Review: Bourjois Elastic Mascara

I feel like when it comes to Bourjois, it's their foundations and their blushers that seem to get all the rave reviews, but when it comes to mascaras, you just don't hear their name thrown into the pot too often. Which is rather unfair, in my opinion, as Bourjois mascaras are some of the best drugstore ones I've come across and I can honestly say I've loved every single one I've tried so far.

I love the thin drop like handle on this mascara for its uniqueness, although it's not the most practical for use. In fact it feels a little bit like you're jousting with a very bristly lance. Nevertheless this is a pretty amazing mascara. It's one of those that is really "grippy", so that each and every lash gets coated evenly and adds great length to the lash (although, as usual, ignore all marketing claims of just how much longer your lashes are going to become, as it tends to be a load of rubbish). It lasts really well, too, without any flaking or smudging.

Sadly, it seems like this mascara has now been discontinued (sorry bout that....), but you can still find these on Amazon, Ebay and some discount make-up sites. Anyway, this was a bit more of an ode to Bourjois mascaras in general. I also really love their Clubbing and their 1 Second mascara if you want to give one of them a try.

Have you used any Bourjois mascaras? What did you think?

Review: Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

Even though I don't usually get on with Maybelline mascaras, it was the blogger hype surrounding this one that made me reconsider and give it a go. I mean seriously, this must have been on pretty much every single blogger's favourites list at some point in time. It's got to be amazing, right? Well, no. Turns out I should have followed my gut instinct.

It's probably due to the fact that I'm looking for something completely different in my mascara than most people do. My lashes are naturally quite curly, so I'm not looking for a mascara that's great at holding a curl, as most days I don't even bother using lash curlers at all! They're also quite long, but with very light tips, so I need my mascara to really define those tips rather than give me lots of bulk at the root.... which is pretty much the exact opposite to what this mascara does.

The stubby plastic bristles are great at giving volume, but are just too short to grip the ends of my lashes, so it would take me ages to bring some decent definition to the ends of my lashes and I just don't need that level of faffing about early in the morning when I just want to get out of the house already!
On the plus side, it lasts really well and I can't say I've experienced any smudging or flaking even towards the end of the day with this mascara. Bonus!

Usually I end up discovering products that I really really love when I give in to bloggers' hype, but this is one I'll be giving a miss and won't be repurchasing. Have you tried this mascara? What did you think?

Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express mascara retails at £7.99 each.

Review: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

This mascara has only popped up on drugstore and supermarket shelves not too long ago and already it's received rave reviews left right and centre. I've even seen it compared to my ultimate holy grail mascara, the Benefit "They're Real!". At a fraction of the price, it seemed to good an opportunity to pass up on the chance to try this possible alternative!

Just as I thought I'd seen everything when it comes to different types of mascara wands, along comes this strange contraption. It's essentially a big rubbery brush, but in addition to that there are lots of tiny little rubber balls interspersed between the bristles. I can't say I've ever had the feeling that my mascara wand is in need of lots of little rubber bubbles, but hey, don't knock it till you've tried it!

On the lashes the brush feels very grippy and does a really great job at lengthening the lashes while still giving definition and separation. You can add a few coats if it's volume you're after, as it layers very well, but I usually go for just one coat.

Top: No mascara; Bottom: Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

The finished result is a very defined and natural look, which I'm a great fan of. I can definitely see where the comparison to "They're Real!" comes from, even though I find the brush of the mascara wand to be a lot more difficult to maneouvre and as it doesn't have those little bristles at the top of the wand like Benefit's offering, it's a lot more difficult to get into the little corners.

Having said that, this is probably my favourite drugstore mascara I've ever tried and unlike the Benefit mascara, it comes in a waterproof version as well. It lasts well all day without flaking or smudging, and at £9.99 (currently on an introductory offer of £6.99) it's very purse friendly, too!

Review: Benefit They're Real! Mascara

As much as I love trying out new and lesser-known brands and products, sometimes you've just got to give in to hype. And there are few products that have been more hyped up than the infamous They're Real! mascara. It seems that the whole beauty community seemed to be divided into those who love it and those who hate it. I actually thought about purchasing it for a while, but couldn't shake this feeling of unease in investing almost £20 into a product that I'm only going to have to replace and/or throw away in 3 months' time. But eventually I just couldn't resist and had to splurge a little bit.

