As women, we want our mascara to be a macho man -- thick, long, long-lasting, conditioning and waterproof. Okay, maybe that was the wrong metaphor but regardless, we expect a lot out of our mascara but we might not be doing our part in meeting our partner half way.

Here are a few helpful hints to get the best show out of your favorite mascara. You will need:

Mascara of your choice
Makeup remover
Eyelash comb
Eyelash curler
Q-tips

How to apply your mascara:

1. Start with a clean palette. Make sure your face is makeup free since mascara is attracted to oily surfaces.

2. Pick your poison. There are so many choices – conditioning, lengthen, volumizing, long-lasting, waterproof, and the list goes on. When going minimal during daylight, you may want to go for length while a weepy movie may require a little bit of waterproof action.

If your lashes are light, go for brown. And if you're a dark lashed beauty, try brown-black or black. Remember the darker the color, the more formal the look. Don't hesitate to play around with colored lashes either. Makeup is supposed to be fun . If you don't like something, it's as easy as washing it off and going with an old standby.

3. Apply other eye makeup at this point. You can create the illusion of thicker lashes by pushing a black shadow into the lash line.

4. Break out the lash curler. The best ones are the nifty heated ones. If you aren't fortunate enough to own one, you can pick up its non-heated sister at your local drugstore. Hold it in your palm (we sometimes tuck it into our jeans while we're prepping the skin; creepy we know) for up to a minute to add some heat. Start as close to the lash line as possible and hold for 5 – 10 seconds. Work up the lash. Try to go for it about three times until your entire lash is curled. Even if we are going makeup free, we still curl every morning because it opens up the eyes so beautifully.

5. Now apply. Start at the underside of your upper lashes. Go slowly in a rolling motion to separate. Wiggle the wand horizontally for thicker lashes or hold it vertical for longer ones. Don't re-coat the wand for bottom lashes. Simply use what is left and go at it with a light hand. Then do a second coat on top lashes, after allowing some time for the first one to dry.

6. Comb through your handiwork. Plastic combs are cheaper but metal combs work better.

7. Remove strays with a Q-tip. You can even dip it in makeup remover if you so desire. But beware: It may mess up the other eye makeup you've already applied.

Mascara No-No's!

• Never pump your wand. It introduces air to the tube, which dries it more quickly and allows bacteria to flourish.
• Don't ever curl your lashes after you've applied your mascara. You'll either rip those suckers right out or break them off. This isn't alien chic people.
• Apply makeup before you curl and apply mascara. Otherwise, the makeup will fall all over the mascara and make for a distorted look.
• Wait a few seconds to blink or the mascara will end up all over your lids, which is a total bummer if you already put on your other eye makeup.
• If you wear contacts try to stick with waterproof formulas. They obviously breakdown slower thus, create less flakes in the eyes.
• Always take your makeup off before sleep. If you don't you risk brittle lashes prone to breakage.
• If the mascara is getting goopy or thick, it is probably aged. A tubes lifespan is only about 3 months. Make sure you replace it often. Also don't share your mascara with anyone else. Bacterial eye infections = no fun.