Beauty 101 : Mascara Wands and how to pick the right Mascara

If there is one universal item in our makeup bags, it is probably mascara! Whether you want sexy cat eyes or big round doll eyes, you will need one. But today, there is so many brands, with so many different mascaras, formulas and wands, it can be very confusing to pick the proper one. 

When you think about it, all lashes are not created equal. Some people have short and straight lashes while other may have longer but very thin lashes or short and thick. Sometimes, you choose a mascara and it ends up not working for you, not necessarily because the mascara itself is bad, but because it is not really meant for your lashes. Formula is of course very important, but the wand is the tool that will allow it to work, this is why this post is meant to explain why there are so many type of wands and how to pick the right one FOR YOU!

A quick lesson on mascara wands

Classic VS Rubber bristles 
They are great for definition because they will grab and coat your lashes from their base, allowing less clumps and an even distribution of products

Fat VS Skinny wand
Fat wands are meant to create volume with a dense and thick formula while skinny wands focus on length and definition and work with a more liquid formula. If you have long but thin lashes, get the first one. If your lashes are short but generous, the second is your best match.

Straight VS Curved wand
You can easily guess that curled wands are meant to enhance the curl, which will interest people with straight lashes. However, you can use an eyelashes curler (if you are not too scared...) and then add your favorite mascara with a waterproof formula. Why? Because waterproof mascaras tend to hold the curl longer and better than classic formulas :)

The tricky thing, especially now, is that brands now combine some effects and wand properties. For exemple you can have a curved and tapered wand, with rubber bristles (for exemple, check the below L'Oréal False Lash Wing). But once you know the basics above, you are good to go!

What mascara should choose for your lashes?

I have thin and/or few lashes
I want to: Thicken my lashes

-> Pick a big fat wand that will coat your lashes and add volume.

• Diorshow - Dior
• ScandalEyes - Rimmel

I have short, few and/or thin lashes
I want to : Thickens my lashes with definition and no clumps

->Pick a large wand with rubber bristles, because the wand with allow to add volume but thanks to the rubber brisles, you will also get definition and less clumps than with a regular fat wand mascara.

• Le Volume - Chanel
• The Rocket Volum'Express - Maybelline

I have thick but short lashes
I want to: Lenghten my lashes

-> Pick a skinny brush, preferably with rubber bristles that will grab grab your lashes from the roots and lengthen them.

I have straight lashes
I want to: Curl my lashes
-> Pick a curved wand, and use the wand in order to have the curve face upwards at the root and the lashes sit into the curve and help curl the lashes.

• Diorshow Iconic Overcurl - Dior
• The Falsies Volum'Express Flared - Maybelline

Make sure you use the wand in order to have the curve faces upwards. Then pull the wand from the roots to the tip to force the curl.

What about unusual wands?

Tapered wand 

This type of wand allows you to get volume from the base part of the brush, while adding definition from the tip. They are also helpful while creating a cat-eye look because the big part of the wand will focus outer lashes. You can also perfect your lashes one by one more easily, using the tip of the brush.

• Hypôse Doll Lashes - Lancôme
  
• False Lash Wings - L'Oréal

Spherical wand

I know...WHAT IS THAT? I was puzzled when these type of brush first came out. I mean this is really weird, and yet... 
What if I told you that one my favorite mascara is actually one of these now? Ok, I admit that the brush looks more like a weapon than a mascara but it is genius because it allows you to coat, define, separate and lenghten each lashes. It is a little bit more time consuming because you have to work in small sections but the result is superb!