At the time Boots were doing a deal where you could boxes of two They're Real! mascaras (one full size, one sample size) for the price of one, so instantly the money spent seemed a lot more justifiable. At least if I loved it, I'd still have a little mini tube to keep me going for a bit after the big mascara had run out. It was also great for travelling, where every last bit of space saving is very much appreciated.

I'll come straight out with the fact that I absolutely, truly adore this mascara. In a way I was hoping that I wouldn't, as it's quite pricey, especially seeing as I chuck my mascaras after 3 months' time. And sadly, no other mascara I've tried since has compared to the beauty of this one.

I think that the thing to bear in mind with this one is that if you like really fat, voluminous lashes, it won't be for you. It does layer really well, but you'd have to apply several coats to get the same effect you get from some other ones. For me, that's not an issue. I don't like plumping mascaras anyway, as they tend to just make my lashes clumpy and I much prefer length and separation in a mascara. I also can't really comment on how it holds a curl, as my lashes are naturally rather curly, so a mascara doesn't really make much of a difference either way.

The brush of the mascara is made of synthetic, rubber bristles that are almost comb-like and a little spiky bit at the tip of the wand. The short spikes are really great at gripping the lashes and the spiky tip allows you to really get into the corner of the eye and also grab bottom lashes to make sure that each and every lash is generously coated. The result is a wide awake look with what seems like a gazillion of fluttery lashes.

Top: No mascara / Bottom: 1 coat of Benefit They're Real! mascara

What I do need to mention is that the full sized mascara is far superior to the small travel sized version. As the brush on the mini mascara sits so close to the lid it becomes very difficult to control and achieve precise results. I used the mini version in the swatch picture above and you can see quite a few smudge marks both at the top and the bottom lashes. I did not get theses with the big one, so if you've tried the sample size and not got on with it, the full size might still work for you.

Benefit They're Real! mascara retails at £19.50 per tube.

Review: MUA Clear Mascara

It was only while googling "Clear Mascara" for the purpose of this review that I came across a vast array of uses for clear mascara that I'd never even thought of! For me, clear mascara has always just served the purpose of keeping my brows in place after I'd filled them in using either a pencil or a brow shadow. And that's exactly why I bought this one in particular.

This product is as un-fancy as it could possibly get. The packaging is straightforward, but nevertheless sturdy and serves its purpose well. It doesn't even have an obnoxiously long name - as a matter of fact, it's just called "Mascara". Even the wand is probably the most standard, average mascara wand you could think of.
But for grooming and keeping my brows in place it was pretty much spot on. The brush held on to each brow hair and sorted out any strays, while giving the faintest hint of glossiness to the brows.

It won't make your brows go hard and crispy, but in return I found that it didn't last that long and after a few hours my brows could be all over the place again. If you hate brow products that are a bit too solid and glue-like, this will be perfect for you, but I for one would have happily sacrificed a bit of stickiness for slightly stronger hold - but that's just personal preference.
All in all, considering the price point, this is almost unbeatable. It's £1 (yes, ONE pound) for a solid, reliable brow product (or flyaway tamer or lash glosser or pigment base etc etc). Just bear in mind that if you do use it for taming your brows like I did, the clear packaging won't look as nice as when you first got it for long....

The MUA Mascara in shade 1 seems to have disappeared both from Superdrug's as well as MUA's own website, but I know for a fact that I've seen it in shops not too long ago. Meanwhile, if you fancy any other shades of MUA's aptly named "Mascara" mascara, you can find all other colours here.

Love Me Beauty Box January 14

After last month's slight disappointment with my Love Me Beauty box and the options they had on offer, the first box of this year got me excited again with some lovely menus to choose from. Four out of five items are full sized products and there's a nice mix of make-up, haircare and skincare. All the menus featured the Anatomicals shower gel, the Pureology styling mousse, the Cosmetics a la Carte mascara and the NYX eye shadow, albeit in different shades depending on the menu. Lastly, you got to choose between a Weleda body oil sample, a Weleda hand cream sample or a full sized Arran Aromatics soap. The menu I went for was Menu 3, as I liked the eye shadow shade the most out of all of the options.

