And this fall more than ever.

Beauty experts agree that mascara is making a lot of eye contact with women. Over the summer, it dominated makeup trend conversations from New York to Los Angeles.

And why not? Women love it when their eyes stand out.

Lucky for us, just about every major cosmetics company has introduced a new mascara for fall. Some tout new technology, such as better brushes and formulas. Others offer goof-proof, smudge-proof promises.

And everyone is buying it.

Sales of prestige brands of mascara (i.e., department store labels such as Lancome and Chanel) were more than $244 million in 2005, an 8 percent increase, according to the NPD Group, which tracks consumer spending.

That dollar figure doesn't come close to total spending, however, because it doesn't factor in popular mass-market labels such as Maybelline Great Lash and L'Oreal Double-Extend.

And the popularity of mascara crosses all lines. A survey in WWD Beauty Biz, for example, says women in their 20s, 30s and 40s voted mascara the one item they use daily - more than 50 percent of total respondents. (Women in their 50s picked foundation.)

"Women love the illusion of false lashes, and a tube of mascara can provide that," says Joelle Russo, regional beauty and fragrance director for Nordstrom, speaking from the Walnut Creek, Calif. store.

And when seasonal makeup colors come and go - which they seem to do overnight these days - that makes mascara the year-round staple.

But even staples undergo changes once in a while. So, what's new and different about mascara this season?

Well, it depends on how much you're willing to spend.

For example, Chanel's latest offering - Inimitable - sells for $26.50 at department stores. Stop by your neighborhood Walgreens, meanwhile, and L'Oreal's Voluminous Volume Building mascara is $6.99.

What's the difference?

Inimitable is marketed as a multi- dimensional product: It purports to deliver volume and length while curling and separating, too.

"It's a very deep black mascara," Russo says. "So it's easy to see where it's being applied."

Besides, Russo says, Chanel customers generally won't raise their eyebrows at the line's prices.

"If it's got the Chanel logo on it, they'll buy it," she says.

Speaking of high end, over at Lancome, it's tough keeping up with that line's innovations when it comes to mascara. Definicils long has been a customer favorite. Now there's Fatale ($22), which is introduced as a "3-D comb mascara." The brush, which has somewhat of a learning curve to it, also has a patent pending.

"You have to work with it a little bit because you want to get the brush on the base of the lashes," Russo says. "And because it's so wet (a silicone formula), it leaves a lacquered look."

But technological innovations also extend to lower-priced brands.

Victoria Kirby, beauty editor at Allure magazine in New York, says Cover Girl's new LashExact, for example, is all about the brush.

"The bristles are like rubber, which makes them flexible," she says. "They're also spaced farther apart. So, instead of catching on the lashes, the brush slides through.

"The more densely packed the (brush) fibers, the more likelihood of clumping."

The Cover Girl brush also makes the product easier to apply to lower lashes.

One area that experts tend to disagree about is how to prep the lashes before applying mascara. Some say curl first, then apply. Others say apply, curl, then apply again. And others pooh-pooh curling altogether.

It's certainly a personal preference, but if you aren't blessed with naturally long lashes, a good curler can make a huge difference. The Cadillac of eyelash curlers continues to be Shu Uemura's version, which costs about $18. Pricey, yes, but it works on the wimpiest lashes without pulling.

Other tips: When applying mascara, it's important to allow the product to dry between coats. And it's preferable to apply at least two coats to get the maximum effect.

In her book "A Beautiful New You" (Three Rivers Press, $16, 227 pages), salon owner Laura DuPriest waves her magic wand in several directions.

"If you want clump-free lashes, apply mascara to the underside of the upper lashes, then brush a coat on the top side," she advises.

As for the lower lashes, Arianne Damboise, national makeup artist for BeneFit cosmetics, says to just dab at the base of the lashes.

"You don't want to go all the way out (with the brush)," she says. "That way, you avoid smudges."

Waterproof mascara formulas, which grow in popularity during the summer months, are best used sparingly, Damboise adds.

"Use them only at a funeral or wedding, if you're likely to cry," she says. "The (waterproof) versions can dry the lashes out and make them brittle. It's also a lot of wear and tear (on lashes), especially when removing."

As with any product used near your eyes, if you have sensitivity or wear contacts, it's always best to check with an ophthalmologist about hypoallergenic mascaras.

And remember: Testing a variety of mascaras is the best way to find one - or more - that suits your needs. While print and TV ads for mascara are enticing, you can bet the models are faking it - their lashes, that is.