Mascara woes – the search for the perfect lash lengthener

Apparently we should throw away our mascaras after three months because they become a breeding ground for bacteria. This suits me fine and, in fact, I sometimes find it hard to resist chucking my mascara in the bin way before the three month deadline rolls around.

That’s because I seem to be inexplicably drawn to duds when it comes to eye make-up. I long to find the one; the mascara that is easy to apply, doesn’t go clumpy yet magically makes my lashes long and thick, but unfortunately I’ve yet to find it.

I’ve nearly got there mind. I really like my current find - GOSH Amazing Length & Build mascara in black (I always get black, the magazines say I should get brown but brown just doesn’t look made up enough for me). 

It’s got quite a narrow brush that seems to catch most of the lumps before they find their way on to my lashes, goes on like a dream and lengthens the lashes. It’s only £5.99 and I’d probably buy it again, but the hope that there’s a better mascara out there for me keeps me from staying faithful.

The worst mascara I ever bought was Lancome Hypnose drama waterproof mascara. Now a lot of people love this product and it has rave reviews on the web but for me it was all wrong. It went clumpy and made my lashed take on the dreaded spider leg appearance, it felt sticky, it flaked little black bits all down my cheeks and – worst of all – it wasn’t waterproof. In fact it smudged just through sitting at my desk at work which, I assure you, is not situated under a waterfall or in the middle of a swimming pool.

But I have had good results from Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express and also from Marks and Spencer Perfection Full Volume Waterproof Mascara, but I think my search will continue.

What mascara do you use? Any recommendations?

Getting ‘Buzzy: Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème

Call it an age thing but every so often there seems to be a new, previously neglected, part of me that starts to need maintenance.  More recently it was my cuticles. Before the got all raggedy and sore I admit I didn’t really know what cuticles were but they made themselves known, believe me.

To sort them out I started using Burt’s Bees lemon butter cuticle crème, a kind of lip balm for your fingers.

I was first introduced to Burt and his superb hive of bees by my best friend who loves the brand for its environmental credentials (using beeswax, not petroleum) and for not testing on animals. For a while I thought they only made lip salves but after a shopping trip with my pal found they did a whole range of lovely products.

Their cuticle crème does the job and did stop my fingers flaking away. I was also known to use it as a make-shift lip balm if there was none to hand.

The downsides were that it was quite greasy as the wax sits on your fingers – not so good if you have to type. It also went really solid in the cold which made it extremely difficult to use, but I guess if it works then I can’t complain. The other good point was that if my nails were looking a bit dry or they had gone transparent after a bath (or, more likely, a heap of washing up) then the cuticle crème was the perfect cure.