Yves Saint Laurent – Jupiter Gimlet

The Perfume Collection

“A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.” – Christian Dior

I collect a few things: lobster kitsch, vintage clothing, but when I travel, the one thing I do is wherever I go (especially if I’ve never been there before), is buy a new perfume. Scent is a particularly strong way of triggering memories, and having a particular perfume reminds me of my travel. I always buy it right away when I get somewhere and wear it religiously during my time where I am.

I’ll be upfront: I am not anywhere as well versed on perfumes versus eau de toilettes and eau de parfums as some others may be. I vaguely know the difference. My tastes are not particularly sophisticated (or at least, I don’t think so), but much like art: I know what I like. When I do buy perfume for a trip, I only require two things: 1. that it represents where I was as best as possible, 2. it also has to be flattering on me.

These are the scents that I have in my current collection and what they mean to me.

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum Spray

Price: $69/1 oz
Scent Profile: Coffee Accord, Orange Blossom, Cedarwood Essence, Patchouli Essence.
Where it Represents: Manhattan, NY. (Visited in September 2015.)
Memories: New love, city living, sharp, sophisticated.

When I visited New York City, it was the first trip I’ve ever done alone and I loved it. I loved being in New York, being in one of the biggest cities in the world, and doing exactly what I wanted. At the same time, this was when I had first started talking to my now significant other and when he admitted he had feelings for me, and when I recognized I was starting to have feelings for him.

I purchased this because it encapsulated a lot at the right time: I don’t get the coffee notes, but I definitely get the orange blossom and cedarwood. Citrus notes are particularly strong on me due to my skin chemistry and I think this does a great job of pointing out the tinge of sharpness in my personality–while also being reflective of how everything in New York has its own brand of twang that you can’t find anywhere else.

When I wear this, I feel sophisticated, but at the same time, the memory of falling for someone and it’s something I wear when I want to feel romantic or when I’m on a date.

The scent is not particularly strong or long-wearing; after an hour, it has definitely died down. But it does linger on my skin for hours afterwards, just in a much lighter fashion. This was my second repurchase (after having gone through a smaller sized spray bottle), so I would repurchase this.

NEST Black Tulip Rollerball

Price: $27/0.27 oz ($100 per oz; the 1.7 oz bottle is a much better value at $72)
Scent Profile: Black Amber Plum, Pink Pepper, Japanese Violet
Where it Represents: Chicago, IL. (Visited February 2017.)
Memories: Performance, stand-out, evening.

Earlier this year, I went to Chicago to see my favorite musical, Hamilton. For those of you who may be unaware, I actually lived in Chicago for a year and a half before moving to Louisville, so it was a little bit of a homecoming for me too. We visited a lot of the old places I would go to on the weekends, including where we went on one of our first dates in the city.

This particular scent was evocative of Chicago; although when we went it was unseasonably warm (and the first February in years with no snow!), the scent is also warm–exactly what you want when a dry and cold Chiberia winter rolls around. Smelling it from the rollerball, the initial scent I smell is actually more of a tart raspberry scent than the Japanese Violet, pepper, or plum undertones, but on my skin, the pepper definitely comes out very strong, almost overwhelming the other scents but there’s a hint of the plum that makes this a very masculine with a touch of femininity kind of scent.

As such, when I have to give a presentation or have to impress people, you can bet this is the scent I wear.

The scent, much like YSL Black Opium, is not particularly long-wearing. It remains very light after about 45 minutes of wear and if I put my wrist to my nose, I can smell it, but it isn’t particularly strong. I don’t mind that with this scent because it is on the stronger and warmer end of the spectrum and I think something with the kind of profile it has on me (the peppery notes with a touch of the plum), would be too overwhelming if it was stronger.

When I run out, I’d definitely have no problem repurchasing this one.

Atelier Cologne Clementine California

Price: $28/0.34 oz ($82.35 per oz; the 1.0 oz spray is available for $72, making it a better value)
Scent Profile: Clementine, Mandarin, Juniper Berries, Star Anise, Sichuan Pepper, Basilica, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Cypress.
Where it Represents: New Orleans, LA. (Visited September 2017.)
Memories: Laid-back summertime, humidity, jazz.

I know the name on this indicates it should be something for California, but this struck me as a particular New Orleans kind of feel. Going in early September, it was still fairly humid and warm. I had gone into the Sephora on the French Quarter and when I asked the rep what she thought best represented her city, she stated without hesitation: “citrus.”

