Three mascaras that will fake that wide-eyed awakeness

These mascaras are what I call ‘Monday morning mascaras’ because they need to be present and correct, willing to open your eyes wide for you and pretend to the world that you’ve slept eight hours a night for the entire weekend…

While the weekend should be our down time, most of us spend it doing all of the catching up on life that we’re missing during the work week. We spend the day sorting the house out, getting the shopping in, bringing kids to any number of sports activities, at parties, catching up with friends and family and very much not catching up on sleep.

I always arrive at Monday morning and I’m ready for it to be Friday again. So I have to challenge my mascara to fake the look of someone who’s wide awake and ready for work. Quite the ask, but these three I’ve been using lately have done the heavy (eyelid) lifting for me.

The 4D one

Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D, €26 from clarins.ie

I always seem to love Clarins mascaras. Their formulas were always friendly to my eyes around laser surgery time, and so I remember that kindness fondly. I love this brush, it’s small enough to get the corners but big enough to give volume.

The doe-eyed one

L’Oréal Paris Bambi Eye False Lash Mascara, €14.95 from boots.ie

This one is really good for curl. My lashes are basically invisible they’re so blonde, but also they’re really straight. I usually wouldn’t be pushed on plastic bristle brushes, but the buildable formula and really great curl it provides kept me on side.

The not-black one

Chanel Le Volume Révolution de Chanel in Volcan, €34 from brownthomas.com

There’s definitely a certain bravery involved in wearing a mascara that isn’t black. But I tried it with this dark, anthracite grey colour makes my blue eyes look imperceptibly different. You can tell they look better than usual but can’t quite tell why. This one also contains lash-friendly strengthening vitamins, to care for your lashes while you wear it.

Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans.

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