COLUMNISTS To find the most popular sector of the make-up market, I look to see which product drawer in my filing cabinet is the fullest. Mascaras are brimming over to the extent that another drawer has just been annexed to accommodate the seemingly infinitesimal sub-categorisation that includes lifting, separating, volumising, building, curling and false lash effect mascaras, plus an ever-increasing product diversification from false lashes (sub-sub-category: designer false lashes), lash treatments and mascara removers.
Despite the patently non-scientific approach, my hunch about the booming eyelash market is borne out by official figures: Mintel reports an increase of 26.3 per cent in sales of mascara between 2006 and 2008, while the UK market alone is estimated to be worth £192 million. Who’d have thought that such a minuscule part of the face could inspire such realms of interest?