It’s something that pairs beautifully with the beignets and seafood, and it gets the sharp note across that you’d easily hear from a trombone playing in the French Quarter. The juniper representing the loudness coming from the clickety-clack of the streetcar going down St. Charles Ave, passing by Tulane and the Audubon Park.

On me, the citrus notes are particularly strong and I actually don’t notice a lot of the Sichuan pepper. I do get a hint of the juniper berries and star anise, but it is after the initial and strong citrus fades away.

Much like the others (and like fruity scents in general), the scent on this one is not terribly strong or long-lived. I can smell faint whispers throughout the day, but after an hour, it becomes more faint as the day goes on.

I’d have no problem repurchasing this one when I run out.

Although my collection is fairly small for now, I plan on having it grow with more experiences and memories to come with it.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

This or That? #1

There are a lot of products on the market that are similar. Some people consider them to be “dupes” (side bar: I loathe this term; a dupe, or duplicate, is something that is identical in formula, color, and consistency–most “dupes” are not that, they are alternatives), some might be knock-offs, but generally, they perform pretty similarly. As with most makeup-related products, your mileage may vary and what works for me best may not work for you.

In this particular post, I’m planning on comparing a few items that are intended to do the same thing but review how they perform and make a recommendation based on my experience with the product.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel vs. Benefit Cosmetics 24-Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

In the first corner, we have the OG clear brow gel, Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH). It comes in one size only (though, I have a deluxe sample of it from a Sephora Rewards point spenditure). As you can see, the bristles are fairly large and resemble a mascara wand (which makes sense, since this is basically a clear mascara for your eyebrows).

The product specs for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel are as follows:

Price: $22 / 0.28 oz (making it $78.51 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben
Cruelty-Free?: Yes

In the other corner, we have the new(er) kid on the block, Benefit Cosmetics 24-Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel. While the ABH brow gel wand resembles a stereotypical mascara wand, this is more reminiscent of the Roller Lash wand and has the bristles closer together and shaped depending on if you want to brush upwards or downwards. The product specs for the Benefit Cosmetics are below:

Price: $24.00 / 0.23 oz (making it ~$104.35 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Extract. N° 10113/A
Cruelty-Free?: No

On price alone, the ABH gel is the much better deal. Even when comparing ingredients, I’m surprised at the cost of the Benefit gel given that the two primary ingredients are so cheap!

Speaking of the ingredients, an interesting difference between the two is that the Benefit gel uses copolymers, which are plastics used as an adhesive. Whereas, the ABH gel uses a lot of moisturizing ingredients primarily (glycerin, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, etc.) Yet, of the two, I find the Benefit gel to be more “hydrating” in terms of being less stiff and “crunchy,” as some have mentioned. Some people have said that they experience flaking with the ABH gel, but this was not my experience and I suspect this would be contingent on how dry someone’s skin may be near their eyebrows as to whether or not this is something most people would experience. I have not heard this to be the case for the Benefit gel.

The crunchiness factor does not bother me; most people are not going to be touching my eyebrows in a given day and I would rather something stay completely in place rather than less stiff with more flexibility (likely due to the plastics in the polymer ingredients.) The best way I can compare it to is like the strength of hair spray; some people will prefer a very strong hair spray even if it stiffens the hair because they need that strength to maintain the style. Others may prefer more flexibility at the loss of the “strength” of the spray. If you are in the former camp, you will likely prefer the ABH gel. If you are in the latter, take a peek at the Benefit gel.

In terms of longevity, I find both products work well. Although the Benefit is more flexible and softer to the touch, I don’t find that it moves a lot throughout the day and does keep product in place. ABH is stiff and stays in place. I have tested both for 12+ hours (and in humid conditions; New Orleans and Louisville on humid, 80F+ degree temperatures!) and both perform about the same. I also tested them with both the Anastasia Brow Definer and Brow Wiz and did not notice any differences.

The wands do have a difference and I do think it deposits the product differently. The wand for the Benefit gel is much more compact but with finer-tooth bristles, which allows for more precision when brushing upward or downward (depending on preference for brow shape). Because the teeth on the bristles are shorter and more precise, I feel like it deposits the gel better but I feel that to get the shape I want, it takes more strokes. Whereas, with the ABH gel wand, although the bristles are larger, it gets it to the shape I am looking for much easier and with less strokes (meaning, less product wasted.)

