Batting for Ireland

BEAUTY:Long healthy lashes are what we all want, but if yours aren't up to scratch, don't despair: fake lashes are getting better all the time

LASH ENVY

No matter how minimalist your make-up routine, mascara is sure to feature. It’s the product that makes your eyes wake up, and has a subtle lifting effect when worn on the top lashes only. Yes, I am aware of the current fashion for not wearing mascara, but this is one trend which I believe won’t filter down to the everyday make-up user – mascara is simply too valuable a tool in our everyday kits.

Our lashes are thickest at the roots and taper off into fine points at the ends – the colour also weakens towards the tips, often making the ends invisible. The primary job of a good mascara is to coat lashes with colour to define and lengthen. Black is the fail-safe colour choice, but I favour a dark brown lengthening one for daytime, as you can build up colour without it looking too full-on. Come night time, a volumising black shade will instantly transform your face – add a more vibrant lip shade, a spritz of night-time fragrance, and you’re good to go.

INSTANT LASHES

False lashes have never been more popular, and the Fiberlash brush-on lashes (€35) kit gives you immediate results without the fiddling and the glue. First brush on the mascara, then apply one coat of the lash fibres (which give the length and volume) and finish up with a generous coat of mascara. The effect can be built upon, so you can keep adding layers until you reach your desired intensity. I was a little sceptical about this product, but my three testers were unanimous in their enthusiasm and positive comments. Available at Clerys, Dublin 1, or for nationwide stockists, tel: 01-8331636.

GROW YOUR OWN

When you’re young, life’s too busy and exciting to notice that your eyelashes will never look as good again – and how do we repay them? We load them with mascara, curl them with eyelash clampers, tint and glue them, add false ones, and remove make-up with god only knows what. Along with all that punishment, lashes (and eyebrows) naturally thin out as we age.

Rapidlash is a protein and moisture-packed serum that you use on lashes to promote growth and condition, and it works just like a high-end conditioning product for the hair on your head. It’s available from branches of Boots (€49.99).

GET THE LIFT

If you feel an urgent need for a luminous glow while in the supermarket (well you never know who you’ll bump into), pop a jar of Tesco’s Barbara Daly Face Lift (€9.90) into your trolley. It suits all skin types, leaving skin refreshed and dewy. Worn alone it’s perfect for weekend wear, then come Monday it makes a perfect base for flawless make-up. It smells lovely, too.