1) NYX Cosmetics | Single Eyeshadow in "Sahara"

Full size: £5.00

NYX Cosmetics Single Eyeshadow in Sahara swatch in day light

The first item in the box was a full sized eye shadow by NYX - a brand I used to see quite a lot of when I lived in Germany, but that's not overly prevalent over here in the UK. This eyeshadow is the only reason I chose this particular menu, as the other shades on offer were a bright orange which I wouldn't really know how to wear and a dark smoky grey which I have enough of in my collection already. Sahara translates as a light sparkly champagne onto the skin and admittedly I'm not overly impressed with the pigmentation. It might work quite well as a base colour, however, or for adding a bit of sparkle to an everyday make-up look.

2) Arran Aromatics | Apothecary Wheatgerm & Vitamin E Soap

Full size: £2.75

As I chose my box by eye shadow colour this is a product that I was sort of forced to pick. I would have preferred the Weleda body oil sample to be completely honest, as it's difficult to get excited over soap. However, it's something we all need and I have no doubt that I'll use it. I haven't unwrapped it yet, as I want to leave it fresh for when we move into our new home, so I can't really comment on the scent of this product.

3) Anatomicals | Rose & Jasmine Body Cleanser

Full size: £3.00

I know there's quite a few people who don't like getting body wash in their beauty boxes and while I understand completely where they're coming from, I personally don't mind at all, as long as it's not too frequent. Shower gel is something everyone needs, but I usually get mine from the Pound shop or on special offer from the supermarket, so it's nice to have something a tad more special from time to time. Having said that, this one only comes in at £3 anyway, so it's certainly not a splurge product anyway! I really like the smell of roses, so to me this scent is pure bliss. Not to mention I'm a huge fan of Anatomicals' packaging design and cheeky slogans!

4) Pureology | Colour Stylist Silk Bodifier

Full size: £15.00 for 250ml / Sample value: £4.88

Well, admittedly it's been quite a while since I've used mousse on my hair and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this sample. Memories of sticky, crispy hair come to mind, but perhaps mousse formulas have improved over the years and I'll fall in love with this product. I've heard a lot of beauty bloggers rave about Pureology and their sulfate-free products, so it's nice to try something from the brand for myself. This mousse in particular is also made for colour-treated hair, so should be perfect for my bleached tresses.

5) Cosmetics a la Carte | Divine Lash Mascara in "Black"

Full size: £23.00

Even after browsing their website, I can't quite fathom where I've heard of this brand before, but the name does certainly ring a bell. Hailed as this month's star product, I'm certainly excited to try this mascara. Which girl doesn't love mascara after all? This one has quite spiky looking long synthetic bristles - a bit like a hybrid between a traditional mascara wand and a lash comb. I can't wait to give this a trial run on my lashes and see how it performs!

Total value: £38.63

It feels like Love Me Beauty have certainly kicked off the New Year by returning back to form. Out of the five products I received this month, I can say with certainty that I will use each and every single one. I like the nice mix of product types and high-end vs. budget brands featured. Even though two brands have been in boxes before (Arran Aromatics and Anatomicals), they're completely different types of products, so I don't mind like I did with last month's Lord & Berry scenario. Now I can't wait to see what's going to be in next month's box!

Are you subscribed to Love Me Beauty? If so, what did you think of this month's boxes?

Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara

Here's a fun fact: I'm a little bit known for buying things for absolutely ridiculous reasons. The reason I bought this mascara? The packaging was bright green. I like bright green things.



You certainly wouldn't have to worry about it getting lost in your make-up stash among the tubes and boxes of predominantly black and perhaps silver!



Anyway, for me there is rarely a mascara that I will repurchase - there are about three that are my all time favourites, but being a beauty blogger there's just too many new ones to discover all the time!



To cut a long story short, this was a rather average mascara for me - it did its job, didn't do too bad at it, but I'm definitely not going to buy it again. It gives a decent amount of length and volume to the lashes, but nothing that really blew me away.



The brush is also a little on the larger side which makes it tricky not to smudge any mascara onto your eye lids (especially when you've got shaky hands like me). On the plus side it delivered really nice, black pigment with only minimal flaking during the day. But take a look for yourself.



Me without any mascara. (How do you take pictures of your eyes without squinting? I can't seem to do it!)



Me with Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex mascara. As you can see there's a little bit of smudging on the bottom eye lid.