I think the real differences between these products come down to the following: preference for brow feel (stiff vs. flexible), cost, cruelty-free status, and/or wand preference. Although I think both are great products, going forward, I think I will be sticking with the ABH gel based on cost and wand preference.

Yves Saint Laurent Teint Touche Eclat Radiant Perfecting Pen vs. Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen

A disclaimer, before going forward: yes, I am aware that neither of these products are intended to be used as under-eye concealers. However, this is how I use them and will be judging them here. I typically wear a sheerer/light foundation, so higher coverage under-eye concealers would look ridiculous.

Let’s start with the OG in this case which is the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Perfecting Pen, hereon referred to as YSL pen. This product has been around for years and is considered a cult beauty product. After having used it–I get it. We’ll get more into it in a second, so here are the specs on it (note: the ingredients change depending on shade–for me, I use shade 1):

Price: $42 / 0.1 oz ($420 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Peg/ Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Trideceth-3, Methicone, Methylparaben, Squalane. [+/- May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77019 (Mica), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet), Ci 75470 (Carmine), “NF8897”].
Cruelty-Free?: No

And again, in the other corner, the newer challenger–the Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen, referred to as Dior pen going forward. It’s obviously a very similar construct. It is worth noting that although the Dior is very clearly based on the YSL Touche Eclat pen, it is also not listed in the under-eye concealer page on Sephora’s website like the YSL is. The Dior pen also has more shimmery options available too. Take this as you will. The product info is below:

Price: $40.00 / 0.09 oz ($444.44 per 1 oz) (NOTE: Nordstrom lists the product as having 0.11 oz, whereas everywhere else is 0.09 oz…)
Ingredients: (NOTE: These ingredients were pulled from a 2007 listing on the CosDNA website. I no longer have the packaging to cross-reference. Given that this has been reformulated since then and nowhere online carries an ingredient list, exercise a grain of salt with this information.) Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Stearic Acid, Silica, Alumina, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Methylparaben, Propylene Carbonate, Fragrance, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Algin, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose Gum, Talc, Mica, and Iron Oxides.
Cruelty-Free?: No

In both formulas, I use the 01 option which is a very strong but light pink best suited for pale to light skin tones. I know for some people, they may be confused because I have very clear and pure yellow undertones (with some red overtones on my chest/face.) When I use pink on my under-eyes, it is to neutralize blue/purple tones in the area. This works better for me than a normal concealer as the concealers will be more yellow, which won’t correct but only mask and on me, it gives a very unattractive reverse panda effect when it begins to set.

Neither are exactly intended to be used as under-eye concealers, but I think they both work effectively to neutralize and conceal my under-eye area. They also both are not drying, though, I wouldn’t say they are necessarily moisturizing either. (YSL may be a slight bit more than the Dior, though.) The consistency between the two is different; both are liquid, but Dior has more of a creamier, very slight bit stiffer formula whereas the YSL is more liquid. Neither are runny and will drip off your hands if you hold it at an angle.

wp-image-1404129237 — Dior Flash Luminizer on the left (more opaque), YSL Touche Eclat on the right (less opaque).

To a degree, the consistency issue may also be related to the fact that the Dior pen has a little more pigmentation when compared to the YSL pen. The two are similar colors, but as you can see from the swatches, the YSL is a much lighter pink whereas the Dior is a bit more peachy than pink and the color is much stronger. From this, I would wager that it may be able to work on darker lighter skin tones than just pale to light, but I would likely not recommend it to darker skin tones to avoid looking ashy.

As far as wear time goes, both products perform well over a 12+ hour time frame when set with a loose setting powder. It has been tested high humidity (80F+ degrees in both New Orleans and Louisville) and generally, aside from some minor creasing from the Dior pen, both have the about the same coverage and wear.

For the applicator itself, there is a difference in the brush length and quality. Both are click pens and to get product, you will have to click. I find I only need one click from the YSL pen to do my eyes, but two from the Dior pen for a daily application. The YSL bristles are longer and softer, which makes applying the product much easier. Whereas, with the Dior pen, I do find the smaller bristles are prone to poking my under-eye skin, which is something I really don’t like about it. Another thing I find irritating about the Dior pen is that the liquid is not equally distributed when you click; it wells up from the bottom and stays there rather than working its way up through the pen. In having it like this, I’m not able to use as much of the product which is a big deal when you only get 0.09 oz. I’m not sure if this is just the pen I have or if it is a true design flaw that impacts all of the pens.

