When you think of game-changing makeup products, it’s impossible to skip mascara. It volumizes and lengthens your lashes, and can actually tie your whole makeup look together—you’ll see the striking difference between the days you wear some over the days you don’t. According to statistics, over a billion units of mascara are sold every year across the globe; curling, volumizing, lengthening, thickening, fanning—a wand for every effect. Despite the sea of options, it’s common for customers to be confused about what they’d like to pick. The variety can be perplexing, we agree. To make your life easier, we break down the common types of mascara wands: refer to this guide before your next shopping spree.
Skinny
Conventionally, many mascaras had skinny, slender wands that were typically long. This type of wand is best suited for those short and sparse lashes, as the tiny bristles of the wand reach the inner corners and coat the lashes thoroughly. A skinny wand also doubles as a convenient lower-lash mascara since it keeps budging and smudging at bay.
Hourglass
If #lashesonfleek is what you wish to achieve, trust an hourglass-shaped wand to be your best bet. Popularised by Too Faced’s Better Than Sex Mascara, an hourglass wand is meant to render thicker, fluttery, fuller and voluminous lashes. Today, a slew of mascaras from brands like Shiseido and Typsy Beauty offer products with hourglass-shaped wands that are meant to boost volume. Wondering how this works? Through a combination of short and long bristles, so the formula reaches every lash.
Pointed drop-shaped
Have you come across mascaras with an arrowhead-like wand? These conical-shaped mascaras are perfect for people who like to ace their lash game. While the full-bodied base of the wand allows for densification, the tapered arrow-like end allows for covering hard-to-reach areas as well. This shape is amongst the rare wands that work for every eye shape and structure.
Jumbo-sized wand
A mascara with a jumbo-sized wand is usually super fuzzy and provides the lash with a boost of density and volume. For anyone who likes thick and fluttery lashes, sans falsies, a huge wand is the perfect option. Endowing the lashes with serious thickness, such wands can help open up the eyes and do the job in just a few coats, thanks to the coverage.
Comb
Though rarely available, a comb-shaped wand should be on your radar if you like to gradually build volume and shape your lashes. A comb wand is also great if you’re not a pro at applying mascara — it has bristles that are sized alike, only on one side of the wand (like a comb) to make coating your lashes foolproof.
Miniature wand
Some mascaras also feature a teeny-weeny wand. This type of wand particularly comes in handy to neatly coat your lower lashes. While a mascara like this cannot be the only mascara in your vanity, it’s a nice add-on to your mix to define your lashes and also reach the lashes towards the inner corner of your eyes, should they be shorter in size. Pro tip: A mascara with a miniature wand can also double as a brow mascara.
Here’s a list of some mascaras we’re obsessed with:
Maybelline New York Hypercurl Washable Mascara
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
