ATB Beauty Notes: Choosing your Mascara

You know how we go shopping for mascara right?

We pick up the tube, turn it around to read the fine print, while the SA extols its virtues. And then we open, stare at the brush, twirl it around, put it back & purchase it.

Mascara is the only makeup product that we buy on absolute impulse, we don't swatch it, & I hope to God that you aren't trying a sample tester on your eyes!

You know certain mascaras are meant to lengthen your lashes & some give you volume. But what does that mean for your lashes.

The answer lies in the brush. Take a close look at it. You see how the bristles are, well, that's how your lashes are going to look like once you apply the mascara.

So if the bristle had widely spaced bristles, it means it will not give you volume, but will define your lashes & lenthen them.  Loosely spaced bristles add length and separate. Such mascaras tend to have liquidy formulas that take a while to dry. The bristles pick up and just coat the lashes in a thin layer. The loose spaces also help comb out clumps (remember the wide tooth comb you use for your wet hair?) Case in point: Maybelline Define A Lash. Take a look at its brush below: 

But if the brush was densely packed with bristles, get ready for busy, thick voluminous lashes! This kind of brush picks up a lot of the formula and also deposits quite a bit on your lashes, if you are not careful you could end up with clumpy lashes.

I hope this helps you the next time you open a tube of mascara at the counter, and wonder what your lashes will look like.

So how do you choose between mascaras when shopping?