I’m not usually one to promote shelling out the big bucks on mascara. With the huge range of options available at the drugstore (not to mention the tiny amount of product you actually get), you can pretty much find what you need at a quarter of the department store prices.



Courtesy of Maria Galland

It wasn’t until I came across Maria Galland’s Curl Mascara at Visage Studio in the Dogpatch that I became a spendy mascara convert. Day spa owner and aesthetician Denise Spanek introduced me to the little known boutique brand, which she discovered years ago at the Galland beauty atelier in Paris.

“I was told by my very chic, Parisian friend ‘in the know’ that Maria Galland was the place to go for beauty treatments,” says Spanek. “One trip, I decided to try their mascara and wow! That was it. I was sold. It was the first time a mascara didn't have that chemical smell, didn't smudge and wasn't gloppy. I also like the fact that, even though it's smudge proof, it's still water soluble. Best of all, it just looks great on the eyes.”

At $38 a pop, I had to see it to believe it. In just one swift coat, the formula thickened, lengthened and ever so slightly curled in an even, gorgeous application. I absolutely love the look and the feeling that I’m in on a Parisian gal beauty secret each time I apply it. Thanks to Spanek, who found a retail source that could supply “the goods” to sell at Visage, you don’t have to jet set to get your hands on the product.

Visage Studio, 2325 3rd St., Suite #411, 415.503.1011, visagestudio.com