As someone in possession of short, poker-straight eyelashes, I must confess that I have never been drawn to the idea of an understated mascara (other than when I was at school and pretending to wear none). The point of mascara, for me, is to create the fluttery, curly, cow-like lashes I was so cruelly deprived of at birth. The blacker, fatter and longer, the better.
That said, I acknowledge that the notion of restraint sits more comfortably with others (and their employers), so I’ve recently been playing around with more natural-looking options. Mineral-Infused Mascara (£4.20), by brilliant US brand elf, is about as natural as I go. It gives some length and volume, and great separation that, while not looking at all like my own lashes, doesn’t give the game away via flaking, clumping and spikiness.
Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara (£17.50) is subtler still, and ideal if you’d like to add a little colour and definition without looking made up. It also comes in brown, which so few mascaras do nowadays, making it a pretty choice for redheads and pale blondes who don’t want to go full Hitchcock heroine with pale hair and black lashes (fabulous though that is). It also feels soft and flexible on the hairs.
Shu Uemura’s Ultimate Natural Mascara (£20), meanwhile, gives a subtle curl, though, unusually, one that holds well, too. It’s also waterproof, making it a great option for beach holidays, where a casual but durable look is ideal. It is devoid of clogs and blobs, and I found I could apply it evenly and quickly on the move.
