The secret is pretty much how your lashes like the mascara! I got the maybelline sky high and essence lash princess because everyone just raves about how good they are and they were both awful on me! We all have different lash structure, length, thickness and body chemistry so what works on someone else may not work for you, which sucks but it isn’t because you’re doing something wrong, the product just isn’t a good match for you. I used the bourjouis mascara in the black and blue tube (forgot what it’s called sorry) for the longest time and that one was a holy grail for me. Just keep looking for yours!