I'd say that bright green packaging aside, this is a pretty average mascara. If you're looking for a cheap-ish mascara I'd still recommend MaxFactor False Lash Effect over this one any time, or if you've got some cash to splash, why not try Benefit's They're Real! (the next one I'll be reviewing) or Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes?

What are your favourite mascaras?

Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex mascara retails at £6.99

Love Me Beauty Box October 13

This month's post on my Love Me Beauty Box (formerly known as Beauteco) is a tad late due to the fact that we've not had any internet at home for a while - the cause was two naughty puppies destroying the router, thanks for that, dogs! But on the plus side that means that I've had a chance to try every single one of the products I've received and can give you a little mini review along with a description of each item.

1) Lord and Berry | Smudge Proof Eyeliner

Full size: £7.50

To be honest with you I wasn't overly excited to get another two Lord & Berry products in this month's box, seeing as there had already been two lip products from them two months back which I've probably used twice and then given up on. To be fair that wasn't Lord & Berry's fault; it was just because the colours didn't suit me one bit.

The eye liner that came in this month's box was in the colour "Smoke", which unlike the lip products was a brilliant choice in my opinion. I've got more than enough black eye liners to last me a lifetime, but this is a very pretty off-grey with slight green undertones, which makes a nice alternative to a traditional smokey eye. When I opened my pencil, however, I found this:

For some reason the nib had sunk into the pencil!? But never mind, it was nothing a few quick twists in the sharpener couldn't fix. Unfortunately, however, the dodginess didn't end there. As much as I adore the colour, I found the pencil to be way too hard, which means that it pulls a lot on my eye lids, making smooth and even application almost impossible. And you can forget about using it on the waterline, unless you really insist on poking your eye out with a sharp object.

2) Lord & Berry | Scuba Mascara

Full size: £12

On to the second Lord & Berry product: The waterproof Scuba mascara. Upon first inspection I was sure that I'd quite like this product. The brush is densely packed with bristles and it seemed to be nice and pigmented in the tube. 

Unfortunately that doesn't translate at all to the lashes. For a start, the texture is way too dry - I'm not sure if my tube was simply gone off or if that's just how it comes every time, but it just wouldn't do anything to my lashes. Today I gave it some elbow grease and after five coats (yes, FIVE), I finally managed to get some pigment on my lashes - which resulted in flaking about three hours later and a lot of tears trying to get it off in the evening.

Now, I've got to add to this, that I received an email this morning from Love Me Beauty and Lord & Berry apologising about the poor quality of these two products. It seems that I wasn't the only one left thoroughly unimpressed and apparently this is not representative of Lord & Berry as a brand, so they're adding a lipstick to next month's box as compensation. While that's a nice gesture, this mascara is nevertheless going straight in the bin and I won't be happy if I see any more of their stuff in my beauty box.

3) Balm Balm | Indulge Bath & Shower

Full size: £6 for 5ml

This month's box featured three different scent options of this bath and shower oil and with the one I chose (Menu 3), came the "indulgent" variety. I would definitely say this is a strong, slightly spicy and very rich scent and throughout using it I couldn't really make up my mind about whether or not I like it. The little bottle lasted for three applications, which makes the £6 price tag a tad steep in my opinion. Maybe I've just been using too much, though, who knows? As I tend not to take baths anymore, I used this in the shower, but on its own it just didn't seem to clean my skin at all, so I ended up mixing it with my regular shower gel.

And oh my, this is scented heavily. I did not only emerge out of the shower smelling of this oil, without any lotion or even perfume standing the slightest chance in overpowering the scent - it actually left the whole flat smelling like "Indulge" all day long! Maybe I really have been using too much of this.... Nevertheless, now that it's gone I wouldn't say it's anything I'd consider repurchasing.

4) Weleda | Millet Nourishing Shampoo

Full size: £8.95 for 190ml / Sample value: £0.85

I haven't had a chance to sample too many Weleda products yet, so I was quite happy to see this brand featured in this month's box. This shampoo smells absolutely divine - it's got a fresh and citrussy scent but without that hint of detergent that you can get in a lot of citrus scented beauty products. 

