Eyelashes have a primary purpose of protecting the eye. When dirt, an object or an insect get to close to the eye, the eyelashes are the sensor that cause the eyelid to close in self defence. Although they still have the same purpose today, the appearance of defined, longer and darker eyelashes has enhanced the eyelashes primary purpose of safety and brought focus to beauty of eyelashes.

Mascara is a makeup product that is applied directly onto the eyelashes. It is used primarily to give the eyelashes the appearance of being longer, darker and thicker. For women with small eyes or almost invisible eyelashes, mascara will make the eyes appear more open and much larger. Mascara was first used by ancient Egyptians. The mascara used by the Egyptians had only one main ingredient, coal dust. After many trials, a product suitable to sell was invented by Mr. Eugene Rimmel. Long after Rimmel, a man named Thomas William improved the product. The new mascara had two ingredients, coal dust and Vaseline. It came in a cake form and the user needed a bristle brush and water. The application involved wetting the brush and rubbing it on the cake of mascara. The user would then 'paint' it onto the eyelashes. It served its purpose and customers liked it. In the fifties the modern form of applicator was invented making application much easier.

Today, there are so many different brands of mascara and each brand has several products to choose from. Choosing a brand or color can be confusing but there are a couple things you should consider before buying.

Your Eye Color

Many people just grab black mascara thinking it is the best for anyone. There are many shades you can buy that will actually bring out the color in your eyes and brighten them many shades. There are many new formulas that are actually made for each eye color. CoverGirl came out with a new line called Eyelights. The CoverGirl website actually has a wonderful guide that requests your hair color, eye color and skin tone. All the information is taken into consideration and a product and color recommendation are given to you.

What Effect Are You Looking For?

Do you want to lengthen your lashes, darken them, thicken them or do you need your mascara to do all three of those things. There are many types of mascara on the market today and you can purchase one according to what effect you are looking for.

Do You Have Sensitive Eyes?

If your eyes are sensitive or you wear contact lenses you should take that into consideration as well. Companies have created great mascara products solely for those with sensitive eyes. If you have seriously sensitive eyes you may even need to try different brands as well and see which one works best for your needs.

Something you need to take into consideration is how using mascara affects your eyelashes. The new formulas are far from the two ingredient mascara products from the past. Many of the products on the market today can dry your eyelashes out and make them brittle. Removing your makeup every night before bed and applying an eyelash conditioner or even just simple Vaseline. Keeping this routine up will keep your lashes lush and healthy.