Few beauty products are as universally loved (and used daily) as mascara. It's often referred to as the desert island essential. After all, regardless of how low-maintenance you are regarding makeup, most of us reach for mascara to give us that instant eye-opening effect. So if you still need to find your mascara match, one that gives your lashes mega volume, fluttery length, and all-day curl, I will tempt you with a newbie that offers all that and more. By editor Trudi Brewer.
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The latest wonder wand
Clinique High Impact High-Fi Full Volume Mascara, $60.
The first thing you notice about this mascara is how only one coat makes your lashes look epic. Full, glossy and lifted, which is what Clinique promise. So down to the facts. It promises to create lusher, plusher, bolder lashes - being 100 per cent fragrance-free, ophthalmologist tested and safe for sensitive eyes and anyone who wears contact lenses. Hand on heart, it delivers - we love it!
So what makes this mascara special?
Clinique has long been the go-to brand for anyone who wants clean skincare and makeup. They pride themselves on being fragrance, paraben, phthalate, alcohol, SLS, and SLES-free. That is a big deal for anyone with allergies, especially around the eye area. So back to this glossy, volumizing mascara that promises to boost your lashes by 230 per cent! Thanks to tiny dimensional fibres in the formula, delivered by a ‘high-def wave brush’. These wavy bristles help comb and coat every last lash, while the precision tip is ideal for tiny corner and bottom lashes. Finally, the formula is infused with nourishing oils, including coconut, argan, and moringa. There are two shares, black and brown-black.
Top tip
Regardless of the formula you use, you can perfect your technique. There is a right way to apply mascara if you don't want clumps. Ensure you start your application at the root of the lashes, not the tips. Aim to load most of the mascara product at the middle and ends of the lashes, as too much product at the root can cause clumping. So, start by tapping your mascara wand against your eyelash roots, ensuring the brush separates the lashes. Then, roll it forward (much like a hairstylist would when blowing out hair) to capture each lash. Then wiggle the wand by moving it back and forth while pulling the brush upward - and repeat.
Other great formulas to try
Benefit Fan Fest Fanning & Volumizing Mascara, $52.
Also new is a mascara that gives an instant eye-opening effect. A custom-engineered ‘full-flex fibre brush’ offers a 40-degree curve that lifts lashes from the root, then coats each lash with ‘flex-wave fibres’ that grab, define and separate lashes cleanly and evenly. If you find your mascara clumps, this is worth a try.
top tip
Never pump your mascara wand in and out of the tube during application; this only pumps air into the tube, drying out the formula and causing clumping. Instead, twirl the wand in the tube, before taking it out to apply it.
Lancôme Grandiose Extreme Mascara Extreme Black, $76.
This mascara is all about the brush. WOW, does it lift and curl the lashes with intense black glossy colour and stay put for hours. The wand shape is the kind you find in makeup artists’ kits (that they have customised themselves). Why? The swan-neck wand helps grab those tiny lashes close to the roots, and then liff and fan out lashes to leave them looking like falsies - it’s pricy, but if you want to treat your limp-looking lashes - do it!
Top tip
If you have sparse, thin lashes, use a lash primer. This helps widens your lashes without creating clumps and means you need to use less mascara to get a fanned-ou, full, fluffy-looking result. Also, opt for a plastic brush. Why? A plastic brush works efficiently through lashes like a mini comb to smooth lashes while coating them in colour. Remember, a fine-toothed mascara brush can accentuate the length and minimise clumping when shopping for mascara. At the same time, an hourglass-shaped brush with dense bristles is great for building volume and length from root to tip.
REVITALASH DOUBLE-ENDED VOLUME SET PRIMER & MASCARA, $69.
I bought this mascara off the back of the hype created among beauty experts - and when I saw a friend sporting incredible-looking lashes late last year, I can now attest every word is accurate. It’s a two-in-one bright blue lash primer and rich, glossy black mascara duo that does more than prep lashes; it boosts volume, and wow, does it increase the length? Why? The formula's biotin and soft flex polymers help condition and strengthen lashes; the brush, let’s face it, that is what makes or breaks a mascara - is a volume-building wonder wand that captures every lash, and it’s water-resistant. As mascara goes, it’s extraordinary.
To covet, gift, or just to treat yourself.