There’s one hill Darwin makeup artist Jamie Collins will die on, and that hill is shaped like a tube of mascara.

The owner of Bleum said people are often shocked by this, as the general thought is more expensive = better.

“That’s just not the case, and by far, the best mascara is drug store mascara,” she said.

“When I hear people buy an expensive mascara, I just think it’s good marketing because all mascaras are the same, you’re really only paying for the wand.”

She said the formula can change slightly, but there was not a major difference between a cheap mascara and a much more expensive mascara.

“Of course there are some more that are more crumbly or don’t sit or dry as nice but by far, the best mascara is sitting on the shelves of the drug store,” she said.

Jamie’s work is modern and fresh, and she works out of her Darwin CBD studio Bleum.

Of all the mascaras on the market, Jamie chooses the Maybelline Colossal Volumising Mascara, which you can pick up from Priceline for about $10.

“There are products I will always say splurge and save on, and mascara is 1000 per cent a save,” she said.

“What you should invest in is a good curler and they do the work if you get the good one, so don’t buy the cheapie.”

Her pick is the Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler, $43 at Mecca.

“That one is the OG, the one you want so make sure you buy the cheap mascara and expensive curler, rather than the expensive mascara,” she said.

“A curler will do a much better job at holding the mascara.”

Her final tip: to actually see what makeup is good, screenshot the kit of your favourite makeup artist and simply zoom in.

“If they’re on set or on a job and posting on social media, to see what they have in their kit just screenshot and zoom in because they’ll actually use those products when the pressure is really on.”

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