The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
Beauty brains/the manual
The best-ever mascara and man-brow management
Mascara is my most treasured make-up staple. In fact, going without it is a little like leaving the house without any knickers. As in: I just wouldn’t. An eye-opening miracle, you won’t be surprised to learn that mascara is the make-up product most women ask me to recommend – yet it’s almost impossible to accurately prescribe as it’s so personal. I like big, fat, long lashes. The bolder, the better. Yet to some, that would be as brazen as over-the-knee stiletto boots.
Women’s eyelashes also vary in length, thickness and curl. But I think I’ve finally landed on a universally flattering lash enhancer. Westman Atelier’s Eye Love You Mascara is the one that I’d recommend to any woman, any age, no matter how thick, thin or curly her eyelashes naturally are.
I know, I know, at £58 it’s expensive. But there is a valid reason for it. It is one of the first luxury ‘clean’ mascaras, free from parabens, silicones, carbon black and synthetic fragrances. This sounds simple enough, but according to every cosmetic expert I’ve ever spoken to, creating a natural mascara that actually works is a technical feat more difficult than threading a needle without your specs. Long-lasting, instantly curling and volumising – without looking ‘too much’ – this will make your eyes appear larger, younger, and undisputedly sexier, in the sophisticated way that wearing an immaculately tailored trouser suit and heels does. And the biggest bonus: it’s 96 per cent natural. Here are five more of my favourite mascaras…