After having worn them both, for me, I prefer the YSL pen. They’re both very similar, but the slight moisturizing factor and less scratchy bristles are what makes me prefer this to the Dior brush.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder vs. Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder

wp-image-1620041101 — Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder on the left, Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder on the Right.

As a #lizardperson, I very rarely using setting powders for anything other than under-eye area. I don’t make a habit of using it to set my foundation because my daily foundation doesn’t transfer. With that in mind, this comparison is strictly in the context of setting under-eye concealer for both powders.

With that being said, let’s get to the comparisons and like the others, we’ll start with the OG (Laura Mercier) and work our way back to the new kid in town (Kat Von D)…

Price: $38/1 oz (also comes in a travel size at $23/0.33 oz, making the full size a way better value compared to the travel size which is ~$69.70/oz)
Ingredients: Talc, Magnesium Myristate, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, EthylhexylPalmitate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Lauroyl Lysine, Propylparaben, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Methicone. May contain: Ultramarines (Cl 77007), Iron Oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499).
Cruelty-Free?: According to their website, yes, but others are suspicious.

Some initial thoughts on this one: I’m actually really surprised at the difference in value between the travel size and the full size version. I can’t imagine the bulk of the cost is really coming down to making a smaller size of the packaging, and the ingredients listed (talc, corn starch, soybean oil, etc.) are not that expensive to produce or obtain.

Also worth noting that Laura Mercier recently released a darker toned translucent loose setting powder earlier this year for deeper skintones, which is a nice gesture, but probably could have been done from the get go seeing as how the ingredients list isn’t different (in fact, they’re identical on the Sephora website) when comparing the darker ingredients to the lighter one.

This being said, we’ll move right along to the Kat Von D.

Price: $30/0.69 oz (making it ~$43.48/oz; also comes in a travel size at $15/0.19 oz making it ~$78.95/oz–much like the Laura Mercier, the full size is the better value)
Ingredients: Mica, Talc, Magnesium Carbonate, Magnesium Myristate, Nylon-12, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Jojoba Esters, Benzoic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Polymethyl, Methacrylate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycine Soja (Soybean Oil), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Iron Oxides.
Cruelty-Free?: Yes.

Again: still surprised the full size is the better value. I’m thinking it has to be cheaper to produce these loose setting powders in bulk. This also has ingredients which are fairly cheap to obtain or produce (e.g. mica, talc, soybean oil, etc.) so I’m not sure why it has a higher price tag per oz. Also, unlike the Laura Mercier, this one was only created as a “universal” loose setting powder so it only comes in one light shade.

Both of the products I have are the travel sizes, but the ingredients are not different between the full size and travel size. Now, when looking at the two, there are some stark differences. First, in terms of product appearance, the Laura Mercier is much more yellow compared to the Kat Von D which takes on more of a neutral tone. On the skin, though, this does not read accurate. As you can see from the swatches above, the Laura Mercier looks more neutral compared to the Kat Von D.

In terms of performance, both are effective at increasing the longevity and wear of whatever under-eye concealer I am wearing. However, having drier skin, this typically is not an issue for me as opposed to someone with a more oily skin type. Where the performance varies for someone with dry skin is whether or not it emphasizes the dryness. I find that the Kat Von D is much more gentle on my dry skin and doesn’t make my under-eye look more crepey by the end of the day (which is likely due to the mica being the top ingredient.) The Laura Mercier is much more drying on my under-eyes, as such, it would lead me to believe it may work better for more oily skin as well for the purposes of blotting and oil-reduction for overall facial wear. Both have been worn through multiple seasons (winter, spring, and summer), no noticeable differences except for the Laura Mercier being slightly more drying.)

In terms of the packaging, both are fairly similar. They are smaller versions of the larger, full size. If you travel, the tops will likely overflow with product (see above with the KVD; I went to New Orleans in the beginning of September and carried it in my carry-on. Still overflowing almost a month later, but this is because I barely use any.)

For this one, my pick goes to Kat Von D. The formula is more generous towards dry skin types, however, I am hopeful she will also release a darker version down the line. Additionally, I would not hesitate to recommend the Laura Mercier for oilier skin types or for those more concerned about stretching their dollar. They both perform and act similarly (in fact, the majority of the ingredients are comparable) that it just comes down to skin type and budget for this one.

