Product watch: Coloured mascaras

The garish mascara of the 1980s frightened me, but the trend now is for subtle, conservative colours such as aubergine, plum, violet or moss green, says Edel Coffey.

There’s something about coloured mascara that strikes fear into my heart. Maybe it’s because I remember the gloopy, garish formulations that coated adult eyes in the ’80s.

But coloured mascaras need not instil trepidation. While you can opt for fluorescent, fake lashes, as appeared on the catwalks a few weeks ago, the trend now tends to be worn in a more subtle way.