Mascara Monday: Clarins Instant Definition mascara

Yay for Clarins! This is my first time reviewing the brand on Clumps of Mascara. Woo hoo! It’s a shame really. I mean, I’ve know about Clarins forever and it’s a shame that I am just now reviewing one of their mascaras. A gal pal of mine has been trying to peep me to their products for years and well, years later…here I am. I’ve always known that Clarins rocked in the skincare department but just how awesome are their mascaras? Well, let’s seeeeee.

 

Price: $24 at department stores or ClarinsUSA.com.
Packaging (brush wand): 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5

What It Claims: “A dual-purpose, ultra-volume, intense colour mascara with a rich formula that enhances the beauty of all types of lashes.” (source)

The Truth: What a very nice mascara!

What I Loved About It: The wand is super cool. I’ve never seen anything like it.

What I Didn’t Like: It’s a heavy mascara so a good 2 coats should do the trick.

Overall: Well well wellllll. Check you out, Clarins! Is anyone familiar with this brand? Tried any of their skincare products or cosmetics? I’m late to the game with this one but that’s okay. Considering I had a great experience with one of their mascaras, I’m excited to try out more of their products. First off, this wand is niiiiiice. Check this out:

I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s a useful wand for both lengthening, volumizing and getting those lower lashes. At first glance, it looks a bit intimidating but I found it to work really well. The tip of the wand automatically coats those inner lashes so really it’s like the most effortless mascara wand I’ve ever come across. I like it. It’s a plastic wand and I wish all mascara wands were like this.

Okay, I’m exaggerating but it is really one of the best wands I’ve come across. It’s efficient and has multiple uses. I can get down with that.

Formula-wise, it’s a lot like most higher-end mascaras. It was a bit on the thicker side but not in a bad way. In my experience, I’ve found that a lot of higher-end mascaras have heavier formulas. In a way, it’s a good thing because you end up with dark and lush lashes after only 1 coat. But then you’ve got to deal with clumping and sometimes heavier formulas lead to flakiness. Which sucks. BUT, I am excited to say that I didn’t experience any flaking with Clarins Instant Definition mascara. Everything about it rocked. I did peep a little clumpiness coming on around the second coat but nothing that made me freak out. In fact, I could easily get away with 1 coat of this mascara. It also has a superb wear time. Meaning, I can put it on at 7am and by 7pm, my lashes are still looking pretty awesome. Which is unheard of for many mascaras.

So what’s to hate? Not much. The wand rocks. The lengthening and volumizing power is there. It lasts for hours at a time. It only needs 1 coat to be effective. For best results, I recommend stopping after 2 coats. But even if you want to be a rebel and push it to 3, while you may end up with a few clumps, you’ll have even darker and more volumized lashes.

 

Bare Lashes

Lashes after 2 coats

Do I recommend it?: Absolutely! It’s a darn good higher-end mascara.

 

Any Clarins lovers in the house? How lame is it that I am just now trying out this brand?