That is all for now, but if you’ve tried either of these, what were your thoughts? Are there any other products that you think are basically the same thing you want to try? Feel free to share!

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

A Mascara Comparison and Review: Part 1

I have been watching a lot of Game of Thrones, with the season finale airing last night and on my mind. Now I think I am Daenerys Targaryen because obviously, as a lizard woman, she appeals to me. (Also, I can stand blisteringly hot temperatures in the shower and my significant other is long-haired and sort of looks like Khal Drogo if you squint, so that basically makes me her, right? Right. I knew you guys would agree.)

As far as beauty goes, the only two brands that may be able to get me even sort of close to bend the knee in loyalty are MAC Cosmetics and Make Up For Ever, and even then, I can’t profess absolute fealty. I swear no allegiance to one brand for everything, and for these two brands, the mascara offerings are not sufficient for my demanding* tastes.

(* = does not smudge, flake, or irritate my sensitive, contact-wearing eyes but also volumizes and separates. I have no need for lengthening in a mascara because although blonde, my lashes are long.)

As such, I have decided to give a few brands a running shot to joining House Gimlet, but whether or not they “bent the knee,” well–keep reading.

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll

Price: $32 for 0.2 oz
Purchased: Sephora (full price; can also be found at Nordstrom and YSL Beauty website)
Ingredients: Water, Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cera Alba/Beeswax, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Fragrance, Disodium Edta, Magnesium Silicate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Tin Oxide.

I don’t know why the hell these brands insist on having names that are like this. I know it’s partially a marketing thing and for the price of this, it better impart a sense of glamour for something I’m supposed to only use for three months before tossing. (Except I didn’t because I’m asking for an eye infection because gotdamn, you guys, $32 on a mascara is not something I am keen to use for only 3 months.) It’s also worth noting I used this from May up until late August, wherein I stopped because I just got annoyed with it. Could I have probably used it for longer? Sure, but I didn’t want to, so take that as you will.

I’ve sampled a few YSL mascaras in my time, and although the ingredients list a fragrance, I can’t smell one. But as an aside: WHY. I’ve railed on them for this before and I will continue to do so; there is no reason for a mascara to have a scent. My eyelashes don’t need to smell like anything. No one is sniffing my eyelashes or anyone else’s, for that matter.

Sass aside, something I actually really do like about this product is the shape of the bristle. I find that bristles that tend to be “spikier” tend to work better with my lashes in keeping things separated and adding volume. I don’t find that they clump as much on me and so long as I’m not half-asleep, I’m pretty decent at avoiding stabbing myself in the eye with it. In this particular mascara, I don’t find that I have to worry about clumping as much because of that bristle shape and how it works with my lashes.

I also find the formula itself is not exactly dry (because of my eyes, I prefer to avoid drier mascaras), but it’s not sopping wet. It’s a really nice middle ground and I definitely do not need to rub excess off on the side of the tube when taking the wand out. For the price, the formulation is very nice.

For those that are considerate of this, YSL is not a cruelty-free brand. I do not specifically buy products on cruelty-free status alone, though, it is a nice perk if it is.

Now, as you’ll remember, I have a very specific criteria whether or not I like a mascara. In case you forgot, here’s how it stacks up to my needs.

Smudges? ❌ It sure does. I put down a layer of setting powder on my eyes to try and reduce the oiliness of skin and foundation to try and get it to be rubbed off, but it still smudges within 5 hours of wear on me regularly.
Flakes? ✔️ Fortunately, it does not! No flaking has ever been noticed in the 3+ months it’s been used.
Eye Irritation? ✔️ Another fortunate no, despite the presence of fragrance as mentioned earlier.
Volumizing? ✔️ Yes, I do notice that it does volumize, but not as much as I would like, especially at the price it retails for.
Separates? ✔️ Oh yes. If separation is the main thing you look for, this is what this mascara excels at. Where it drops the ball in volumizing, it makes up for tenfold in separation, largely due to the shape of the bristles

Now, ultimately, the main question: would I repurchase? Yes, but only if it were discounted. There is no way in hell I would be paying full price for this with the amount of smudging it does regularly. I think it would actually serve as a nice first layer of mascara and possibly work well with others.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara

