Estée Lauder TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara  
Score: 8.89/10
Suddenly, there’s a new category of mascara: vibrating mascaras, which imitate the effect of wiggling the brush from root to tip, for extra curl and coverage. A gimmick? Not according to our testers, who gave TurboLash a really excellent mark. The long, slim brush makes it easy to access all lashes – and a bonus is that once the battery in the LashSonic brush has breathed its last, you know it’s time for a fresh mascara. Jo has found that it’s the only mascara she’s ever used which can be reapplied after a day at the office, as the vibrations break up clumps. (NB: a little D-I-Y is required to install the battery!) The best all-rounder, it’s good for sparse, fine lashes.
Comments: ‘I laughed when I saw this! What next? But it’s just a gentle whirring, then it’s magic! You put the wand against your lashes and it starts to coat, separate, curl, lengthen – golly!’ • ‘lovely!
I was very sceptical but this is excellent, making lashes longer and thicker with two coats; but had to decode instructions for battery first!’ • ‘no clumping, good separation of lashes, fantastic lengthening and thickening effect – looked like false eyelashes!’ • ‘lashes looked longer, thicker, curlier – not natural but not overly heavy looking’.

• Estée Lauder TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara, £30 at www.boots.com; to find on-line, just click here

YSL Luxurious Mascara for False Lash Effect
Score: 8.7/10
A bit of a legend in beauty circles, this:
we know lots of beauties who swear by
the va-va-voom results False Lash
Effect delivers, and this was backed up by our testers. The formulation includes beeswax, carnauba and candellila waxes plus pro-vitamin B5 for lash-conditioning, nylon micro-particles to boost lash diameter – and the brush is generously fat. Good for volumising. (Also in a waterproof version.)
Comments: ‘10/10 for the lustrous finish and lengthening plus natural curl; loved the wand’ • ‘no clumping, excellent glossy, lustrous finish, very good at thickening, excellent lengthening; a new-found gem for evenings’ • ‘looked realistic but in an exaggerated way! Just what I want in a mascara, one coat was plenty’ • ‘fat brush was very good for top lashes, a little harder to angle on lower ones, lashes looked longer, thicker and curled nicely – and not false’ • ‘fantastic lash-lengthening, looked glossy and loved that it was “extra-black”’• ‘I love YSL for perfumes, and I felt the same expertise created this mascara’.

• YSL Luxurious Mascara for False Lash Effect, £22 at www.boots.com; click here to find it

Clinique High Impact Mascara 
Score: 8.42/10
We love Clinique’s precision: this, they say, gives ‘up to a 26-degree curl’. We know from experience there’s plenty of ‘playtime’ while you’re applying, but the high-impact brush delivers results with just a few sweeps. This too has lash-conditioning waxes in the blend. (Particularly good for extra length and curl.)
Comments: ‘Excellent at body and definition, which was very flattering; easy to use, very good at lengthening and thickening; lashes looked natural and curled upwards’ • ‘wand design made it easy to access lashes’ • ‘I have contact lenses and wear mascara every day, so it’s an important product for me – this is excellent and not too expensive, easy to remove, too’ • ‘good for defining my very fine lashes, made them a little thicker and curlier, very natural – like I had better eyelashes! I would buy’.

• Clinique High Impact Mascara, £15 at www.boots.com; to find on-line, just click here

Maybelline Define-A-Lash
Score: 8.33/10
The original Maybelline mascara was created by a man called T L Williams for his sister Mabel – out of coal dust and petroleum jelly. Happily, their mascara technology has advanced apace since. This ‘defining’ mascara promises ‘zero clumps’ down to a flexible rubber wand and a lightweight formula. Two shades: Brownish Black and Black (which our testers received). Three testers gave it ten out of ten.
Comments: ‘Fell in love with this – and I am usually a Boots No 7 girl! It made my lashes long and the wand was really easy to use – an excellent product: my girlfriends asked what I was using, so it obviously made a visible difference. I am a total fan’ • ‘great brush, which separated as I went along; gave a natural look, which is what I wanted; with more coats it was more thickening; made them look quite glossy, longer and quite fluttery – it didn’t smudge, and I never find mascara that doesn’t smudge. A great mascara’ • ‘economical, no irritation – and fabulous results! I have already bought another’.

• Maybelline Define-A-Lash, £8.19 at www.boots.com; to find it, online just click here

Max Factor False Lash Effect
Score: 8/10
Max Factor claim the stubby-handled brush ‘wraps each lash right to the tip for a false lash effect’, with its patented Liquid Lash™ formula. It’s the favourite mascara of Marigay McKee, Harrods’ director of beauty, who – when presenting a prize for this at the 2009 Cosmetic Executive Women Awards – announced that she thought they should sell it in Harrods! Just over our tenner mark, but it rivals others twice the price – and more.
Comments: ‘Applied slowly and carefully, it didn’t clump at all; makes my lashes look slightly longer and thicker: I like this a lot; the length of the wand and the actual brush is excellent – I have the most miserable lashes in England and it really made a difference’ • ‘Flake? No. Crumble? No. Smudge? Only if you rub your eyes’ • ‘lashes looked thicker and glossier’ • ‘very good at lengthening lashes; liked the flexible bristles – best thing is it’s so longlasting; still looked fresh hours after applying and it really opened my eyes up’ • ‘single coat is perfect for work, but you can build it up if you want’.

