A trusty mascara is a makeup essential and one of the hardest working tools in your make up bag. Yet, shopping for a new mascara can be a minefield.
Are you a lengthening lover? Or do you want lashes that make an impact? Mascaras come in many shapes and sizes. Whizzy new wands, confusing sounding names, plus an array of colours can distract you from the task in hand. To help you find your way through the makeup maze, take a look at our mascara round-up.
Want to learn how to apply mascara like a pro? Celebrity makeup artist Claire Ray shares her insider tip for lengthening your lashes.
"To make your lashes look longer, hold the tip of the wand and start at the base of the lashes, wiggling it from side to side and stroking up to the top," Ray told us.
"After your first coat, look down and lightly flick the mascara onto the tips of the lashes in little strokes. By touching the tips of the lashes you will add length. Always use a lash curler to finish too as curling your lashes opens up the eyes."
Ray also shared her top tip to avoid panda eyes.
"In the summer you get hot and sweaty and it tends to be the bottom lashes that bleed leaving messy panda eyes. You can avoid the blur by using waterproof mascara on the bottom lashes. Just run on the tips of the lashes and it will stop any running under the eyes."
At the end of the day, ray recommends using a cotton bud rather than cotton wool to take off makeup.
"Dip into your eye makeup remover and gently wipe all around the eye," she says as cotton buds gently remove all traces of makeup leaving you clean and clear, with no messy morning streaks.
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