Price: $10 for 0.09 oz as the travel size (larger size is available for $27.50 for 0.27 oz; making the full size a better bargain at $101.85 compared to the travel size at $111.11)
Purchased: Ulta (full price; can also be found at Nordstrom, Sephora, Macy’s, Estee Lauder website)
Ingredients: Water / Aqua / Eau, Stearic Acid, Myrica Cerifera (Bayberry) Fruit Wax, Sucrose Polybehenate, Polyisobutene, Polyvinyl Acetate, Paraffin, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Isostearic Acid, Panthenol, Pantethine, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax / Cera Carnauba / Cire De Carnauba, Kaolin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, PTFE, VP / Eicosene Copolymer, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Polyacrylate, Simethicone, Polyester-5, PVP, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexylene Glycol, Nylon-6, Laureth-4, Nylon-66, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Chlorphenesin, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica, Black 2 (CI 77266), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Copper Powder (CI 77400), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Carmine (CI 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Aluminum Powder (CI 77000), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090), Bronze Powder (CI 77400), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Ultramarines (CI 77007).

I don’t want to give this one too much time, but suffice it to say, I don’t like this mascara at all, and I’m disappointed by how much I don’t like it.

As most people are aware, Estee Lauder is not a cruelty-free brand.

The formula is a wetter formula, but it is not excessive and does not require you to peel it off by rubbing it on the side of the tube to reduce the amount of product. It actually goes on nicely, despite the massive bristle size for a travel size mascara. The bristles are not my particular jam, but I do find that they are effective in increasing volume (though, not as much as I’d prefer).

Smudges? ❌ Hand to god, within a half hour of putting this on, the smudges were there. I think part of this is because the formula is just so wet, it takes FOR.EV.ER. to dry down, and even when it does, it has enough emollient ingredients that it will continue to smudge after the fact.
Flakes? ✔️ This mascara did not flake in my experience.
Eye Irritation? ✔️ Another fortunate thing I did not experience in trying this product.
Volumizing? ✔️ Yes, it does volumize, but not as much as I would like to see. The bristles are helpful at adding volume.
Separates? ✔️ Not really. It doesn’t exactly clump them, but it doesn’t coat every lash individually as well as I’d like.

Would I repurchase? That’s going to be a no from me.

Too Faced Better Than Sex (Waterproof Version)

Price: $12 for 0.17 oz (full size is $23 for 0.27 oz; travel size is $70.59 per oz and full size is $85.19 making the travel size a better deal)
Purchased: Sephora (can also be purchased at Ulta and Too Faced brand website)
Ingredients: Water / Aqua / Eau, Stearic Acid, Myrica Cerifera (Bayberry) Fruit Wax, Sucrose Polybehenate, Polyisobutene, Polyvinyl Acetate, Paraffin, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Isostearic Acid, Panthenol, Pantethine, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax / Cera Carnauba / Cire De Carnauba, Kaolin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, PTFE, VP / Eicosene Copolymer, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Polyacrylate, Simethicone, Polyester-5, PVP, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hexylene Glycol, Nylon-6, Laureth-4, Nylon-66, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Chlorphenesin, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Phenoxyethanol.

As a sidebar, I tried the non-waterproof version before and it actually might be the mascara I’ve tried that I like the absolute least. In the spirit of being completely honest, I don’t understand how it has the cult appeal it does. The bristles are massive and coated with product to the point where even wiping it on the sides doesn’t get the job done.

So when I decided I was going to give the waterproof version a shot, I had a conversation with myself that was a lot of side eye and a lot of hemming and hawing. But! I am actually really glad I went and tried it, because it isn’t like the non-waterproof version in the ways that made me really loathe it.

The formula is wetter, but unlike the non-waterproof version, it is not soaking wet and caked on the bristles. You don’t need to rub off the excess, it’s actually in a fairly manageable amount from the get go, which is great. I’m also usually not one to be seduced by packaging, but I really like the touch with the water droplets and how it feels on the packaging. It’s a great touch and reminiscent of the MAC collection a few years back that did something similar.

Over time and using this product, I did notice it became drier and more susceptible to things that weren’t present upon my initial experience. If I were to purchase a larger size, it’d be definitely something I’d be wary of and probably prevent me from repurchasing. I didn’t notice it have an effect on what I would like to see from a mascara in terms of volume and separation, though, even as the formula dried out.

Too Faced is a cruelty-free brand, for those that are looking for products that meet that criteria.

