eye makeup Big, Bold, Butterfly Lashes

Unless you’re a Hollywood celeb strolling the red carpet for a living, full-on glamour is probably not your everyday thing. Until now. Game-changing, camera-ready voluminous eyelashes have been showing up everywhere on virtually everyone, and the trend is not budging. Before you run for the Latisse or make an appointment for costly extensions, there are easier ways to indulge in lush lashes. Bold, big, and butterfly-winged, revolutionary advances in formulas and applicators add major volume and spread your lashes like never before. How? We knew you’d ask. So we went to top-celebrity make-up artist and mascara aficionado Billy B. for his take on this major moment of lash lust.

With over 20 years of experience perfecting the lashes of A-listers like Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Cindy Crawford, and (squeal!) Tina Turner, Billy B. knows his way around a mascara wand. In terms of false lashes vs. mascara Billy B. shares, "There’s nothing worse than a false lash done wrong. Taking care of your own lashes is always better. You definitely want a formula that doesn’t get clumpy, but as application goes, I’m not precious about it." A long-time loyalist to L’Oréal’s iconic Voluminous Mascara because of its 'best' consistency, Billy B. recommends doing two or three thin coats rather one giant messy one to prevent clumping. Sounds good.

But we wanted Billy B.’s take on what’s REALLY innovative and hot right now, and he delivered: L’Oreal’s Butterfly Brush. A brush? Yup. "There is finally a breakthrough state-of-the-art angled wand that actually does what it claims. The Butterfly Brush literally separates each individual lash. This new wand extends and shapes lashes into the perfect winged-out, feathered look that until now, women only dreamed of having. No makeup artist required!" He should know.

Giddy with thoughts of our own dreamy lashes, we dug a little more, asking him if we should toss the eyelash curler lurking in the back of the drawer. "There are only a few good ones out there," he shared, though given his high-stakes clients, he keeps them in his kit for die-hard divas. "If you don’t know how to use one, don’t do it. If you're using a good curler and know how to use it, it completely changes the game." And unless you're going to the Oscars (many of his clients do), Billy B. prefers a lighter touch on bottom lashes. "Long on the bottom for a smokey eye only – otherwise just long on top." Sorry Kim K., we’re with Billy B. on this one.

Finally, since everyone will be watching as we bat our glamorous fanned-out lashes, we asked Billy B. if hair color should affect mascara color, and he looooved the question. "Black-black mascara is the go-to for everyone, but I always thought on a red-head, colored mascara could be fabulous. Brown can be great for very fair blondes with light eyebrows and lashes – brown appears black on them, but less severe." Thank you Billy B.: words to live by. Exaggerated, fluttery WINK.