Beauty: Open your eyes to the best mascara around

IT STARTED with a combination of soot, copper, lead and even onion water applied with sticks of bone or glass. By the 1880s, extracts of walnut halls and castor oil were rubbed on vigorously. Come 1917, soap and pigment were the beauty accessory de jour and the humble mascara was born. Now, from water-based to waterproof, lash lengthening to volumising, our make-up bag staple has come a long way.

It may be more than 80 years since Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Bette Davis put mascara into the mainstream, but long, luscious and groomed lashes continue to be the ultimate in beauty glamour. Today's new breed of mascara offer an array of hard-working ingredients and technological advancements that can now rival a set of false lashes in one state-of-the-art coat.

Clinique's High Impact Curling Mascara (14.50) does the job of a curler, helping to create a long, bold and upturned look. The mascara formula is smudge-free and smear-resistant and remains in place for up to 24 eye-opening hours. Estee Lauder's MagnaScopic mascara (16) delivers thicker lashes fast, as well as intensified colour concentration for deeper, richer and supercharged colour. Also try Bourjois Volume Ultra Glam Ultra Curl (7.99), No7 Dream Lash Mascara (11.50, Boots) and Maybelline Volume Express (5.99).

If you suffer from fine lashes then Clinique's Lash Doubling mascara (14.50) does exactly what is says on the tube, fattening up lashes in one clump-free coat and putting an end to the pea-eyed look. Also try Clinique's High Definition Lashes (14.50), Bobbi Brown's Extreme Party mascara (17.50) and Estee Lauder's Sumptuous (18) which delivers Bambi-esque lashes.

Don't forget about the colour option, either. Benefit, Estee Lauder, Dior and MAC all boast a collection of coloured mascara which help eyes "pop". Enhance blue eyes with an indigo mascara or create a contrast with hazel-coloured eyes by using a green-tinged mascara. Green eyes can benefit from a bronze mascara. However, if going for a coloured mascara seems too fashion forward, opt for a coat of your favourite black mascara followed by a coloured mascara on the tips for a more subtle effect.

To maximise your flutter, don't just rely on mascara – application technique is key. Blot the end of the wand gently on a tissue to clean off any excess or hidden clumps which will prevent spider lashes. Then apply to the upper lashes of one eye, from the base to the ends, using a zigzag motion to build volume. Repeat this process while the lashes are still wet for extra impact, making sure to re-coat the wand. When it comes to the bottom lashes, hold the wand in a vertical position.

Lastly, to create extra definition, follow the pros' lead by lining lashes with a liquid eyeliner before applying mascara. Estee Lauder's Zero Smudge liner (17.50), which gives precision and defined lining, is fast becoming a make-up artist's must-have, and is worth every penny.