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How The Shape Of A Mascara Brush Actually Impacts Your Lashes
From those hourglass brushes to the intimidating ball wand
Triangle
Best for: Elongating your eyes
Designed by L'Oréal, this bizarre-looking mascara brush not only gives your eyes a feline effect, but the mini row of bristles in the centre also tightlines your upper waterline.
L'Oréal False Lash Sculpt Mascara, £10.99
Pointed
Best for: Lengthening
Think of these types of mascara brush as a 2-in-1. You can apply your mascara as you normally would with the brush, then turn the wand and use the tip to give the ends of your lashes an extra lengthening boost.
Benefit They're Real! Mascara, £20.50
Comb
Best for: Short, sparse lashes
If your lashes are on the thinner, shorter side, a mascara brush shaped like a comb will help grab and coat every single lash with minimal clumping.
Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Angel Mascara, £7.99
Curved
Best for: Curling
If your lashes are straighter than uncooked spaghetti, a curved wand will hug your lashes from the root to the tip, curling your lashes as you coat them. For a curl that really lasts, start with an eyelash curler and opt for a waterproof formula to prevent dreaded 'droopage'.
Barry M That's How I Roll Waterproof Mascara, £4.99
Ball
Best for: Hard to reach lashes
These mini torture balls aren't as scary as they look. In fact, they have been designed to get to all those hard-to-reach lashes which traditional sized brushes can't get to. So now you never have to get mascara on your eyelids again.
Givenchy Phenomen Eyes Renewal Mascara, £25
Cone
Best for: Corner lashes
The lashes on the inner and outer corners of your eye often get left out, but not with these tapered brushes. The thinner end ensures all your lashes get an even coating.
bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara, £18
Inverted Cone
Best for: Widening your eyes
This brush is designed so that the smaller bristles at the base grab onto the root of your lashes, widening as they pull your lashes upwards and outwards. Great for volume and length.
Max Factor Glamour Extensions 3-in-1 Mascara, £10.99
Bubble
Best for: Lifting
If you're more about the curl than the volume, a bubbled mascara wand will ensure that each one of your lashes gets an extra hoist up to the gods as the brush travels from root to tip.
Fairy Drops Scandal Queen Waterproof Mascara, £18.50
Rectangle
Best for: Volume and length
A rectangular brush won't get into every nook and cranny, but the shorter, squared off bristles will stretch and pull your lashes to new levels of volume and length.
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara, £19
Customisable
Best for: Buildable Volume
The struggle between voluminous lashes and clumpy spider legs can seem endless, which is why this 90° bendable brush is a revelation. This gives you serious volume with control, meaning you don't have to coat the same lashes over and over again.
Givenchy Noir Interdit Mascara, £25.50
Skinny
Best for: Definition
If you have shorter lashes, you will know that a lot of lengthening mascaras don't always work. This skinny brush will ensure your lashes are coated in mascara from the very root, making them appear longer and more defined.
NYX The Skinny Mascara, £6.50
Miniature
Best for: Bottom Lashes
If you can't apply mascara on your bottom lashes without getting it all over your face, you need to invest in one of these teeny-tiny mascaras. It might seem excessive but, not only will they reach every single one of your lashes, they also have long-wear formulas which prevent the dreaded smudging.
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, £14.50
Jumbo
Best for: Thickening
Not only will a jumbo-sized mascara brush give you serious volume and thickness, it will also take you half the time to apply it. If you are blessed with camel-like lashes you will get the best results from these types of mascara.
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara, £24.50
Spiral
Best for: Volume and curl
This spiralled brush will give you the perfect compromise between volume and curl. It works in a similar way to the bubble shaped brush, by lifting the lashes as you roll, only less pronounced so you don't loose out on any volume.
L'Oréal Paris Miss Baby Roll Mascara, £7.99
Hourglass
Best for: A false-lash effect
Too Faced designed its iconic mascara brush after discovering Marilyn Monroe's bust-waist-hip ratio, spawning a whole new range of hourglass-shaped brushes. As well as providing tons of volume, the shape also helps lift your lashes.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, £19
Traditional-Shaped Plastic
Best for: Volume and separation
If you can't decide between a traditional bristle brush and a plastic brush, the general rule of thumb is that a plastic bristle brush gives more definition and less clumping.
Dior Diorshow Pump 'N' Volume Mascara, £25.50
Traditional-Shaped Bristle
Best for: Volume and fullness
If you want volume, fullness and fluttery lashes go for a traditional bristle brush over plastic. Although you might experience some clumping, these are much kinder to sensitive eyes than plastic bristles.
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Mascara, £25
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