• Max Factor False Lash Effect, £10.99 at www.boots.com; click here to find it

 
Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara  
Score: 7.62/10
This looks wonky when you take the
wand out of the tube – but it’s specifically curled like an ‘S’ to follow the lid-shape, allowing for easy access to even the shortest lashes. A smooth, non-sticky formula promises easy glide through lashes for dramatic, volumised results. The original Hypnôse mascara became
the world’s best-seller after its 2004 launch.
(Good for volume, testers say.)
Comments: ‘Excellent, did a great job at lengthening lashes with lots of volume; matt but not dull finish, just needed one coat; I like the wand design’ • ‘smudged a few times on application but didn’t flake through the day – excellent staying power’ • ‘very noticeable how much longer my lashes appeared; definitely in the glossy and lustrous camp, the best mascara I have ever tried’.

• Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara, £20.45 at www.boots.com; click here to find

Maybelline Great Lash
Score: 7.62/10
Clever Maybelline have never changed the pink and green packaging of this so-distinctive mascara, which debuted in 1971 and is used by 200 million women worldwide. But it’s the lash-building, conditioning formula – and the brush, with its fairly wide-spaced bristles – which opened our testers’ eyes to this classic. Three shades: we trialled Very Black.
Comments: ‘Ten out of ten: goes on like a dream; no clumping; did a great job lengthening; very natural looking; no nasty flaking, crumbling or smudging – my lashes were lovely and soft and it didn’t irritate my eyes – thank you for introducing me to this wonderful mascara’ • ‘nice big brush made application easy; maybe a 40 per cent thickening (much better than lengthening) and it looked glossy – my 14-year-old daughter loved it and ran out to buy some!’ • ‘I was very excited to try this and there are great things about it: lashes are easily coated and it makes them bolder but not in an overbearing way – the mascara is easily removed, too’.

• Maybelline Great Lash, £5.19 at www.boots.com; to find this on-line, just click here

L’Oréal Paris Volume Collagene
Score: 7.57/10
The key ingredient in this is volumising ‘Hydra-Collagen’. The brush is huge, for quick, even application, and it comes in Black only. L’Oréal have hundreds of scientists, and the technology and design (including mascara innovations) that feature in upscale brands often trickles down to the high street later on.
Comments: ‘Excellent: a lovely product to use and really made my lashes look thicker and longer – though they’re not nowadays! Also easy to remove with my usual eye make-up remover’ • ‘looked longer, a little thicker and curled up at the ends’ • ‘absolutely no clumping; very good at lengthening and thickening; glossy, lustrous finish; no flaking or smudging’ • ‘a pleasure to use, mainly thanks to the excellent brush: twirling it through lashes gave excellent cover, volume, length and very good curl’.

• L’Oréal Paris Volume Collagene, £11.99 at www.chemistdirect.co.uk; click here to find it

Max Factor Masterpiece Max
Score: 7.37/10
The original Masterpiece mascara took the world by storm. This new version boasts an innovative ‘Volume iFX’ brush, made of flexible rubber, so the formulation transfers more easily to lashes without clumping. It contains ‘heat-, abrasion- and water-resistant polymers’, to last all day without smudging or smearing. Three shades (with Black, for our testers).
Comments: ‘My lashes look amazing, long and thick, glossy and full – one coat looked natural, two made my lashes look really prominent – this mascara is fantastic; amazing lashes, with no smudging or flaking: I used to wear false lashes, but no need to with this!’ • ‘I love this and would definitely recommend it’ • ‘I have short lashes and this lengthened them and opened my eyes up without looking artificial’ • ‘mascara is the one product I can’t live without: I have tried lots, and this is brilliant because there’s no risk of “tired panda” look. Ten out of ten for daytime, eight out of ten all round, because it doesn’t really thicken’ • ‘my holy grail mascara, which gives glossy, perfect lashes every day – flawless product’.

• Max Factor Masterpiece Max, £9.99, click here to find it on-line at www.boots.com;

korres Pro-Vitamin B5 and Rice Bran Mascara
Score: 7.37/10
KORRES tell us that the Provitamin B5 in this mascara works to strengthen eyelashes-but our testers were simply trialling it’s promised ability to volumise, lengthen and define, while adding colour. (You can choose from four shades: We’d suggest Black_02 or Brown_03, not being fans of coloured mascara – though our testers really liked the blue/black they trialled.) Good to have a new contender to replace Origins, after they (sob, sob) withdrew from make-up.
Comments:‘Looked really natural, like normal lashes, not at all dry, just enhanced in a nice subtle way’ • ‘the dark bluey-black I tested was actually really good for making my eyes stand out, but wasn’t as harsh as my normal black’ • ‘definitely no clumping, made lashes quite glossy and healthy looking, a bit longer; well-designed wand. I would buy this’ • ‘very wearable natural look for day – and it stayed put in driving rain’.

• korres Pro-Vitamin B5 and Rice Bran Mascara, £15 at www.houseoffraser.co.uk; click here to find it