Thanks to the countless mascara options on the market, we can now volumize, lengthen, and define upper lashes, imbue them with colors ranging from jet black to cherry plum and indigo blue, infuse them with nourishing vitamins and minerals that will facilitate their growth, and render them practically impermeable. Our poor lower lashes, however, get the raw end of the deal, like the kid who was always picked last for the dodgeball team, or the one who was cast as a tree in the school play. Sure, there was a period when we all coveted Twiggy's signature mod look and hoped to accentuate our lower lashes, making the rim around our eyes look like the legs of a centipede — but, once we discovered how difficult it was to manipulate a regular-sized mascara wand within the under-eye space, we quickly shifted our beauty fascination elsewhere. And, sadly, our bottom lashes were left forgotten and neglected.
But no more! We can finally push our lower lashes back into the limelight, relieving them of their stand-in status, with Clinique's new Bottom Lash Mascara. Each 0.7 oz. mascara tube features a minuscule wand with a special brush tip measuring under 0.5" in length. The mascara wand's small scale make it easy to reach lower lashes without smearing color onto cheeks and nostrils (and winding up a raccoon-eyed mess!). The tiny brush tip lets you tug gently at the lashes near tear ducts and all the way at the outer corners of eyes, plus the placement of their bristles minimizes potential clumping.
Not only does Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara allow you to deposit color atop lower lashes, but it makes them appear noticeably longer. In fact, when I apply mascara to upper lashes (I play with different mascaras but am particularly fond of Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes and Clinique's High Lengths) and follow with the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, my top and lower lashes almost stick together. As a result, then, I try to wait a few seconds to allow the lower lash mascara to set before I move on to my lipstick and gloss, placing a blotting paper beneath the upper lashes to prevent them from adhering to their counterparts down south.
The Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara comes in a lightweight, pocket-sized silver tube adorned with floral motifs, and is available in either Black/Brown or Black. And, while the mascara can be easily removed with warm water, it won't run everywhere if you tear up a tiny bit, so there's no need to worry about looking like an anguished French mime at the first sign of moistness.
Who's on top now?
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, $10. Available at Clinique.com