One thing I will note about this product: removing it was PAINFUL. I had made the mistake (because I can get away with doing this with non-waterproof mascaras) of keeping my contacts in while trying to remove it the first time I wore this, and it burned. It burned throughout the night and continued to make my eyes water until the next morning. When I wore it later and had removed my contacts to remove the product, I didn’t experience the same sensation. Something to beware of for those of us who wear contacts.

Smudges? ❌ Initially it did not on my first several wears of this product, but after it started to dry out, I did experience smudging with the product. Due to the size of the brush, it did smudge product on my eyelids.
Flakes? ❌ Initially it did not, but on my last several wears, I did notice some minor flaking with this product–likely due to the product drying out.
Eye Irritation? ❌ Yes. Contact-wearers beware! I don’t know if this might happen for others, your mileage may vary on it.
Volumizing? ✔️ Yes, it did a solid job of volumizing and was in the ballpark of where I would like to be with volume. Even as the formula dried, this did not change and was consistent.
Separates? ✔️ It’s not the separation I would like to see, but it still did a sufficient job and I would not consider it an issue, even as the product dried out.

Would I repurchase? Maybe, but only if I needed something cruelty-free and waterproof for only a short amount of time. Otherwise, it doesn’t hold up to daily use due to it drying out.

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise

Price: $9.99 for 0.25 oz (making it approximately $39.96 per oz; though, this price is from Ulta and the price seems to vary depending on where it is purchased from.)
Purchased: Ulta (can also be found at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Amazon, and generally anywhere else you may purchase drugstore-priced products)
Ingredients: Isododecane, Cera Alba / Beeswax / Cire Dabeille, Copernicia Cerifera Cera / Carnauba Wax / Cire De Carnauba, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dilinoleic Acid / Butanediol Copolymer, Aqua / Water / Eau, Allyl Stearate / VA Copolymer, Oryza Sativa Cera / Rice Bran Wax, Paraffin, Alcohol Denat., Polyvinyl Laurate, VP / Eicosene Copolymer, Propylene Carbonate, Talc, Synthetic Beeswax, Ethylenediamine / Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla Cera / Candelilla Wax / Cire De Candelilla, Panthenol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, BHT. May Contain: CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide.

Hark! A drugstore option? Why yes. Normally, I avoid drugstore mascaras because the last time I used one, after several attempts to find one between several options, I wound up with flakes and irritated eyes for days after the fact.

This one, though, surprised me. I knew it was worth a peek when Sabrina of The Beauty Lookbook raved about it, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Mascaras are a very “your mileage may vary” product for everyone, so I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did.

After looking at the ingredient list, I’m surprised I like it as much as I do. I notice that it contains denatured alcohol, which is one of my known skin irritants (regardless of location on the ingredient list–which corresponds to the amount it is present in the product–I would think would irritate my eyes!), but it doesn’t seem to bother them, even upon removal. (Though, it is worth noting when I do remove waterproof mascara, I tend to use an oil-based cleanser; coconut oil usually, though only around the eyes and nowhere else on my face.)

The formula itself is nice; it’s wetter, but not sopping wet. Given the presence of denatured alcohol, I do find that it dries quickly and I don’t have to worry about transfer to my under-eye area. The bristles on the lash are typically not what I prefer, but I do find that it doesn’t clump it right away. However, unlike the other mascaras on this list, despite using “Blackest Black,” I don’t find it is particularly opaque and have to build it up in several layers. L’Oreal is also not a cruelty-free brand.

There are some things about it I don’t love–for both the pigmentation and the volume I want, I really have to build this up and the more I build it up, I come close to more clumping. We’re not talking 80’s rock show level of clumping, but it’s enough where I can notice on myself and I don’t love it. With that, it takes a little away from the product.

Smudges? ✔️ Not even a little. It’s the only product on this review that didn’t smudge at all, even after several uses and expecting the product to dry out. I suspect this is due to the presence of the denatured alcohol, which would help it “dry” faster on the lashes.
Flakes? ✔️ None! I don’t notice any little flakes in my under-eye after the end of a 12 hour day.
Eye Irritation? ✔️ Nope! Even in removal, I didn’t need to remove my contacts and nor did I have any burning while wearing it.
Volumizing? ✔️ Yes, however, it does need some building. Once you get to a second or third layer, though, it’s definitely in the ballpark of where I like to be.
Separates? ❌ Initially, yes, however, with each subsequent layer, it does tend to clump lashes together.

Would I repurchase? Yes, especially for the price. I think this is a real knock out product and especially for a waterproof mascara, I think it’s pretty impressive.

