How 4 Editors Successfully Apply Mascara on Their Bottom Lashes

Applying mascara to your bottom lashes can truly take your eye makeup to the next level, but actually doing so without dealing with globs, smears on your undereyes and beyond, or some sort of cleanup afterward can be a challenge — but it's not one you can't overcome. You might just need to switch up your technique in order to properly tend to those tiny hairs.

Here's how four editors get those bottom lashes coated and cute without breaking out the makeup remover along the way.

"I can't lie — thanks to my father's genetics, I have naturally long lashes, but that doesn't mean I don't love mascara. And like any loving relationship, we sometimes hit some bumps in the road; almost always, those bumps involve my lower lashes. I'm lucky to say that, naturally, my lower lashes remain relatively curled and separated without mascara on, but when I want to give them a little oomph with my favorite formulas, they tend to look messy fast. Most mascara wands are just too thick to use down there, so I'll usually coat a lash separator in my favorite mascara formula (usually one that's waterproof or curl enhancing) and brush. While the separator, well, separates, the mascara coats and colors lashes so they more seamlessly match my look."

"As someone with bad allergies (and a penchant for tearing up from sappy TV), I sometimes skip applying mascara to my bottom lashes because I always think it'll smudge! But without it, my makeup always feels incomplete. My technique is to wipe as much mascara off the wand as possible on the edge of the tube and use a really light, fluttery touch. I've also found that wands with shorter bristles make it easier to apply to those teeny lashes."

"As someone with fine Asian lashes, I definitely need to wear mascara on both the top and bottom to help define my eyes. Most mascara wands are too oversize for my tiny bottom lashes, so my favorite trick is to turn the mascara wand vertically and apply mascara from root to tip in a vertical downward motion as opposed to back and forth horizontally. I find that this allows more precision in coating my lashes and helps me avoid getting product onto the skin underneath."

"This was my biggest beauty woe until not too long ago. My bottom lashes are incredibly fair and sparse, so mascara really does make a huge difference in my overall beauty look. However, the frustrating cleanup was almost always inevitable. Using a mascara with a thinner brush and tinier bristles has helped me out a lot in catching the lashes without hitting my skin. I've also found success with holding a tissue underneath my eyes; it acts as a shield for smears and clumps."