My mum is an extremely careless shopper which is most of the time due to the fact she isn't wearing her glasses so she can't read the packaging of items. A recent "mistaken" purchase was when buying mascara. Instead of buying her usual No 7 Mascara for sensitive eyes she purchased the No7 Intense Volume Mascara and did not hold onto her receipt. There is one person who benefits from these mistakes; me! Despite me having a make-up bag packed with cosmetics (including various brands of mascara) I added the No 7 Intense Volume mascara to my current collection.


***No 7 Intense Volume Mascara***
No 7 Intense Volume Mascara is described as "Fantastic volume with perfect separation and curl for lusher lashes."

The mascara is fragrance free and hyper allergenic. The mascara has replaced the No7 Ultimate Volumising Mascara.

The mascara is available in 4 different colours which are Black, Black/Brown, Brown and Navy. I have this mascara in black/ brown therefore my review will be based upon this colour of the product.

The mascara is available from No 7 counters within Boots stores and is also available online from the Boots website. A 7ml tube costs £11.50 therefore this is amid-priced mascara.


***Application and Results***
The packaging of the No7 Intense Volume mascara is very simple and plain and does not really stand out on the shelves compared with other mascaras. The mascara tube is black and has a slightly curved thin hourglass tube. Written on the front of the tube is No7 Intense Volume. You do need to take care that you check what colour mascara you are purchasing as on the base of the tube is a very small sticker which indicates the colour.

What I like about this mascara is that it is very easy to apply because of the simple design of the tube and mascara wand. There is a small curve to the mascara wand on the handle so it sits well in your hand. Secondly the mascara wand is a traditional shaped wand so does not require a specific technique to apply it with or take practice getting used to. The wand is just over 1 inch in length and has lots of bristles which are evenly spaced so you get a very even application when applying the mascara.

I tend to use a black coloured mascara for everyday wear so because I had been given this product in black/ brown I found myself using it for occasions when I wanted a more "natural look" and on occasions when I wanted to opt for a more bare faced look and to look like I wasn't really wearing make-up.

When I first opened the mascara I did feel that the consistency of it is quite thin in comparison to others I had used. Once on the wand the mascara coats lashes very well because of its thinner consistency and I found each lash was coated but separated and even when applied in a rush I did not get any clumps. I did find that although effective one coat did not really give enough definition and thickness so I always opted for a second coat to ensure the length added by the first coat is balanced out by thickness given by the second coat of mascara.

Although I did think the mascara was a thin consistency initially I do feel that it started to dry up and go slightly thicker with time. After 6 weeks' worth of use I didn't really feel the product was useable as it has started to dry out and the mascara had quite a thick gloopy consistency which did not apply well to lashes and made them stick together and not look separated like it did initially.

Although the claims of this mascara are that it creates "intense volume" I do not feel that this is a product for someone who likes very dramatic, very long looking lashes that are created by "false lash effect" products. I tend to go for these types of products (albeit in black rather than black/ brown) and feel that these mascaras are more effective for creating a full on effect and giving lashes more impact. The No 7 Intense Volume mascara adds length and thickness in a subtle natural looking way but personally I would have been disappointed if I was expecting a more noticeable result as my lashes did not look as long as they do with other products I have used.

My lashes did look separated, longer and thicker when this mascara had been applied and had a lovely curl to them. Because the black/brown colour was less dramatic and noticeable than if I had purchased the mascara in black I actually found my lashes looked very natural and I actually did not look like I was wearing mascara. I do not feel if purchased in black my lashes would have looked the same but I do feel they still would have looked quite subtle just have framed my face slightly more.

This is not a waterproof mascara, however I have worn this mascara for going swimming and also in a sauna and it has not ran. If you do get your lashes wet, providing you do not rub your eyes and touch your lashes the mascara stays on lashes and does not run. Removing the mascara from eyes is very easy. I find that I do not need to use a separate eye make-up remover and with a few wipes per eye with a make-up wipe all traces of this mascara can be removed .


***Overall***
Although this is probably not a mascara I will buy again I think it is a very good mascara and would definitely recommend it especially to those that to wear mascara but so that is subtle and their lashes look naturally long and thick. Unlike many of the mascara's I have used that claim to be "intense" this mascara does add volume and length but is not an obvious mascara as the results are clump free lashes and in the brown/black colour it is possible for the mascara to look like you are not actually wearing mascara.

Although I tried this mascara in the black/ brown colour which is different to the usual colours I go for as I always opt for a more dramatic black I do still think even in the black it would not give the same definition and dramatic effect to lashes that the usual "false lash" type mascaras I opt for. Even with a number of coats on the lashes I do not feel the No7 Intense Volume Mascara has the same intensity when adding length and thickness that these types of mascaras add, therefore is probably not a mascara for those that like dramatic or false lash effects as it is just too natural.

I wear contact lenses and have no issues with the mascara irritating my eyes however my mum has particularly sensitive eyes and she is unable to wear the No7 Intense Volume Mascara as it causes her eyes to sting and water therefore for others with very sensitive eyes this could be an issue.

At £11.50 for a 7ml this is not a cheap mascara however it is not within the "premium mascara" price range. I think for the price this is a very good quality mascara however I do think it dries up quicker than many other mascaras I have used and within 8 weeks of semi-regular wear the mascara did need replacing.

Good just not great!