I’m lazy. Really lazy. I only wear make-up when I know 100% that I want to look particularly smart. I can happily nip to the shops or go about my business with a bare face.
When I do want to put on a face, I don’t want to waste time or money on loads of different products, experimenting to find the right one. I’m no make-up artist, but I’ve slowly learned a few tricks of the trade along the way.
Mascara
On one of my many no-makeup days, I'll get a sudden call to coffee or a warning shot from my mother telling me she’s about to arrive, and I'll realise that mascara is the BEST THING EVER!
As a teenager a few years ago (don’t snigger!), my mum and sisters had me putting petroleum jelly on my eyelashes. Now that my eyelashes are growing blonder, a mascara wand has the magic touch. If you’re lazy like me, or if you don’t want to wear full make-up, I would recommend spending a few seconds shading your eyebrows (more on that later) and applying a slick of mascara.
I may be fooling myself, but I feel just right when that’s what I have on. With that in mind, I've tried out three mascaras, so you don’t have to!
Even though manufacturers say that twisty mascara wands make application easier, I find myself wrestling with them and usually end up dabbing splodges of black in all the wrong places!
1) Lancôme Hypnôse Drama: €25.50
The container is pretty and sleek and promised a “fibreshine formula!” The wand head is a twisty one. But ooooh, it sparkles! I smeared it on some white paper and it came out as a dark shimmery grey. I had visions of wild nights out, sparkling like a disco ball with this beauty by my side!
Here’s what I found: the mascara coloured my lashes but only very subtly, and it didn’t give a thickening effect at all. It might suit a more daytime look. However, after wearing it for a few hours, my cheeks were dusted with fallen sparkles (a moment’s silence for the fallen sparkles!). I felt like a bedazzled My Little Pony!
Because it is a subtle mascara, even when you put on two or three coats, the good news is that it cleans off really easily. In fact, after watching The Notebook (for the thousandth time) it had mostly disappeared. (That film still makes me cry. It wasn’t over for him. It STILL isn’t over!) Definitely no panda-eye the next morning though. In fact, there was barely any coverage.
2) Benefit “They’re Real”: €26
I thought this was a cocktail shaker for Barbie when I first saw it. It’s a gorgeous sleek silvery thing. Prepare yourselves, because when you open it, you’ll realise that the wand is a bit different. For starters, it’s dead straight. Hooray! The short bristles sound almost rubbery as you take them out. I’m not joking when I say that after a few applications of this, I looked like I was wearing false eyelashes!
I can’t do fake lashes, so achieving the look without actual glue was brilliant! If you use the tip of the wand to do the lashes at the very outer edge of your eye, you can easily get the falsies look. I know it seems daft but I really felt great when I had this bad boy on.
It’s black. Really black. If you like a dramatic party eye, get this one in your makeup bag. If you’re lazy like me, and just want to do the basics, this and a touched-up eyebrow would be brilliant for you. If you don’t like a strong eye, just use one coat. Me, I’m a fan of three or four layers of this one!
3) Rimmel “Scandal Eyes”: €8.99
This was a panic purchase one time when I was travelling and had no mascara. It’s fabulous value for the big lash return on your investment! The wand is in a sort of figure-8 shape. I found it a bit awkward to use at the start, being a fan of the straight ones, but I’m used to it by now.
My lashes look like they’ve had a good Christmas dinner when I use this. Nice and plump! Again, use a few coats to bring it from a daytime to a night-time look. I’m not a fan of wiping excess mascara from a wand onto tissue. Wanton waste! You may need to deal with a bit of gloopiness on the very top of the wand, but it’s well worth it. This has been my go-to mascara for ages now.
Results:
For me, the Lancôme was too light for night-time and too sparkly for daytime. If some kind person gives it to you as a gift, use it as a top coat before a night out. #WasteNothing. Score: 1/5
The Rimmel mascara has been my favourite for a long time, being good value and giving a strong look. Score: 4/5
The newly-discovered Benefit is my new favourite. I have yet to see anything clumping on my lashes with this, even with the strong level of lash that it gives. Yes, it’s pricier than some others, but it gives an option for day and nighttime. And let’s not forget that falsies effect! Score: 5/5
Ruth Scott
