Skinny Vs. Fat…Mascara Brushes

If there's one thing we learned about makeup at a very early age, it's that you don't come between a girl and her mascara. Women tend to get very attached to a certain type of fringe, and will passionately fight to defend their lash-enhancer of choice. While some of us swear by the full lash look offered by jumbo-sized wands, others prefer the more defined, separated style that skinny brushes achieve. And woe be the woman that doesn't see eye-to-eye with you on your must-have mascara.

We thought there were valid points to be made on both sides of this heated argument, so we asked two makeup artists to duke it out in the skinny vs. fat mascara debate. Read on as they present their cases on which wand reigns supreme, plus tips on how to get the most out of your preferred brush, and some suggestions for the best skinny and fat fringe-enhancers.

The Case: Fat Wands, Full & Sexy Fringe
The Defendant: Joanna Lily Wong

"I love thick, feathery lashes to frame the most expressive part of the face — the eyes! Voluminous lashes are a guarantee to creating a wide-eyed sexy look, and the most important tool to achieving such a look is a thick mascara wand. Mascara is often more about the wand than it is about the actual formula.

With thicker-wanded mascaras, like the ever-popular DiorShow and CoverGirl LashBlast, the lashes have more area to run along the wand, as well as more bristles. This creates a more even coat and prevents clumping, which in turn allows for better layering and volume.

Some people may complain that thick brushes are hard to use on the roots or that they wind up painting on their eyelids, but its all about technique — these wands can do anything! Just use the tip of these brushes to coat those hard-to-reach spots.

Even if you prefer more natural lashes, thick wands are still my choice because they can create any look! If I want to tone it down, I simply blot the wand with a tissue first. Or, I wiggle the mascara wand horizontally into the roots, but don’t pull through — this creates definition at the lash line only.

It's not the same with a skinny wand — I can layer and layer it in an attempt to create volume, but all I get is spiky lashes!"

The Case: Skinny Brush, Simply Gorgeous Lashes
The Defendant: Erin Green

"The first mascara I ever got my hands on that wasn’t from CVS was Eyeko. I was obsessed with its pocket-sized packaging, squishy tube with cute graphics, and, most importantly the size of the weird brush. I had never seen anything like it before — there are maybe 10 spokes on this black, goo-covered wheel of perfect definition.

When your lashes are as dark as mine, attempting to achieve the 'clean eye' look isn’t the easiest task. The thickness of my lashes acts as a natural liner, taking one step out of my daily routine — which is cool most days but can also make it more difficult if I’m trying to not weigh my eyes down to lazy-eye status. Now, this is not to say that a skinny mascara wand won’t give you the voluminous, doe-eyed, Zooey Deschanel look, you just have to spend a little more time on it.

You can start right at the base of the lash line, making sure to really get it in there and evenly pull the mascara to the ends of the lashes. The width of the brush makes it easier to really get to the root. Two thin coats do it perfectly for me; it also makes it less likely for me to stab myself in the eye when trying to get into those corners. What's also great about the skinny brush is it gives you the cat-eye shape without having to do the cat-eye liner. To get this look it's best to stay with one coat on the inner corners of the eye, with one or two extra coats only on the last 10 lashes and pull them outwards.

I’ll leave you with this, if you’re not trying to get the ‘going clubbing on a Friday’ look and want to keep it a little more day-time casual, the skinny is definitely the way to go."