This New TikTok Mascara Hack Is the Secret to Fluttery Lashes

We’ve all been applying our mascara for so long we could do it with our eyes closed, right? Scratch that, think of all the smudges. But the point is, it’s an activity we’ve done countless times, so we don’t need anyone telling us how to nail it, thank you very much.

Except…we noticed a video on TikTok that’s made us rethink everything we thought we knew.

For length and separation, we all learned to nestle the brush into our lashes, then stroke upward, but one creator, @makeupbylxna, took to the platform to show her followers an even better way to boost your flutter.

She uses a method she’s called the Zick Zack, whereby you pull your skin taut at the outer corner of your eyes, hold your mascara wand vertically, then zigzag the brush from side to side across your lashes to coat the tips and sides of each lash. Next, you can return to the old faithful way of combing your lashes upward from the root all the way to the tip. Remove any smudges and—boom—you’ve just XXL’d your natural lashes, majorly boosting the volume as well as the length.

Other users have been quick to put the hack to the test. @suzi_sina’s video showing her supersizing her lashes by incorporating the side-to-side step has brought in more than 70,000 likes.

We’ve even seen creators customize the technique: @rachelrigler posted a video layering the coats by applying in a zigzag, then up and down, leaving it to dry, then repeating.

The best part is you don’t need any extra products. You don’t even have to add much more time onto the step. It’s such an easy switch to incorporate into your routine, and it makes a whopper difference.

And, just in case you were wondering what mascara is best for the job, Glamour editors have rounded up the top performers below.