Mascaras

Mascaras

Eyes took centre-stage at all the spring/summer shows this year with psychadelic colour-popping eyeliner and shadow teamed with gavity-defying false eyelashes. Few of us have the time or the patience to spend each morning curling and preening our lashes to achieve this look though so it\'s a good job that there are now an abundance of mascaras that will do all the work for us. To make your job of choosing one that\'s right for you that little bit easier, we\'ve tried and tested the lot to bring you our top ten mascara\'s of the moment...

Dior Diorshow Mascara, £16.95

I couldn\'t wait to get my hands on this cult product which claims to work wonders on even the most barren of lashes like mine. This is an all-in-one wonder product which claims to volumise, lengthen and curl lashes with one sweep of its obscenely large wand, seriously, I\'ve never seen one so huge. After just one coat my lashes looked doubled in numbers and, although I did still need to reach fro the eyelash curlers I was amazed at the absence of clumps which I\'ve always found come with a volumising mascara like this one. It stayed put all day despite my absent-mindedly rubbing and didn\'t irritate my eyes at all. Definitely worth every penny. 5/5

Stockist: feelunique.com

Blinc Mascara in black, £19

I was a little sceptical about the miracle that is said to be Blinc mascara - which puts tubes around your eyelashes rather than paints them, but it\'s a phenomenon in itself.  The aroma that comes from the product does smell a little like paint-stripper, but it separated and defined every single lash and didn\'t come off - even after a Saturday night of dancing and rubbing tired eyes in the cab on the way home.  Which was fab, as the instructions clearly state you can\'t apply any more coats after two minutes.  The fun bit is taking it off when you arrive home; too tired and tipsy to follow the instructions and use warm water and pressure, I opted for my face wipes and was surprised to find the tubes in the wipe, looking like little spiders legs.  A fantastic mascara  - and fun at the same time! What more could a girl want? 4/5

Stockist: blincuk.co.uk

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara, £7.82

Forget curling your lashes, give them curves! I loved the packaging of this product and the curvaceous wand made applying this mascara a cinch making it a great purchase for the time-conscious. My lashes definitely looking volumised and curling them was made much easier after using this. I also got caught in the rain one night and got home relieved to find that my eyes remained smudge free. 5/5

Stockist: boots.com

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara, £13.21

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Clinique\'s new curling mascara which claims to make curling your lashes a thing of the past. Apparently the mascara will keep your lashes in place for 24 hours, something which, after I tested this baby out, I can believe as it takes an industrial strength eye make up remover to get it off! Staying power aside I was impressed with the effect this mascara had on my lashes. It didn\'t so much as curl my lashes but it did lift and separate them, making them appear longer and fuller without clumping. 4/5

Stockist: clinique.co.uk

Avon SuperShock Mascara, £5

A very affordable way to achieve a fuller flutter - Avon\'s Supershock Mascara is the business for glam lashes! I loved the serious-looking big brush which dispensed a healthy amount of mascara evenly over lashes, and without the dreaded clumping. Great for adding volume and a couple of coats gives a fab false lash effect for a night out... 

Stockist: avonshop.co.uk

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara, £7.82

This felt lovely and light on my lashes and didn\'t weigh my lids down like some thicker mascaras can. The finished look was natural and clump-free, so it was ideal for a natural look. When I rubbed my eyes, it didn\'t smudge, but it still washed off easily. My only criticism is that it wasn\'t a dramatic enough finish for me personally, but it\'s great for daytime. 3/5

Stockist: boots.com

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes, £15

If pretty, fluttery, subtle, soft lashes are what you are after then this mascara is the one for you. Available in four shades (warm violet, rustic brown, alpine blue and classic black) this waterproof mascara will have you batting your unloaded lashes at anything and everything - simply for the fun of it. So reliable, we guarantee you\'ll still look fairy-like even after a proper good weep. 5/5

Stockist: jellypongpong.com

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara, £7.84

If your style is vintage ‘60s then this mascara is your perfect accessory. First off it\'s psychedelic retro packaging is too cool to resist but not only does it look the part - a couple of coats grant you Twiggy-esque fat lashes. It\'s not necessarily the one for lengthening lovers - this mascara is all about thickening which it does without clumping to leave you with sexy doe-eyes. 3.5/5

Stockist: debenhams.com

Benefit Get Bent Mascara, £14.50

The angled brush makes it much easier to give full lash coverage right down to the base as well as into the corners of the eyes. The brush is voluminous, giving a lovely thick coating but without making lashes look clumped together. In terms of durability, the mascara stays in place and doesn\'t leave you with smudges around the eyes. If you do need a pick me up at the end of the day it also applies well over an earlier coat to give a freshened look. 4/5

Stockist: boots.com

Are you using a mascara that\'s past its best? Check your beauty products sell by dates here

Fancy a change for 2009? Check out our favourite celebrity hair cuts for a new you