clumpy, but definitely powdered-looking). Then, sweep on your usual mascara. Your lashes should look thicker and fuller… no fancy-pants new mascara required.

You’re welcome.