Best Mascara of all time

Regardless if you are a beauty lover or not, most of us need a mascara to make our eyes appear bigger, more awake and to be more presentable in our everyday life. A good mascara is one of the most important things in your makeup kit. It is one of the essentials. However, finding the perfect mascara is a never-ending battle for most of us. One is smudging under the eyes, one does not lift the lashes, another does not keep them curled for long, and there is always the one that burns our eyes. Then, of course, we have the very expensive recommendations online, and we spend too much on a mascara that needs to be thrown away after three months (hygienic reasons, please do it).

I have tried probably a few dozen mascaras in ten years, from very cheap ones to expensive ones. Then, I think I found the one.

If you are a beauty lover and watch some YouTube, there is no way you never heard of this mascara. L’Oréal Lash Paradise (USA) or Paradise Extatic (UK – and yes, they spelt it wrong) has caused some waves in the beauty community.

L’Oreal Paradise Extatic, shade 01 Black, £11.99

PACKAGING 

It comes in a gorgeous rose gold tube. It is lightweight but looks elegant.

PRICE

Not too cheap but not expensive either. I usually buy mine when it is reduced.

USE

It is really easy to use, being quick and adding volume fast. I definitely find that I spend a lot more time with other mascaras trying to get the best result. It is one of the most significant details, in fact. It adds extreme volume and definition quickly, so it makes it fantastic to use in the morning, when you might be in a rush.

Do you really need the 2-1 Mascara Primer?

Simple answer: if you want to have the best lashes in your life, then yes.

Sounds cliché, I know, but the primer adds so much volume and length that your lashes will look like falsies (false lashes). If you are into this then by all means get the primer too.

A nice trick is that you can use this primer with other mascaras as well. If you have some mascaras that you want to finish but they are not that wow, use the L’Oreal Paradise 2-1 Mascara Primer. The primer costs £11.99 as well but I usually get mine while on sale as well.

INGREDIENTS

The Mascara

Says it is infused with Ricinus oil (Castor Oil). Most of you will know that this stimulates hair growth, but there is not actually any scientific proof for that. However, the mascara claims to use ‘silky smooth castor oil’ to ‘keep lashes feeling soft and flake-free’[1], which I admit is true. It also has jojoba oil (see below). Moreover, it has Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, which is a plant extract (cornflower) and believed to be skin-soothing. What these additional ingredients from a standard mascara tell me, is that this product conditions the lashes and helps them look more feather like.

Contains Cera Alba, which is beeswax, so this product is not vegan.

The Primer

Formula enriched with jojoba oil, which feels lighter and less greasy than other oils (compared to coconut oil for example). It is a popular oil for lashes, believed to protect the hair follicles and make your eyelashes grow longer, but I could not find any scientific studies to prove this. The only cues I found were from cosmetic companies, so I am not inclined to believe it. My opinion is that the jojoba oil in this product is beneficial, even if just to delicately moisturise your lashes.

It says it is enriched with vitamins. I noticed rosehip oil which is an extract from the rosehip fruit which is a natural source of Vitamin C. It also contains 2-Oleamido-1, which is a plant-derived ceramides. This will form a barrier on the lashes, preventing any moisture and protein loss.

WEAR TEST

I have been using this mascara for a year and a half, so I can assure you it performs amazingly – quick applications, holds the curl all day, does not smudge, even if you go to the gym, but it can have some minor fallout once it dries a bit in the tube. However, to prove what I am saying, I took some pictures for you to have some visual cues, even though this has been my favourite mascara for over a year, so it has been tested for many, many days.

In the picture above I added two coats of mascara, wanting more volume and definition. It is buildable without looking like spider legs. I would say the finish is feathery and that the lashes are very well separated.

It does not bleed at all, which is very important with mascaras. And yes, most of the time it is from the mascara. I used to think that it was my concealer doing funny things, or that my eyeliner was going under my eyes, but that is not the case most of the times. The problem is almost always the mascara. If you have to keep going to the bathroom to check if you have black marks and dots under your eyes during the day – ditch the mascara.

Another brilliant thing about this is that it keeps the curl and the length all day long. So if you have long days at the office or want your eyelashes to look just as fresh and lovely all day long, then this is for you.

I know, you will say that I already seem to have really long lashes, but trust me, they can look pretty sad with some mascaras (some fail reviews to be published in the future).

It is important to mention that this mascara does not irritate my eyes and that you do not feel it on your lashes. I have heard many friends complaining to me that they do not like to wear mascara because it bothers them. The truth is that you should not feel a good mascara – no weight on your lashes, no irritation and no other issue of this sort. If your mascara bothers you, it is not the right one.

Features – true or false claims?

Mascara

Official claims of the product[2]:

Enriched with lash-loving Castor Oil

Intense, volumised lashes

Flake-free formula

Ultra-soft brush makes it easy to apply

Feather-soft, longer-looking fluttery lashes

As proven in the wearing test, the images and the ingredients.

The Primer

Official claims of the product[3]:

2-in-1 lash primer to boost volume and care 

Lashes look longer and thicker 

Lashes feel stronger and more conditioned 

Enriched with jojoba oil + vitamins

All of these are true, as seen in the wearing test (and images) and when looking at the ingredients.

All in all, I hope this was helpful and will stop you from spending lots on dozens of mascaras that do not perform well. This gets my stamp of approval (wish I had something as cool as Jeffree Star has)!

Where to buy

I found some fantastic prices on eBay with Free Delivery:

Mascara eBay, £7.25: https://ebay.to/2YkXueA

Primer eBay, £6.95: https://ebay.to/2ywcA1I

Disclaimer

This blog post is Not Sponsored. Some of the links are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you purchase through my links. The price of the product does not change. Take it as a small thank you for revealing my all-time favourites to you!

You can read the full Disclaimers here.

[1] Product description, Superdrug, Accessed 25 July 2019

[2] Product description, Superdrug, Accessed 20 July 2019

[3] Product description, Superdrug, Accessed 20 July 2019

Watch Lipstick Café on YouTube!

Please follow Lipstick.Café on social media so you get notified about future posts!

Instagram


Twitter


Facebook


Support my Work and Donate