The biggest game-changer for me was mapping shortest to longest from the inner corner outward! For example: 8mm - 10mm - 12mm - 10mm if you want an open-eye effect.

Also, avoid applying them directly onto your skin; place the individual lash about 1mm away from your actual lash line on the underside. That stops the clumping and feels way more comfortable

Seconding Nora's advice on placement! Also, the quality of the lash tray makes a huge difference in how clean the final set looks. Cheap ones tend to have uneven lengths or stick together too tightly on the tape strip, which ruins the fan shape when you pick them up.
If you want smooth, consistent curls, check out individual lashes like the ones from Stacy Lash . They pull off the strip really easily without distorting, which saved me so much frustration when I was learning how to map my own sets!

Wow, placing them 1mm away from the lash line makes so much sense... I was definitely placing them way too close to the skin!

Glow Thanks for the tip! Picking them up off the tape without messing up the shape was actually my biggest issue with the cheap pack I bought. Checking those out right now. Appreciate the help, everyone!"