Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthening Mascara

This one does two jobs in the same tube, lengthening and thickening, from a conditioning formula. It comes in two shades, Black Ice and Espresso. We would apply it in thin coats and build from there rather than loading up the wand.

How to apply it

Curl your lashes before mascara, not after, since a curler can break a lash once it is coated. Wipe the excess off on the neck of the tube. Do not pump the wand in and out, as that pushes air into the tube.

Start at the base, wiggle the wand slightly, then sweep to the tips. Build with coats rather than with more product on the wand, and add the second coat while the first is still tacky. Two coats is plenty for most days. Apply it after shadow and liner.

Who it suits, and who it does not

• Sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, according to the product information.
• Anyone who wants control over the finish, softer for work and fuller at night.
• Less suited to anyone who wants a finished look from one coat with no building.
• Nothing in the product information describes it as waterproof, so do not count on it for swimming or a heavy gym session.
• Take it off with an eye makeup remover or a cleansing oil. Water on its own is not enough for any mascara.

Wearing it in Auckland

Summers here are warm and humid, and lids get oily in that weather. Keep the coats thin, blot the lid before you start, and go lightly on the lower lashes, where transfer tends to show first. In winter the heat pump dries the indoor air out, so push the cap on firmly every time. Air is what dries a mascara out.

Worth knowing before you buy

Mascara has a short life once it is opened. Around three months is the usual point to replace one, and that goes for any mascara, not just this one. Building with coats also asks for a little more time at the mirror than a one coat volumiser does. If your eyes feel irritated at any point, stop using it.

Verdo Cosmetics is an authorised Jane Iredale stockist in Parnell, Auckland. Not sure whether to go with Black Ice or Espresso? Come in and look at both in daylight.