The cornucopia of mascaras available on the market today can be quite perplexing to the average female: there are so many different formulas to wade through - non-clumping, water resistant, smudgeproof, waterproof with promises to thicken, curl, lengthen, or even grow lashes over time.
Mascaras also come in varying colours such as electric blue and purple, with the most popular being shades of brown and black to blackest black.
For the ladies that dislike the feeling or weight of mascara on their lashes, clear colourless mascaras are lightweight and gentle enough to use every day.
To find the perfect mascara best suited to your own particular needs, would mean trying different brands and formulas over time in different elements and conditions, and then deciding upon what works best for your needs. A good place to start off would be evaluating the type of lashes you have been blessed with and then matching a formula to enhance them.
If you have sparse or fine eyelashes, mascaras that add buildable volume would be perfect for you. There are white coloured formulas available now that contain fibres that can be used to coat lashes first and then the desired volumizing mascara in your desired colour is applied on top of that to give fine lashes that extra boost of volume that makes the world of difference to the eyes and face as a whole. Look for wands that have bristles that flare out in several different directions to maximize your volume.
Lengthening mascaras can be wonderful for short lashes; wands with thin spiral bristles are great to get around hard-to-reach areas. Women with thick eyelashes' only worry may be to prevent clumping; they should use a regular formula that says 'natural' and look for wands with straight bristles to separate lush lashes perfectly. Lashes that tend not to hold a curl work best with mascaras especially formulated to curl. The best option, however for these types of lashes are waterproof formulas as they are often of a lighter weight that other formulas.
HOW TO APPLY MASCARA
Note: Pumping the wand several times in your mascara tube doesn't mean that you are getting more product on your wand. Simply twirling the wand around the tube once will do the trick.
Apply mascara starting at the base of the lashes and wiggle the wand all the way through to the tips to deposit the colour evenly.
Apply a second coat if desired, but allow the first to dry completely.
An excellent tip would be to layer two different formulation types of mascara if your lashes fall into multiple categories. For example, if you have lashes that are both sparse and short, start with a lengthening mascara and then add a volumising formula on top of that. This way you get the best of both worlds.
Always remember, mascara is like a pair of fabulous shoes to match your little black dress, it's the finishing touch that completes your look.
MY TOP FIVE MASCARA PICKS FOR 2013
�2 Lancome Hypnose Mascara
�2 Dior Show Backstage Makeup Mascara
�2 Urban Decay Big Fatty
�2 Tarte, Lights, Camera, Lashes
�2 L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes.