Eye Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It may darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has various formulas; however, most contain the same basic components of pigments, oils, waxes, and preservatives. The most common form of mascara is a liquid in a tube with an application brush.
Even though mascara is a staple for many makeup wearers, it’s one of the more misunderstood products in your kit. Mascara opens the eye to help you look more awake. Most think there is nothing to applying mascara—they swipe it on the lashes the same way, every time. But there are methods to apply it based on your eye shape that will transform your makeup into something that looks more polished and professional.
“Mascara enhances the eyes in a number of ways. It not only darkens lashes, but can lengthen and volumize for brighter, bigger-looking eyes. Fuller-looking lashes can help to give a more youthful appearance to the eye area,” said Claudia Soare, president and creative director of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Learning how to apply mascara correctly may seem like an entry level beauty skill, but perfecting your technique can take a bit of work.
Most mascaras are formulated to offer multiple benefits (length and volume or curl and length, for instance), but they are generally separated into three main categories:
- Volumizing mascara: Ready to pump up the volume? This popular mascara type can give you major thickness and can often provide additional length.
- Lengthening mascara: Bye-bye, stubby lashes! This type of mascara formula adds length to the ends of lashes to help open up your eyes.
- Curling mascara: Curling mascaras add flair to flat lashes and give them a much-needed boost of volume.
So, how do different mascara formulas work their magic? It’s mostly in the brush!
“The brush is the key for application of mascara — more sparse bristles will add more product to the lashes, which can be overwhelming or ‘clumpy’ for someone who doesn’t have a lot of lashes to begin with.
Wispier, dense bristles will comb product through lashes for more definition and less clump. If you naturally have long lashes, you may want a mascara wand that deposits more product and really makes them as dramatic as possible”.