Why I Eyes Ya (Barry M Extreme Black Waterproof Mascara)

Member Name: bondgirlk8

Product:	Barry M Extreme Black Waterproof Mascara
Date:	05/01/09 (400 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Waterproof, Long-lasting, Pretty effects

Disadvantages: Can be TOO waterproof when it wants to be

I love mascara. I've been wearing it since all I can remember, and really would question my ability to survive without it: my eyes look all weird and wrong and I just don't feel like me. To put it into context, I am one of those people who not only cannot leave the house without wearing at least SOME make-up; I can't be IN the house make-up free either. I'd feel wrong, scruffy, clumsy, and like I'd not really woken up yet. My absolute world-would-implode-without level minimum is eye liner, lip balm (not gloss, just balm - I'm not obsessive about it) and, of course, mascara.

Barry M, as I have mentioned before, is a brand I really quite like. I have found their products to generally be of very good quality, do what they are meant to do, and are packaged up all pretty and nice. This mascara is no exception. Here's what makes it special.


PRICE

Barry M Extreme Black Waterproof Mascara retails at a very reasonable £5.95. I believe this is a fair amount for mascara, and in addition the results produced by this product make it very good value for money. I have been using this particular mascara for months now and have found that it also has the ability to last a lot longer than most. I will have to replace my mascara soon (it is showing no signs of running out yet, but I do worry about products going off and eye-hygiene. As a contact lens wearer this is very important to me) and I fully intend to buy this product again as the replacement.


PACKAGING

Barry M really know how to package something. I have said before that their whole counter attracts me like a magpie and this product is no exception.

The mascara comes in a bright, very slightly metallic pink tube as shown in the picture. It has a black box with the Barry M name logo written in white lettering, and the name of the product is written, also in white, on the pink section. It is a full size mascara and as well as a nice look and design, the product also has a nice feel and weight to it. It made me want to try it, and I'm really glad I did.


APPLICATION

Like most mascara, the twisting off of the lid reveals a wand with which the product is to be applied. The tube itself contains that the actual mascara and when the wand is lifted out it will be coated in the product.

To apply, this wand is brushed over the eyelashes. This coats the lashes with the mascara, and the lashes instantly look thicker, darker and longer.

I apply my mascara in the classic way, which can be described as thus: I hold the wand close to my unnecessarily widely open eye (to match my inexplicably gaping goldfish mouth) and then blink repeatedly in an exaggerated and slightly cartoon style. The blinking action will cause the lashes to pass over the wand, lightly coating them in mascara. I then lower the wand slightly and gently brush it over the lower lashes of the eye - I am from the school of thought that believes both top and bottom lashes should be allowed the glory of apparent thickness and length. I then repeat the process on my left eye. This is important because I always do things in the same order. Always. Bizarrely, mascara is the only product where right comes first. For everything else (contact lenses, eye liner, nail varnish, even shoes) I'm a left-then-right kind of girl.

Anyway, that is how I apply. It is very easy, and the design of this particular product allows me to do this quickly and effectively. The wand is a good length and shape, and its 'bristles' are fairly short and tightly packed. There isn't the curve to the applicator section which is found on many a mascara and, in my opinion, complicates matters. This wand is straight and perfectly designed for an application such as that described above.

Occasionally, a fat-handed moment or extreme blink situation will result in a smudge of mascara on my eyelid or cheek. I rectify this by ensuring I have cotton buds to hand which can be used to remove the blotch. Very minor licking of the cotton bud may be necessary depending on the heaviness of the smudge. This product is easily removed in this way and doesn't overly stick to the skin or smudge even more as can be the way with some lesser mascaras.


IMMEDIATE RESULTS

As soon as the wand makes contact with the lash the impact is noticeable. The lashes look thicker, darker and longer. In addition, the eye itself appears bigger and wider - in a wide awake way, not a stare. The product looks really even and does not result in the clumping of eyelashes as is so common a problem in mascara. It feels light and unnoticeable on my eyes. It is about as natural yet striking a look I have found with any mascara. It makes an impact, and I like the results very much.


LASTING EFFECT

I have a slight problem with my eyes: they run ALL the time. If I'm tired, they run; if it's cold, they run; if it's windy, they run; if I go into the warmth...are you getting the idea? This mascara is completely resistant to all such eye-dribblage. All day they dribble, all day it stays on. It's remarkable.

If I've had a day of only normal levels of emotion, then even after a whole day at work followed by sweating in dance classes and the tube, it remains on my eyes and continues to look good.

If, however, I've had a teary day where we've moved past basic dribbling and onto full blown wailing, then the cracks start to show. I don't think any mascara will ever be invented that can cope with an extreme Bondgirlk8 meltdown. I go from streaks, to panda, to no make-up left whatsoever. Still, it copes better than most and it does take me longer to cry it off completely.

Oddly, despite the fact I can cry it off it would appear than when it wants to it CAN be completely waterproof. It can, in fact, be too waterproof. Honestly, I cannot get it off. Eye make-up remover works to some extent, but it takes several balls of cotton wool and requires harder rubbing than I am quite sure is good for my eyes. Even when it looks like I've done it, next morning I still wake up with gothic under-eye smudges.

Overall though, I love this product and it is far and away one of the best mascaras I have tried. I definitely recommend it.


Thanks for reading

© BondgirlK8 - December 2008

Summary: Barry Mmmm Mmmm M!