Unfortunately, this was another dud for me. There was practically no lather when I used this on my hair and while I accept that this is common amongst "natural" shampoos that aren't full of SLS, it's still something that bothered me quite a bit. Even worse was the fact that it just didn't get my hair clean at all. I actually had an urge to apply dry shampoo straight after blow drying my hair, that's how heavy and greasy it felt.

5) Amie Skincare | Bright Eyes

Full size: £4.95 for 125ml

This is the only product that offered any real choice this month, as you could choose between this, a moisturiser or two packs of face mask. I decided to go with the make-up remover, as I was running low and didn't really fancy any of the other products. It might not be an overly exciting product, but it's been doing a good job at removing my make-up without irritating my eyes or leaving a sticky film on them. As it's oil free however, it will barely scratch the surface of waterproof make-up (such as the scuba mascara that came in the same box), so you'd need a separate product for that. Even though Amie has been featured in a previous box I don't mind seeing them again as I really love the face scrub that I received in an earlier box.

6) Mitchell and Peach | Body Cream

Full size: £36 for 180ml / Sample value: £10

I got an extra product in this month's box which isn't mentioned anywhere on the menu, so I'm assuming that this is part of Love Me Beauty's special offer that gets you a bonus product for every three months you've been subscribed. A great idea in my opinion! Who doesn't love a little extra surprise thrown in? The cream smells has a lovely and quite sophisticated floral, slightly woody scent. Unlike most body lotions that I always complain about it's not too thin and moisturises my skin very well. A huge thumbs down however for whoever designed the packaging of this sample - it doesn't squeeze and the cream is too thick to just run out of the top, so I can see at least half of this lovely sample going to waste just because there's no way for me to get it out. What a shame!

Total value: £31.30 (£41.30 with bonus sample)

Sadly, I have to say that this month's box was my least favourite out of all of the ones I've received. This is partly down to three products being repeat brands and partly down to four the items turning out to be complete duds for me. Getting four full sized products is still really amazing for any beauty box company and I've really enjoyed my little bonus sample this month. Maybe it's just that I've gotten so used to Love Me Beauty / Beauteco supplying me with products that I absolutely adore month after month - after all most of my last monthly favourites posts lately have featured at least one item from each box! You can't always be on to a winner, so I'm still happy with Love Me Beauty as a concept and I'm looking forward to hopefully discovering some new gems in next month's box. But please, pretty pretty please, no more Lord & Berry products!

Monthly Favourites: August 2013

1) Laura Mercier Oil-free Tinted Moisturiser

I've seen people rave and go on about these for so long that eventually I just caved and had to give it a go for myself - and I have to admit, it's a pretty awesome product! My skin is behaving pretty well at the moment, so I don't need anything with massive amounts of coverage and this tinted moisturiser just fits the bill perfectly. It just seems to smooth things out a little bit, while feeling light as a feather and leaving a natural, healthy glow. My one bug bear (aside from the price!) is that seeing as it's oil free it could do with being a little more mattifying - it seems to leave my face extremely shiny, but that could just be down to the hot weather in all fairness.

2) Models Own nail polish in Luis Lemon

Another Models Own polish in my monthly favourites! I'm seriously obsessed with them - the formula never fails me and the shade selection is just amazing. During the last month of summer I've particularly been loving this neon yellow to put a spring in my step. It's phenomenal for a night out as well, as it literally glows in black light! You can read a post I wrote about this nail polish here.

3) Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude

I'd been hunting for a nude eye liner for months about a year ago, until I finally gave up and forgot all about it. Then I went out to do some beauty shopping with a friend when we stumbled across these and though I wasn't that fussed anymore I thought I'd give it a go. Great decision! The formula of this pencil is just amazing - soft, creamy, pigmented and stays on the waterline for at least 5 hours. The nude shade is perfect for a wide-eyed, healthy look, but without being quite as harsh and obvious as a white pencil.

4) Artdeco Clear Lash & Brow Gel

Apologies about the tube looking a little manky - unfortunately that's what tends to happen with clear brow mascaras when you apply them over brow pencil or powder. Aesthetics aside, however, this does an amazing job of keeping my brows in place ALL DAY LONG. Literally, they won't budge until I give them a swipe with make-up remover. For somebody whose brows always seem to have a mind of their own this is an absolute god send - it just makes me look so much more groomed than brows that are all over the place. Bear in mind, that it does make them a bit crispy and glossy, but to me that's not necessarily a downside.

