I am a sucker for freebies and a sucker for all things beauty, so when you put the two together, voile a! I am in heaven! When I was sauntering about on the Money Saving Expert forums 'Freebies low spend Required' I came across a post for Latest In Beauty. It's a lovely little site where you get 3 decent sample sizes of beauty products to try each month and all it costs is a premium £1.50 text message. Not technically a freebie, but hey, I have to justify it somehow! Anyway, on their website are exclusive offers including money off the full sized versions of the samples you've tried. Every now and then, they offer large samples which are individually chargeable which give you a better idea of what a product would be like. For example, using a face wash once won't tell you really if you're going to like it. But using it for a fortnight might give you a clearer idea and if it's a luxury, expensive product - you must have wished you could try a mini (but not sample) sized version of the product?!

It was here that I discovered Mirenesse.

It cost me £4.95 for a tube of the Secret Weapon 24 hour Mascara. The tube is roughly a third of the full size tube which costs £20, so essentially I saved £2 on the RRP for the quantity I got. But, although I would happily pay a fiver to trial a new mascara, I would never just walk in to Boots or a department store and just splurge on a £20 mascara - it would just be totally inexcusable in my eyes (I deliberate for ages over spending that much on clothing / shoes, let alone make up!).

I awaited my delivery and as with all products I buy I opened the parcel and went straight to the mirror to try it out. It came in some gorgeous glossy packaging, which was kind of like the heavier pages of a glossy magazine (you know the adverts?). It was a small box and the instructions for use were printed on the packaging meaning there was no leaflet or unnecessary papers inside. The mascara is made from a water based formula - but it doesn't run. It's exclusive formula actually wraps the lashes in tubes of product, which effectively 'set'. It claims to be long wearing (24 hour!), smear, sweat, tear, smudge, sleep, flake AND water resistant. It is fragrance, mineral oil, petrolatum, alcohol and SLS (soap) free too, so it's perfect for contact lens wearers. Good job I am one then, so I can report on it...

To apply the mascara you will need to follow the instructions the first time as it's quite tricky. You also need to have (in my opinion) a eyelash brush too. You know like a lash separator? I use an old mascara wand which you can just soak for an hour in warm water and gently wash to remove the old mascara. So, you apply the mascara as you would normally, first to one eye, then to the other. Instantly / within max 30 seconds you need to apply a second coat. If you wait any longer to get back to the first eye for the second coat it will prove disastrous, your lashes will literally clump in to one - I know this because I ignored the instructions the first time I used it! To begin with, it was easier for me to do one eye, count to 20 then apply a second coat. THEN start on the other eye. The reason you need two coats is to build up the polymers which enrobe the lashes to form the mascara 'tubes'. Until you're an expert, even if you do one eye at a time and get the hang of it first, when doing both eyes initially you will need to use the mascara brush to brush through the lashes and separate them.

When you are done, look in the mirror. Think about the times you've messed on with false eyelashes and glue. Realise that this is the last time you are ever going to need them! Because if you get the hang of applying Mirenesse Secret Weapon 24 Hour Mascara you'll never need them again! Honestly, I have stumpy eyelashes which look ok with normal mascara, they look lovely with lengthening mascaras. They look amazing with the Mirenesse Mascara. I loved it from the first (second, but first proper, following the instructions...) use! Plus, the best part is that my trial size product has lasted me almost a year now, without drying up, because I only use it for weekends out.

The best part is removing it! It's just so wonderful to watch what happens. You take a facecloth or muslin square and run a sink full of warm water. Soak your cloth in there and then press it against your eye, essentially you're trying to loosen the product in the warm water. Next you simply 'prise' off the mascara tubes - to be truthful it looks like your eyelashes are falling out because the tubes are still intact and literally pull off. It's not your eyelashes though, it is just the tubes. Afterwards, you won't believe that you do not have little mascara particles left, none wipes in to your eyes like it does when you use make up remover or wipes and you do not get panda eyes. It is so kind to your eyes that you don't even feel like you've worn make up and is therefore perfect for contact lens wearers like me!

The product lasted a full day without budging, I never sleep in make up but a girl's gotta test these things out, so I slept in the stuff. I woke up and my top and bottom lashes were a little stuck together but a little rub and they were fine a couple of tubes rolled off, but there wasn't any mascara on my pillow and although the rest of me wasn't, my eyes literally could have done another day (if you didn't look TOO close!).

When the product runs out I will definitely hot foot it over to the Mirenesse site and order the full size product - an investment in beautiful lashes - just think, false lashes cost around £4 a set, more for luxe brands. This is just 5 pairs of falsies, worth every penny to me to avoid the glue, hassle and absolute obviousness of stick ons! Thanks for reading!

www.mirenesse.com