Q & A | What mascara should I use on my wedding day?

Q: I have dark brown lashes, but I never wear mascara. My lashes don't curl either - they just point straight out. What would be the best brand and colour of mascara to use on my wedding day?

A: With all the mascaras out there, it's quite easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of choice. Hopefully these tips help you narrow it down, as there are a couple of things you want to look out for in your wedding day mascara:

1. Choose a volumizing mascara.
For lashes in photographs, I prefer a mascara that adds volume rather than lengthens. You'll notice that the brush of a volumizing mascara has larger and wider spanned bristles to help pump up the volume of the lashes. I prefer the fullness that a volumizing mascara adds and the definition that it gives to the lash line. Lengthening mascara looks fantastic from a side profile view, but from a straight-on view it can make the lash line look more sparse and less defined.

2. Opt for a black or black-brown, rather than a brown mascara.
Especially for lashes that are naturally lighter in colour, dark mascara will add impact to your eyes in photographs. Your eyes will appear bigger and the whites of your eyes will appear brighter with a darker mascara.

3. Use a waterproof mascara.
This one's a no-brainer! Your big day is one filled with emotions, a stacked schedule and often minimal sleep the night before. To prepare for those tears of joy, be sure to opt for a waterproof mascara as the last thing you would want is for it to start running! Black mascara isn't the easiest to clean off the face once it smears, so be pro-active and choose waterproof!

Before you actually apply your mascara, use an eyelash curler for an eye-opening effect. Shu Uemura, Japonesque, and Tweezerman all offer great and easy-to-use eyelash curlers. For the mascara, try to use a brand new one for the Big Day (or one that is less than 1 month old) to help ensure the mascara remains fresh and glides on smoothly to coat each lash. Some of my fave mascaras include:

drugstore level -Cover Girl's Lash Blast and Lash Exact, L'oreal's Voluminous, and Maybelline's Full'n' Soft

department store level - Lancome's Hypnose, Dior's award-winning Diorshow and MAC Plush Lash

The great thing about mascara is that you can easily try different types without breaking the bank. There are some great ones out there in between the $8-$10 price range. Just be sure to stick to something that's black, volumizing and waterproof and you'll be wedding day set!