In my younger years I never stuck to any particular sort of mascara. I would go to Boots and pick up whichever mid priced mascara was promising to lengthen my lashes the most. However, the truth of the matter is I was always disappointed. The effects were never the same as on the adverts. It isn't until recently that I noticed the small print on the bottom saying 'filmed with lash inserts'.

So, whilst shopping with my boyfriend a few days before my birthday a couple of years ago I decided to upgrade. Initially I'd intended on getting Benefit mascara as it was slightly cheaper. But they didn't have any brown mascara and as I am so fair I thought black would be too harsh, therefore I went to the YSL and took the plunge spending £18.50 on a mascara. This is expensive for anyone, but for a student it is a almost a week's worth of shopping! I think it was pre-birthday excitement!

I wish I could say that the mascara is overrated and I get better results from a £3 Boots own brand one, but that simply isn't the case. Sometimes you do get what you pay for.

Like any YSL product you can see the quality before you even open it. The mascara comes in a gold box with YSL embossed on it, and when you open it the tube looks equally impresseive. It's two different shades of gold, the top is slightly darker than the tube itself, needless to say it looks very impressive. I was that in awe of the mascara that I tried to keep my first box to keep it looking pristine!

The mascara itself is the perfect consistency. Not 'gloopy' at all. It goes onto the lashes very easily, fanning the lashes out. The result is my blonde lashes which you can hardly see look long and seperated. I don't even have a need for my eye lash curlers anymore. I do sometimes put an extra coat on if I am going out just to give it a little more effect.

Come the end of the night its very easy to remove the mascara with soap and water or make up remover, and unlike cheaper mascara it will be there at the end of the night!

My mascara lasts me about 4 months, I do use it every day without fail and if I am going out I will put some more on.

I think it is well worth the money, it seems like a lot when you first part with it, but I promise you, you will not be browsing in Boots at your lunch hour and pay another £6 for a mascara once a month purely because you fancy a change. I think that I use my mascara everyday therefore it is worth spending a fair amount of money on.

I am not a huge fan of Gok Wan but the few times I have watched the programme whenever he has a YSL mascara in the make up test it triumphs over the cheaper brands and even the comparitive brands like Dior and Chanel.

YSL do not have to advertise and yet hundreds of thousands of their mascaras are sold every year. This is because once a woman buys YSL they will stay with it forever.

I only buy the No.2 shade mascara but it is available in different shades.