Great mascaras that cost less than £10

Ask a woman which piece of makeup she couldn’t live without and we bet we could guess the answer: mascara.

Mascara doesn’t just lengthen lashes, it curls and adds volume too, separating them and creating a fluttery, perfect fan to frame your eyes. And we all know the impact perfectly mascara-d lashes has on your eyes, leaving them looking wider and brighter and framing them beautifully.

If you find your mascara isn’t living up to expectations you could be applying it wrong. Here are the four most common mascara mistakes to avoid:

Pumping the wand – Repeatedly pumping the mascara wand in and out of its tube, traps in air and unwanted bacteria, making the product inside dry out faster.

Expert tip: Rather than pump, gently twist the wand and slowly pull it out of its container. Not only will this stop the product inside form prematurely drying out, but it will also stop the brush from becoming oversaturated, making application easier.

Keeping your mascara too long – We’re all guilty of keeping mascara till it finishes, but we should be replacing your eye makeup every six months to prevent build up of bacteria.

Expert tip: If your mascara dries out before it’s finished, bring it back to life with a few eye drops and a shake to thin out the product.

Starting with your top lashes – It’s a pain to apply the perfect coat of mascara on the top eyelashes, only to realise you’ve smudged your handiwork when you start to tackle the bottom set.

Expert tip: Start with the bottom lashes first to avoid the dreaded black splotches. When you do start the top lashes, look straight ahead instead of upwards, and move the wand from the root to the tip of the lashes in a zig-zag motion.

Curling your lashes after applying mascara – This will inevitably gunge up your curlers and ruin your eyelashes.

Expert tip: Curl your lashes before applying mascara; this prevents any mishaps of mascara-covered lashes getting broken or stuck to the curler – ouch!

Choosing the wrong wand for your lash type – Lashes come in all shapes and sizes, as do mascara wands. Understanding which wand to pick for your lash type while unlock the door to a perfect set of peepers.

Expert tip: If your lashes are fine, resist the temptation to select a big wand. Yes it will deposit maximum product but this will only serve to weigh down your slender lashes and cause clumsy application. Instead opt for a narrow brush with a pointed tip. This design will seek out small, hard to reach lashes, making the most of what you have.

Waking up with panda eyes – Not all mascaras are made equal, some melt away at the mere mention of eye make-up remover, others cling on for dear life.

Expert tip: The easiest way to remove even the most stubborn of mascaras is to soak a cotton pad in cleansing solution and hold against lashes for a few seconds, before gently sweeping over the eye. This technique gives your make-up remover a chance break down the product and remove all remnants so you won’t have to repeatedly rub this delicate area.

Using a back and forth motion – Swinging the brush back and forward, then depositing an extra dollop of product on the fairer end of your lashes might seem like the quickest route to fuller longer lashes but it in reality it just causes clumps and smudges.

Expert tip: Instead, wiggle the wand side-to-side at the root several times until you feel you have a good grip, then quickly pull up through the ends for an even and precise application.

Of course, they can have all the bells and whistles possible, but at the end of the day, all we want is fabulous, fat fluttery lashes. No mess, no fuss, no flaking. So we’ve compiled some of our favourite mascaras that do just that…