Macroscopic is a lengthening mascara, which puts it at the opposite end of the range from the volume formulas. The distinction is worth understanding before buying, because the two types are good at genuinely different things and neither substitutes for the other.

Lengthening versus volume

A volume mascara deposits more product on each lash to thicken it. A lengthening mascara does the opposite: it uses a thinner texture and a finer brush to coat lashes evenly and extend them to their tips without adding bulk.

That makes lengthening formulas the better choice when:

  • Your lashes are short, and length is the thing you actually lack
  • Your lashes are already reasonably thick and extra volume reads as heavy
  • You want a defined, separated look rather than a dense one
  • You wear makeup daily and want something that does not look dramatic at the office

Applying it well

Lengthening mascaras reward patience at the tips, which is where the effect lives:

  1. Load the brush lightly - excess product defeats the purpose of a fine formula
  2. Work from the roots outward in one smooth movement, ending with a slight upward flick at the tips
  3. Comb through with the brush tip to separate any lashes that stuck together
  4. A second coat adds definition; a third generally starts to clump

Lengthening formulas dry faster than volume ones, so build the second coat promptly rather than after a pause.

Combining formulas

Many people get the best result by owning both types and layering: a volume mascara at the roots for density, a lengthening one through the tips for extension. If you only want to own one, choose by what your lashes lack rather than by which effect sounds more impressive.

Care

Replace mascara around every three months, and remove it thoroughly each night - lashes that are pulled at during removal thin out over time, which no formula fixes. Micellar water or a cleansing milk held against closed lashes for a few seconds loosens the product before you wipe.

Shades and the current mascara line-up are listed in the Faberlic catalogue and rotate with each campaign.