This product comes packaged in a sleek, matte gray tube with a shiny gold handle. The brush is your typical old-school fiber bristled brush. It has a long wand, which was a shocking contrast to the more recent releases from mascara companies with shorter wands to allow for more precision. Overall, the packaging isn't stunning, but it most certainly is not hideous. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
The actual mascara itself is very black and very wet upon first opening. Not the greatest combination with a fiber-bristle brush, if you ask me.
When I first purchased it, I really really hated this mascara. It was incredibly wet and clumped on my lashes terribly, as well as transferring to my upper lid and ruining my eyeshadow... every time. I gave it several chances to cooperate, but nothing - I couldn't keep using it, so I put it away.
A few days ago, I did a makeup look that required some pretty serious volume in the lash department. I hesitantly reached for this one, thinking that maybe my opinion would've changed. And surprisingly, it did.
I have heard more recently that L'Oreal mascaras typically need a few weeks to dry out before being considered 'usable.' I would definitely agree with this statement. My mascara is significantly 'drier' - creating intense volume instead of spidery wet clumps. If you're looking for a lengthening mascara, you are not going to find it here. While I do have long lashes, this mascara does not do anything to add length or definition to my lashes. This is strictly a volumizing mascara - the intense thickness at your lash line creates the illusion of oodles of lashes. It is, hands down, the best volumizing mascara I've ever used.
 |
| Naked lashes. |
 |
| Note: I am not wearing false lashes. But I do have Annabelle Smoothliner in Brownie, and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Zero smudged on my upper lash line. |
Pigmentation has never been an issue in my mascara endeavours - I don't really care if it's brown-black or black. So long as it makes my lashes show up on my eyeball. But as far as black mascaras go, this one does not disappoint.
I have had no issues with smudging or flaking - which is a definite plus. Of course, this does remove easily with makeup remover and a wash cloth, but throughout a regular day of wear-and-tear, it doesn't budge.
On the one hand, I really love this mascara for its volumizing properties. It gives me the illusion of false lashes without making them feel heavy or crunchy. I don't know that I get 5 times the volume - in fact, I'm not sure at all how you'd be able to measure that or tell, nevertheless, I find myself reaching more and more for this tube over my Maybelline Volum'Express One by One recently; however, some elements of this product get me down.
The fact that I can't use it right when I buy it. It's a pain to have to wait a few weeks before getting the result you want with your mascara. I can buy a Maybelline mascara and use it five minutes after I buy it and get the effect I want - who wants to buy their mascara only to wait to use it?
It's only available in black shades. While black is a great color for a more sultry 'night' look, it's not necessarily the color I want on my lashes every day. I'd probably get over my other two gripes if this was available in brown-black.
Overall, this is a better-than-mediocre mascara. It's not so amazing that you have to drop everything and run out and get it now... but it's not one that you should entirely pass over, especially if you love volumizing black mascaras. Or if you're a L'Oreal junkie.
I will give this a 3 out of 5 - only because I despise having to wait for my mascara to decide to work.
* * *
What's your favorite L'Oreal mascara? Do you have any good alternative volumizing mascaras that you'd recommend??
No comments:
Post a Comment