5) Benefit They're Real Mascara

I'll admit that I was anything but blown away by this mascara when I first tried it and I'd even go as far as saying that I felt that I'd wasted my money a little. Yes, it makes lashes look really long and it's not too bad for curling, but somehow it was just missing a little bit of oomph. However, slowly but surely, this is really growing on me. There's just something about the brush that makes it grip literally every single one of your eyelashes. Nowadays, when I want a little more impact I just apply two or three layers and it works brilliantly, without a single clump in sight.

Astor Big & Beautiful Play It Big Mascara Review

This is one of the last products I picked up while still in Germany. Astor is a fairly big company over there, with ad campaigns starring Germany's favourite export Heidi Klum, but I never really heard anybody talk about it. So when I needed a new mascara, I thought what better occasion to give it a whirl myself!

The Big & Beautiful Play It Big Mascara is an extension mascara, which aims to give you fuller and (most importantly) longer looking lashes. I'm all for length and separation when it comes to my mascaras, so I thought this one would be perfect for me. What I didn't know, however, was that they meant "lash extension" in a quite literal way - the product is full of little hairs which are supposed to stick to your own lashes!
Not knowing that I got quite a shock when I looked at the mascara brush covered in hairs and thought all my lashes had come out!

Apart from the bewildering hairs on the mascara brush (which you can't quite see in the picutre, as it was taken when the mascara was brand new), the wand is actually fairly easy to handle despite its club like shape. It grips my top lashes extremely well, but can become a little hard to handle on bottom lashes where it requires an extremely stable hand.

Astor Big & Beautiful Play It Big Mascara Before

Astor Big & Beautiful Play It Big Mascara After

Does it work? Well, you can judge for yourselves with the before and after pictures. I did find that the little hair fibres left slightly odd looking little clumps on my lashes, which you can see a little bit on the right side of the after picture. I found my lashes to be more defined, but not necessarily any more elongated than from other mascaras.

Having said that, it lasted well throughout the day with minor flaking after a couple of hours. I was a little bit worried that the little lash extensions would come off during the day and irritate my eyes, but had no such trouble whatsoever, even whilst wearing contact lenses.

Overall it performed fairly well for a mid-range mascara, though it didn't blow me away and the extension concept didn't quite convince me, either.

It retails at 7,49€ and is available in drugstores and supermarkets in Germany.

Have you ever tried a fiber extension mascara?

L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic Mascara Review

One of the beautiful things about being a beauty blogger is that I hear people raving about certain products I never would have glanced at, which results in me buying them and sometimes completely falling in love with them. L'Oréal's Telescopic mascara is one of those things that has received many rave reviews in the beauty community, but if it wasn't for that I would have walked straight past it. Unfortunately L'Oréal doesn't really speak to me as a brand. I often find their products very old-fashioned and outdated, so I was excited to see if this mascara would live up to the hype it's created.

Eins der großen Vorteile des Beauty-Bloggens ist, dass ich oft von Produkten höre, die ich so nie probiert hätte und mich dann nach dem Einkauf oft vollkommen in sie verliebe. L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara ist eins von den Dingen, von denen überall nur geschwärmt wurde, doch ich wäre normalerweise direkt daran vorbeigelaufen. Leider spricht mich L'Oréal als Marke überhaupt nicht an. Ich finde die Produkte oft sehr altbacken und überholt, also war ich aufgeregt, herauszufinden, ob der Hype um diese Wimperntusche berechtigt ist.

I picked up the "Clean Definition" one, as that's what I usually go for in a mascara. (There seem to be some naming issues which you can read about right at the end of this post.) I want my lashes to be long and separated and I'm not overly bothered about volume and curl.
The packaging is actually quite interesting, as the tube is shaped like a telescope, relating to the mascara's name. This variety has a silver chrome-like exterior which attracts dirt and finger prints like nothing else, so please excuse the extremely grubby pictures (I was also in a huge rush when I took them).

