If the eyes are the windows to your soul then mascara must be the curtains!

I don't wear a lot of eye make up having recently given up on eye liner and have never ever been able to apply eyeshadow without looking like I have been punched, but mascara and I go back a long way and it's one of my must have make up items

I feel like I have tried at least one mascara from every brand going, from cheap (NYC - surprisingly not too bad for £1.99!) to over £20 from YSL or Lancome (disappointing for the price tbh)

The look I love is the false eyelash effect but without the hassle and not to mention embarrassment of false eyelashes! For going out I have found my ultimate wonder product in Divaderme Lash Extender (see my reviews) but it's a bit expensive and full on for every day use - don't want to look too much like a drag queen at 8am!

A friend of mine gets loads of freebies where she works and gave me this mascara to try out. Usually they retail for about £11 in Boots.


PACKAGING:


When I first tried it, it came in limited edition colours, so I had a bright orange and following that, a purple which were pretty funky. Back to black now though which is a bit boring but inoffensive. The tube is fat with a slanted lid.


APPLICATION:


The wand is hard plastic rather than natural bristles which when I first tried this type, took a bit of getting used to but now I think they are far superior for a clump free look as the rigidity acts as a comb for your lashes.

The wand is very user friendly and in my opinion a perfect size and shape for easy application.

The amount of product dispensed is just right giving a good amount but not so much that it's going to go gloopy.


MY OPINION:


Lets be realistic, the false lash effect is only really ever going to be achieved with false lashes - the name is purely a gimmick. That said, coverage wise this is excellent giving a really good coating in just one application. With some mascaras, applying one coat can take about 100 strokes (I have counted!) but I found this one to be very quick and was really pleased with the strength of the results. You don't need to apply two coats especially for the daytime, but I do because that's my preference.

Now to the issue of clumping and I am happy to say that this is one of the better mascaras I have used in that respect. I don't get any lumps in my eyelashes and they don't stick together which is my pet hate. I used to always keep an eyelash comb at the ready but haven't had to use it since I have started with the MF mascara.

This also doesn't flake throughout the day which is a rarity in my experience.

I find it removes very easily with babywipes or non greasy eye make up remover but I am not reviewing the waterproof version so can't comment on that.


ANY NEGATIVES?:


Unfortunately I have to take off one star for longevity as this doesn't tend to last very long. I get maybe a months use out of it before the effects are noticeably not as bold. It's still useable but you don't get the effect you got when it was new.

It doesn't seem as if its drying up, but more like running out and even the cheapo ones I use last a bit longer than a month. At around £11 a tube that's a hefty £132 a year on mascara!


OVERALL SUMMARY:


Well I'm on my third tube so despite my gripes with it's longevity, I DO like the results it produces, and in my opinion it's far better than any similar Rimmel or Maybelline mascara.

So whilst I have to deduct a point for lasting a month before it loses its impact, I would still say it's an impressive mid price mascara and am going to continue to buy it till something better comes along!

Thanks for reading - also on Ciao as ciaomiaow x