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

Price: $14.00 for 0.21 oz (making it approximately $66.67 per oz for travel size; full size retails at $26.00 for 0.32 oz making it $81.25, with the travel size being the better deal.)
Purchased: Sephora (can also be obtained from Marc Jacobs Beauty website)
Ingredients: Water, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Polybutene, Oryza Sativa Cera (Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax), VP/Eicosense Copolymer, Ozokerite, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearyl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Nitrate, Tropolone, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

This one hurt me the most. I had a lot of high expectations for it, seeing as how Beka over at MakeupNerdery loves it, but I don’t.

From the first time I tried applying this, the product has way too much product caked on. Even after several uses, you can see from the picture above, that the type of bristles it has lends itself (in addition to probably the wettest formula I’ve tried) to just having the product caked on. Despite brushing the side of the tube with excess product, it still gives you way more than you’ll actually need to apply.

Upon application, it’s a hot mess. If you’re someone who constantly runs short on time; don’t bother using this product on those days. You’re going to spend time cleaning your under-eye AND lid space because of how much product is on the wand (even if you use a tissue to wipe excess off.)

Even trying to clean it off, it smudges almost immediately and constantly throughout the day, largely in part to its very wet formula that doesn’t seem to dry down. Even if you try not to blink for a minute, it will still transfer.

It has sleek packaging that’s a nice minimalist black, but the bristles make the product and applying it a mess. Additionally, it is a cruelty-free product, if nothing else.

Smudges? ❌ Very smudgy due to its wetter formula.
Flakes? ✔️ None, but as it is so wet, I’d actually be shocked if it did flake in any way because that would mean it would have to dry down some.
Eye Irritation? ✔️ Nope, it was gentle to wear and remove.
Volumizing? ✔️ Yes, it actually does a great job of adding volume, but at the cost of time in clean-up.
Separates? ❌ Nope. Because of the shape of the bristles, it really does a piss poor job of separating them and instead does a great job of giving that Yzma-style lash clumping.

Would I repurchase? Unless there’s a reformulation, it’s going to be a hard pass from me.

Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara

Price: A deluxe sample size which was redeemed. However, it is available for purchase in two sizes: travel size ($12/0.13 oz making it approximately $92.31 per oz) or full size ($25/0.33 oz making it approximately $75.76 per oz)
Purchased: Sephora (can also be obtained from Ulta, Macy’s, a ton of other places where Lancôme is sold, and Lancôme brand website)
Ingredients: Water, Paraffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Polybutene, Oryza Sativa Cera (Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax), VP/Eicosense Copolymer, Ozokerite, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearyl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Nitrate, Tropolone, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

Mediocrity, thy name is Monsieur Big. This product is the definition of mediocre; there’s nothing about this product that’s bad, per se, but there’s nothing about it that’s great, either, especially at the price point.

The bristles are massive for the product (although I suspected this is due to getting a deluxe sample, it looks like it really isn’t that different on the actual full size product.) It’s coated in product and while the formula is opaque and “wetter,” it dries down in an adequate amount of time. The bristles don’t work for my smaller, deep-set almond eyes and inevitably, product winds up on my eyelid.

Lancome is also not a cruelty-free brand, for those concerned.

Despite the name, I don’t feel like it adds that much volume and it definitely does not separate. What it does somewhat well, though, is add length. That’s a great trait, but that’s not what I purchase mascara to do for me and it’s not the highlight of the marketing for the product, according to the Sephora website (“A high-volume mascara that delivers bold lash volume for up to 24 hours.”) If you’re into lengthening mascaras, give it a shot, but if you’re into either volume or separation, just pass on this.

Smudges? ❌ Does transfer to under eye area after a few hours of wear.
Flakes? ✔️ None.
Eye Irritation? ✔️ Nope, it was gentle to wear and remove.
Volumizing? ❌ No, required several layers to build up.
Separates? ❌ No. Additional layers clumped lashes and there was no visible separation upon initial application.

Would I repurchase? Nope, not even for the travel size. There’s way better options out there that would better for me at multiple price points.

As stated earlier, mascara is really one of those “your mileage may vary”–it varies because of variation in eye shape, eye sensitivities, lash size, lash type, and a ton of other reasons. What may work (and may not have worked) for me may not be your experience, but if you’re ever looking at any of these, I hope it provided some guidance in whether or not you will or will not purchase.