Ich habe mir die "Clean Definition"-Version geholt, da ich so etwas normalerweise von einer Mascara verlange. (Die Namensgebung ist hier etwas eigenartig; ich erzähle mehr dazu ganz am Ende.) Ich möchte, dass meine Wimpern lang und gut getrennt sind, während mir Volumen und Schwung relativ egal sind.
Die Verpackung ist eigentlich ganz interessant, da die Tube wie ein Teleskop geformt ist, in Anspielung auf den Namen. Diese Gattung hat ein silbernes, chromähnliches Äußeres, das Schmutz und Fingerabdrücke wie ein Magnet anzieht, also entschuldigt bitte die verdreckten Fotos (Ich hatte es auch furchtbar eilig, als ich sie geschossen habe).

As you'd expect from a lengthening and "clean definition" mascara, it has a rubber type wand with fairly short plastic bristles, though not as short as, say MaxFactor False Lash or Covergirl Lashblast. Oddly enough, the wand also bends if you press down on it, which seems a weird gimmick to add to be honest. I have no intention of ramming it into my eye hard enough to make it bend, so I don't know where the added flexibility would add anything.

Wie man von einer verlängernden und "Clean Definition" Mascara erwarten würde, hat sie ein Gummibürstchen mit recht kurzen Plastikborsten, die jedoch nicht ganz so kurz sind, wie beispielsweise MaxFactor False Lash oder Covergirl Lashblast. Merkwürdigerweise lässt sich das Bürstchen auch biegen, wenn man draufdrückt, was ich etwas eigenartig finde. Ich habe nicht vor, es so stark in mein Auge zu rammen, dass es sich verbiegen könnte, also weiß ich nicht so recht, wobei diese extra-Flexibilität eigentlich helfen soll.

The formula is on the drier side, though I have experienced absolutely no flaking from it throughout the day. Unless I manage to smear some on my eyelid upon application (which happens often enough, but that's not L'Oréal's fault) it will stay put without running or smudging. Nevertheless it's easy enough to remove at the end of the day, so a definite thumbs up from me for that!

Die Konsistenz liegt auf der trockenen Seite, doch sie hat beim Tragen noch nie gekrümelt. Es gibt den ganzen Tag lang kein Verschmieren oder Verlaufen, außer wenn ich beim Auftragen mein Lid erwische (und das passiert leider etwas zu oft, aber daran sind L'Oréal nicht schuld). Trotzdem ist es sehr leicht, die Tusche abends zu entfernen, also gibt es in dieser Hinsicht ein definitives Daumen hoch!

No mascara (and squinty eyes)

With L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic on top and bottom lashes

The effect it gives is quite nice - very natural, lengthened lashes that are perfect for day time. There's absolutely no clumping and the clean definition that it promises is definitely there. Believe it or not, the picture above actually shows several layers of mascara (three or four, I'm not so sure anymore) and that's the only bad thing I have to say about this product, really: It's just really hard work. The wand doesn't grab onto lashes very well and coupled with the dry formula it means you're stood there applying for a good five minutes before there is any noticeable difference on the lashes.

Der Effekt ist ganz nett - sehr natürliche, verlängerte Wimpern, also ideal für tagsüber. Es gibt keinerlei Klümpchen und die "Clean Definition", die sie verspricht, ist auf jeden Fall erkennbar. Kaum zu glauben, aber das Bild weiter oben zeigt mehrere Schichten Mascara (drei oder vier, ich bin mir nicht mehr sicher) und das ist das einzige, was ich an diesem Produkt auszusetzen habe: es macht viel Arbeit. Das Bürstchen greift sich die Wimpern nicht so gut und zusammen mit der trockenen Konsistenz heißt das, dass man gute fünf Minuten da steht und Mascara aufträgt, ehe auf den Wimpern irgendein Unterschied erkennbar ist. 

Now, the naming completely confuses me. I bought this one in Germany and it says "Telescopic Clean Definition", yet when I look it up online it now seems to be called "False Lash Extensions". In the UK it's called "False Lash Telescopic" and all three seem to be one and the same product. Anyone got any light to shed on this?
The mascara (whatever it may be called) will set you back £10.99

Der Name verwirrt mich sehr. Ich habe meine Tube in Deutschland gekauft und drauf steht "Telescopic Clean Definition", doch online heißt sie jetzt auf einmal "False Lash Extensions". In der UK heißt sie "False Lash Telescopic" und alle drei scheinen ein und dasselbe Produkt zu sein. Hat irgendjemand eine Idee, was hier vor sich geht?
Die Mascara (wie auch immer sie heißen mag) kostet €13,95.