For over a decade, I had my mascara situation blissfully sorted out. I was happily committed to a drugstore brand that made my stick-straight Asian eyelashes look their best: long, thick, and so curled that I could feel them grazing my upper lid every time I glanced up. All that changed when I made the decision to scale back my makeup routine in favour of a more natural beauty look. I soon discovered that what previously delivered look-at-me lashes when accompanied by my full eye makeup now left me with tragic raccoon eyes when worn alone.

Determined to find a replacement that had the same dramatic effect as my beloved drugstore formula sans the smudging, I set out on a journey to find my new forever mascara. What I didn't expect was how long it would take. It's surprisingly difficult to find a mascara that holds a curl and doesn't weigh down my thin, sparse, and lightweight lashes. And finding one that does all that and doesn't smudge? It seemed impossible. But after a year-long search and some hard lessons learned along the way [1], I finally discovered the one product I can confidently vouch for: the Kiss Me Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara [2].

The curved brush helps lift and separate my lashes from root to tip while the lightweight formula holds even the most aggressive of curls, no matter how many coats I pile on — and it does so all without transferring onto my upper lid or bottom lash line. Plus, the convenience factor is an added bonus: it's available on Amazon! If you're looking to transform your straight lashes, keep reading to find out why this mascara is the answer.

A few coats of Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara on right lashes

As you can see, my natural lashes are so straight, they're invisible when viewed head on. After curling the lashes on my right eye with an eyelash curler [3], I applied three or four coats in succession. Even though I would consider the formula to be on the wetter side, I'm able to build volume quickly without waiting for the formula to dry between coats, unlike other mascaras.

A few coats of Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara on both lashes

Once the mascara is applied on both lashes, it remains smudge-free and flake-free for the whole day.

A few coats of Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara on top and bottom lashes

Look at that curl! With this product, I never have to worry about my lashes losing their curl over time. They stay like this from morning until I remove my makeup at night.

With lashes like these, I feel comfortable wearing just some tinted moisturiser and a swipe of eyebrow gel. My natural beauty look is complete — finally!

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara

After reading fellow Asian editor Marina's review [4] of the cult-favourite Japanese Kiss Me Heroine Make Long And Curl Waterproof Mascara [5] ($13), I knew I had to try out the product for myself. The thin and narrow bristles are a good fit for someone like me who doesn't have a whole lot of surface area to work with — and a far cry from the many jumbo applicators and exaggerated bristles I tested out that are probably better suited for people with bigger eyes.