Guide to Owning It!

“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” (Audrey Hepburn).

When applying makeup, I always focus on my eyes – trying to make them standout, look bigger, and more open.   I’ve never been a fan of fake/false lashes because they rarely look natural, so for me mascara is key!  Mascara darkens, thickens, and lengthens lashes which ultimately opens and enhances your eyes. Having big bold eyes with long luscious lashes makes me feel feminine, flirty and glamorous!  In fact, psychologically we are generally more drawn to people with a full set of lashes as they appear more youthful, healthy, feminine and trustworthy:

“Longer, darker lashes make the eyes seem larger in proportion to the ears and nose, which grow throughout the lifespan, making women appear younger.”

“Making the eyelashes stand out also makes the whites of the eyes look brighter. This is generally a signal that a person is healthy.”

“Long eyelashes make the eyes look wide, thus making facial dimensions more similar to a baby’s. Long eyelashes can elicit trusting first impressions from strangers.”

(quotes from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5778783_do-women-prefer-longer-eyelashes_.html)

My Favourites

With so many brands in the market, which one should you choose? The perfect mascara should be easy to apply and remove, doesn’t smudge or leave clumps (“spider lashes” are the worst!), thicken, lengthen, and define the lashes. I have tried more mascaras then I care to admit. After much searching, here are my favourite!

L’Oreal Paris: Voluminous Mascara, Blackest Black

“Voluminous® Original Volume Building Mascara is uniquely formulated to build lashes to five times their natural thickness for a full and dramatic lash look. Patented Volume-Maximizing Brush thickens lashes evenly and smoothly, leaving them soft with virtually no flakes, smudges, or clumps.”

Bare Escentuals:  Buxom Lash Mascara

“Bigger is better. Buxom Lash Mascara intensely volumizes for bigger, fuller lashes. The vitamin-enriched formula deepens, darkens and thickens from root to tip. Our curvy, talented, hourglass-shaped brush holds the ideal amount of mascara to ensure every lash is coated evenly with our silky, clump-free formula.”

L’Oreal Paris:  Voluminous Feline Mascara

“Our first mascara for instant volume with ferocious full lash density. Quick-charge brush captures each lash to deliver immediate volume and fullness. Quick-charge, ultra-glossy black formula provides a feline volume in one coat and shiny smooth lashes. For the most ferocious Feline look, try Voluminous Feline Noir with deeper, more intense black pigments.”

Smashbox:  Full Exposure Mascara

“Expose your lashes with this ultimate eye-framing mascara. Inspired by Smashbox’s on-set technique of layering fiber mascara over volumizing mascara for the biggest, longest lashes on camera, Full Exposure Mascara provides a 104% increase in lash volume plus lengthening fibers in one formula, to create scene-stealing lashes at every angle. No smudging, clumping or flaking”

How to apply mascara?

(1)   Hold the wand horizontally and apply mascara under your top lashes from root to tip, starting from the inside of your eye working outward.

(2)    Hold the wand vertically and use the tip to add extra volume to the ends of the outer lashes.

(3)   Lightly sweep the tip of the wand against your lower lashes from inner corner of the eye to the outer edge.

BEAUTY TIP:  Clean and save old mascara brushes.  They are a great tool to separate lashes and remove clumps if you apply too much mascara. You can also buy and use disposable mascara wands (like the ones you find at Sephora).

What’s your favourite brand of mascara?

(For full disclosure, please note that a couple of the links are shopstyle affiliate links.  I figured that if the products are available at other places for the same price, why not select ones that reward me so I can buy more products to review for you!)