I've Been Applying Mascara Wrong for 15 Years—An Iconic MUA Just Gave Me a Life-Changing Tip

To be honest, I don’t wear a ton of mascara—but when I do, I need my lashes to look fluffy and sky-high, nary a clump in sight. I either want full-glam flutters or not a speck of product on my lashes (and nothing in between), and for the former, I don’t settle for anything less than perfection. Luckily, Mario Dedivanovic, founder of Makeup by Mario and pro makeup artist with an iconic résumé of celebrity clients (Does Kim K. ring a bell?), feels the exact same. It’s why he’s never formulated a mascara of his own, despite relentless begging from brand loyalists.

“I’m a bit of a mascara snob,” he tells me at the Makeup by Mario HQ in New York. (To which I say, Same, Mario.) It took years to land on the right design, but the day has finally come for Dedivanovic to unveil his creation: Master Mascara, an inky black, volumizing solution dropping March 27. I secretly wore the product ahead of launch—glammed by none other than Dedivanovic himself!—and received his genius (and non-messy) layering tip that made my lashes look exponentially more doll-like. Scroll on for every single detail.

Before diving into application hacks (I promise we’ll get to those soon!), let’s chat about Dedivanovic’s winning formula and design. Master Mascara’s main gig is volume, which Dedivanovic tells me is the number one perk to look for in a quality mascara. Length, curl, and separation tend to come with the territory, but “thickening is most important,” he says.

But here’s the thing with most volumizing masaras: They typically come with a dense, fluffy brush in order to pack on the pigment, which more often than not results in clumping. This is precisely why I’ve steered clear of big, volumizing wands, as wiping off globs of product on the tube or a tissue is my ultimate makeup pet peeve. Again, Dedivanovic shares my sentiment, so he decided to create a conical brush with custom-shaped bristles that evenly deposit the right amount of pigment. No pre-wiping necessary. Each time he pulls the wand out of the tube—with that satisfying pop!—all I see are perfectly coated bristles and a clean, mess-free rim.

Because the formula is super buildable (thanks to a vegan wax blend derived from olives, rice, and sunflower seeds), you can swipe on coat after coat without fear of flaky, crunchy lashes. This especially comes in handy for Dedivanovic’s go-to application, which requires multiple layers: one horizontal, one vertical.