Use your compact powder on them before mascara, brush them, then dust them lightly again with powder before the mascara. The oils in your lashes are causing them to clump. Also, once your first coat is on, just use the tip of the mascara wand to lengthen each lash from bottom to tip. Next coat go over them all again with the whole brush, and keep putting on coats until they are the way you like it. I use the teddy bear brush and L'Oreal mascara, NOT waterproof.

UPDATE: I had it done! Brows and lashes. No irritation. At first the brows seemed a little dark and thick. She didn't just wipe the color on but used a brush and seemed to paint each hair. She also said she put dye in spots where hair was missing. Today I had them sugared and they look really great! Several people said I really look younger. I demand honest opinions from my friends and family so I do believe I look younger, LOL. The lashes look good but it wasn't the dramatic difference I was hoping for. I guess my lashes are not as long as I thought. They do look good with mascara. I'm still getting used to the look as my eyes look different now. On to makeup. Someone I know who is a rep for a makeup line is going to come over and give me and my friend make up tips. We are late 40ish and want to make sure we are keeping current while looking the best for our age. We are very worried about not looking like our daughters (both 18). We see too many women are age dressing like their daughters. I even cut my very long hair when I realized my hair was just like my daughters. I saw a picture of the back of a women and she looked like 16 from the back. Then you looked at the front and she looked 60. I did not want that so while I still have longish hair the style now is more fitting. Even my 84yr old mom, who doesn't wear makeup complains that her friends still wear their makeup the same way they did when they were 20. If this is a midlife crises, I am enjoying every minute! and so is hubby as he has started noticing some of the upgrades, ; )

But I didn't buy an electric one. It's similar to the basic design as the old standards but different material where the lashes go and supposedly curls the lashes better. When my old curler worked on my lashes, I'd always get a weird crease no matter how many times I moved it around. Ollie, glad to hear you like it! With all the 5 star ratings I think I made a good choice. I don't spend much on makeup, so I don't feel bad splurging a whole $20 on this one. lol

I use this: Roux Lash & Brow Tint I've used other tint kits, but they've made my eyes burn terribly (which has also happened every time I've had my lashes professionally dyed). The Roux kit does not burn, and I find it very easy to work with - although I do have to be very careful to not let it drip down onto the applicator (I just use Q-tips) where I end up getting it on my fingers and it's a pain to remove. The kit does come with an "ooops" remover, and it works well if I accidentally get the dye on the skin around my eyes as long as I use it immediately. Anyway, using the Q-tips, I first apply the clear activating liquid (bottle #1) and let it dry for about a minute, then using a clean Q-tip I apply the dye (bottle #2) while looking into a lighted magnifying mirror. Super easy to do. After a few minutes, I either splash my eyes with water or gently wipe with a water-soaked cotton ball to remove any residue. For me, this is no fuss/no muss (unless I get it on my fingers!), doesn't burn, and is cost-effective. This is definitely a product I'll keep using. I'm able to do a much more thorough job than the professional ever did when I paid $25 (plus tip) to have her dye my lashes, and it's long-lasting too.