During judging for Prudence's forthcoming best buy beauty awards last Friday (my lips are now totally sealed until it's published in the September issue), makeup artist Ellie Balfe and judge extraordinare revealed a very interesting fact that had everyone in the room experience a Eureka moment.

So what was it? It's really simple, but as these things so often are, very effective: she explained that if you have a mascara brush shaped like the one above - as you often do with ones that promise a curling effect, then you don't aim the brush at your eye bendy side down. YOU USE IT BENDY SIDE UP.

So that, y'know, it actually has the effect of CURVING YOUR LASHES UPWARDS.

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Amazing. And something I didn't know. Yup, I did not know this.

Morto.

Anyway, I know now - and so do you - so give it a whirl: the difference, c'est incroyable, mademoiselles.