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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Anita Bhagwandas

Will a ‘cocktail’ of mascaras give me longer, thicker-looking lashes?

mascara cartoon

The hack
Using several mascaras to get the ultimate false lash effect.

The test
TikTok (and celebs such as Jessica Alba) have discovered the age-old makeup artist’s secret of harnessing the powers of multiple mascaras. Why? Because it’s rare for one mascara to do everything you need. For example, a small brush with a comb-type wand tends to be good for lengthening while a chunky brush and thicker formula is more volumising.

The mascaras you choose are up to you, but my advice is to start with a lengthening mascara, which will separate and prime sparse or short lashes and is less clumpy. Apply one coat on top and bottom lashes and leave to dry for 30 seconds before following with a heavier, thickening mascara. In theory the result should harness the best of both.

But if your first reaction to that is, “Who has the time?” I’d use this trend to make a cocktail of mascara colours instead. Apply a coat of black mascara for definition, then layer on a coloured one – I often use dark green over the top of black to get just a little hint of colour.

The verdict
Sure, it’s worth a try. But if you’re using two black mascaras, maybe you’ve just not found the right does-it-all formula yet? Just one coat of Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara (£19) is all I need to get mega lashes.

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