Face coverings and masks make mascara one of the most important beauty buys of the season
Main Image Caption: Radical Lashes: Kaia Gerber wears Yves Saint Laurent’s new Volume Effet Faux Cils Noir Radical, €33 Rachel Marie Walsh Weekend Aug 29, 2020
Mascara was a major makeup item before we donned masks, but with so much face under wraps these days, it’s a blinking brigadier.
There are some fabulous new formulas out for autumn. Testers aren’t allowed, of course, but recognising how the shape of the brush can offset what you want to enhance about your lashes (length, texture, volume, etc) can help you score your perfect match. Bristle length and distribution can be just as useful as learning what is in the tube.
For example, L’Oréal Telescopic Mascara’s narrow, short-bristled brush, and flexible tip help make it the most reliable lengthening mascara in the supermarket, as well as the best choice for those with separation issues. Stars such as Megan Markle swear by Diorshow Mascara’s chunky almond brush when doing their own makeup because it loads and completely coats sparse lashes with voluminous black so fast.
And then there’s Charlotte Tilbury’s fascination with the genetic quirk that doubled Elizabeth Taylor’s lash line…
Mascara is part of Charlotte Tilbury’s origin story. There might never have been a ‘feline flick’ or Magic Cream if a teenage Brit in Ibiza hadn’t been gifted a pot that she felt instantly changed how the world saw her. This new addition to her Pillow Talk collection — which works to flatter women of every age and colour — is volumising, lengthening, and a very glossy black. Born of her love for Elizabeth Taylor’s natural double-lash line, it has a paddle-like brush-head upon which you can load product, press it to the roots of your lashes for major lift and volume (her team likened it to the Wonderbra at the Zoom launch), and then flip the head on its edge and pull through for extra length. Charlotte also wanted the formula to work as a treatment so it contains keratin and plant waxes. The gummy, lash-lifting polymer holds a curl well. The brand describes the formula as smudge-proof, which was not my experience. This mascara is sold out online as I type.
YSL’s beloved False-Lash Effect mascara has a new formula this season and it creates more drama than Taylor Swift. The brush-head has a mix of flexible and rigid bristles that define fashion and impart volume in a single swipe. The formula is enriched with pro-vitamin B5, argan oil, and walnut leaf extract from the late designer’s Ourika Gardens in Morocco. The brand emphasises Faux Cils' volumising effect but I find this one especially effective for lengthening.
Lash Paradise is L’Oréal’s bestselling mascara. Its brush-head has a mix of straight and wavy bristles that create impressive volume. The newly-updated formula is loaded with conditioning ingredients that can enhance the look of natural lashes over time. If yours are stressed out by using too many falsies or removing waterproof formulas, you may like to give them a break in Paradise. L’Oréal also upgraded the wiper — the ring inside the top of the tube — to ensure a fresh, clean application from first use to catching the dregs.
Lash Freak is another volumising, thickening, and lengthening mascara. It has a particularly distinctive brush. The head has an asymmetric side that creates volume and definition by fanning the outer lashes. The curved side is for lifting and curling. It has a bud on the tip to help you coat and separate lower lashes. As with so many Urban Decay products, the standout element for me was how long the application looks fresh and stays put.
This summer mascara launch is still my favourite of 2020 to date. Huda Kattan began her brand with false lashes so it is interesting that she has put out a product that will usurp them in your makeup regimen. The 2-in-1 brush is especially efficient at creating volume, curl and length, there’s no need for follow-up strokes with a spoolie or dabs with cotton buds. The formula conditions lashes with silk proteins and plant waxes but it is the look that will win you over, it is flawless and full-on glamorous.
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