Some people say legs for days - I always abide by the policy: Lashes for days! and why not? They instantly uplift your face, and you can go from bed to beyond in 10 minutes or less!
Mascara never used to be part of my make up routine,for as long as I can remember, all I used was liner & Kajal, maybe 7 years ago, I started using mascara and now my eyelashes have become my favourite feature to accentuate!
As any millennial would, I googled reviews & best products, price ranges and stockists before I added it to my vanity. Over the years after testing tons of them, I can say with certainty that some popular brands (like the Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara) don't deliver nearly as much as they promise! I came to the conclusion that these have to be my top 3 favourite branded mascaras! Bear in mind, I'm the sort of person who usually loves a dramatic look, so here's my list below:
Charlotte Tilbury's Full Fat Lashes - (Retails for 23 GBP, 2,053 INR or 28 USD)
Why I love this product - It doesn't clump easily! the formula is soft, smooth, very dark and buttery but the wand allows easy application, and to build up with every layer, so if you just want a day look, vs a glam night look you can just adjust by adding multiple layers!
Where to buy: Unfortunately I don't think there are any stockists in India yet, but you can get it on multiple websites in the UK (as it is an English brand) and it ships to the US as well!
Bobbi Brown - Smokey eye Mascara - (Retails for GBP 25, 2,230 INR, 30 USD)
Why I love this product - This is a fab fab mascara! I cannot rate it highly enough, it is the only mascara I own that elongates & gives your lashes volume at the same time! I absolutely love it and even got my sister hooked on to it! I usually tend to mix up my mascara's and start with a base layer of this one before moving onto any other. It's a very clean looking short tube, and is easy to carry to travel with. For the price, it's definitely one of my top picks!
Where to buy: Again, what makes this so great is you can find it anywhere! In India, it's available online on Nykaa, or retails at several locations such as Sephora, Bobbi Brown, Airport Duty Free! In the UK & US as well, its available on multiple beauty websites and locations so always easy to find, and in various sizes! - again great to travel with!
My last and most recent addition to this pack is the - Tom Ford Extreme Mascara which is probably the most expensive as it retails for £38, 3,300 INR, 44 USD.
Why I love this product - I am a huge fan! I think I came across this product by chance at Selfridges once, but it gives great volume, the only problem is that I think it needs to be replaced often (within 3 months or less) because the formula does tend to clump, but its very pigmented and turns out beautifully especially when layered with the other two mascaras I've suggested
Where to buy: Unfortunately not available in India again! but the good news is, it is available in the US & UK (quite readily) at high end department stores (Nordstorm, Selfridges, harrods), the standalone Tom Ford website or Sephora!
As with any mascara, you should replace it in 2-3 months maximum as the formulas do tend to clump!
Another great tip that I received that I live by is rather than pump the mascara wand straight into the bottom, twist it instead, this prevents air getting in & allows a more even spread of the product on the wand!
I'm currently also trying the Tarte Cosmetics - Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 mascara which I don't mind at all! and yet to try the L'oreal telescopic mascara which I bought with a recommendation by a blogger (with love, Leena) that I've been loving recently on youtube!
How to make sure you buy the right mascara for you? (without trying tons of them) is look for the right wand/brush for the effect you want to create. Masacaras that volumize generally have a fluffier wand - i.e many bristles usually close to each other (a perfect example is the brush pictured above!) as compared to lengthening wands that have really tiny sharp bristles that are well spaced!
How to apply it to get the most out of it:
With mascara, I think the best way to get the most out of it, is by following the age old manta 'Go big or go home', personally, I love starting out with a layer of the bobbi brown smokey eye mascara, followed by charlotte tilbury and then one last (maybe a few!) layer of the tom ford mascara. While applying I tend to not only focus on separating the lashes (I do sometimes use another spooly to take off some product or separate them if they're clumped together), but I also focus on applying some product to the top of my lashes, and then lifting them from below! In between layering my top lashes, I also do my bottom lashes, however, I tend to use less product on them, and once they're completely dry, I use a tiny flat brush dipped in some bronzer or lighter/neutral brown eyeshadow to go over them and soften the overall effect a bit! - Let me know if this works for you too! :)
Hope you've enjoyed reading, be back super soon xx