According to Rea Ann Silva, a makeup artist quoted in the latest issue of Self, the average woman uses about 40 strokes to apply mascara. Craziness! Piling on that much mascara will only increase clumpiness, waste money (the more you apply, the more you’ll buy) and set you up for a case of raccoon eyes. Instead, Silva recommends a simpler approach that only involves dipping the brush in the tube twice (once per eye) and using fewer than 10 strokes to apply. First, "Place the brush at the base of your upper lash line; draw it through your outer lashes. Without redipping, tilt the brush toward your nose; brush through the inner half of the lashes." Next, "Close one eye; hold a tissue under it, [and] without redipping, roll the wand down over the outer lashes to smooth mascara. Repeat on inner lashes." Then all you have to do is duplicate the process on your other eye, and you’re good to go. Although Silva calls this second step a "declumper," I’m a bit skeptical and would recommend that you keep a lash comb around just in case additional declumping is required. I like metal ones, because the bristles are less likely to weaken and break off like they do with plastic combs.
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