Hey guys,
I'm trying to get as much volume out of my eyelashes without using fake ones. I heard that putting Vaseline on your eyelashes conditions them and helps them grow longer. Does anybody know if that really works? And does anybody know any tricks to applying mascara to make your eyelashes look longer?

Vaseline won't do much. If you get it in your eye, it'll hurt. But otherwise its good for removing eye makeup (not as good as an actual eye makeup remover but great in a pinch) and might make your eyelashes soft. There's that new prescription thing, latisse, that supposedly really works. Can't say I've tried it myself though. Do you curl your eyelashes? If not, it's worth trying. I start closest to my eyelid, squeeze the curler gently, move forward a little more, squeeze, then move to the end of the lashes and squeeze again. This makes the lashes actually curl instead of looking just bent. Then take your favorite mascara (I've found the thicker ones work better. i.e. something like covergirl lash blast or physician's formula, not great lash mascara) and apply a coat to one side, then the other, and repeat. It's best to wait just a second between coats. If you do them too quickly the lashes tend to stick together. If you wait too long the mascara gets clumpy.

What helps me even more is to warm the curler with a blow dryer for a few seconds first, but MAKE SURE you check the temperature before you use it on your lashes. I have found that Cover Girl Lash Blast give me the most volume without clumps.

macdoncl, I've never heard of heating the curler that way. I would imagine that the rubber would cool long before the metal. Has that ever been an issue for you? What's your trick to not burning yourself? This is something I might have to try for myself ;)

Justcurious, It only takes a few seconds and it can get extremely hot, I just check the temperature on my hand first, you'll know if it's too hot. I haven't burnt myself yet and it gives me a great curl that lasts a lot longer than without heat. But do the mascara after you curl. You can buy heated curlers too but I've never tried one of these, the blow dryer works just fine for me. Good luck and be careful.

Thanks. I'll have to give it a try

Be very careful of whatever you put on your face [eyes and the extremely sensative skin under the eye as well]! To achieve volume in the eyelashes, you should use an eyelash curler, and then you could use 1-2 coats of mascara. You can buy a mascara to create eyelashes that will have volume, length, etc. after using the mascara. [After applying mascara you can use an eyelash comb [usually sold with an eyebrow brush] to brush out the lashes to separate them if needed.

Also, it is known that some people apply heat for a couple seconds to the eyelash curler before use; but be careful with this. This would be applying heat to your eye, and the eyelashes which may make them be curlier for longer, but may or may not be good for them. If any fall out or if it is painful, it may not be the best technique for the person.

*Also buy a new mascara every 3 months.*