So you want to achieve fluttery, voluminous lashes that last all day and don’t flake? With so many mascaras available, choosing just one to commit to can be tough. I have loved and lost loads of mascaras over the years, some of which are now discontinued, some that were absolutely terrible and some, simply not world-rocking enough to write home about.
There are however two mascaras that in the last year or so, I’ve been coming back to time and time again. Why? Because they work….really well. Both offer elongated, separated and voluminous lashes, both have been hyped up by the beauty community…but which one performs best across the board? I’m talking pigmentation, longevity, lash lift, volume and length.
Mascara Review…
Who remembers back in early 2018 when Benefit caused a stir by launching their new BADgal BANG mascara with no PR budget spared? A selection of influencers including the gorgeous Samantha Maria and Patricia Bright were flown business to a luxury resort in the Maldives and treated like royalty. All for a mascara launch.
People raised their eyebrows at how much the whole thing must have cost, nevermind the fact that so many beauty influencers gave the mascara a 100% stellar review. I, myself was more interested in the mascara that promised long 36-hour wear, a formula enriched with aero-particles from space technology and a brush with 360-degree reach?!So, what’s the deal with this mascara? This is a prestige mascara which retails at £22 and is brought to you by Benefit, a brand famed for their mascaras (Hello…RollerLash and They’re Real!) And according to Pop Sugar, BADgal BANG took 4 years in development.
According to the Benefit website, BADGal BANG contains ProVitamin B5 to thicken and strength your lashes and is smudge-proof and water-resistant. The brush is a slimline, silicone applicator (It apparently took 75 prototypes to get right!) – if you prefer a fat toilet-brush style applicator, this brush is not for you but be mindful, in BADGal BANG’s case, bigger ain’t always better.
I’m now onto my 3rd tube of the Benefit BADgal BANG Volumising Mascara and here’s what I think. The formulation is very wet…you have to be careful because things get messy. The thin applicator brush is a big plus for me as I have small, hooded eyes – it means I can be precise and build coverage without splodging it all over my eyelids though I’ve found some product hangs around under my lower lashline.
The smooth, silky formula, which is blacker than black applies smoothly, albeit a little wet as I mentioned, however, it achieves insane separation and definition, that if your not careful will give you Twiggy-esc lashes – yep, it’s a clumpy one and ideal for anyone who loves a spidery lash. Some could argue there’s too much BANG for an everyday makeup look, but I like it. I can’t comment on whether or not it lasts 36 hours… but it does tend to flake after 12 hours or so…on my eyes anyway. It does, however, remove easily when worn on its own so that’s a big plus for me.
The L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara (Extra Black) first came into my life when I was around 13/14 and I’d ‘borrow’ it out of my Mum’s makeup bag. (Sorry Mum!) It was just sooo good, even back then… but as a tween, I couldn’t afford the £10-£11 price tag, so had to stick to a £1.99 Natural Collection mascara instead! Whenever I got the chance, I’d use the Volume Million lashes and feel a million dollars, never mind a million lashes!
If I’m looking for a fail-safe option that I know works well, this particular mascara is usually the one I’ll go for. It’s easily found in the likes of Boots and Superdrug, though it is on the upper end of the drugstore price bracket at £10.99.
Again, you’re looking at a silicone brush comprised of both shorter and longer bristles which are protected by an ‘excess wiper’ – no liquidy clumps to be seen here! Though that said, the brush is chunky and can be difficult to get to those teeny-tiny lashes nearer the corners of your eyes.
The blacker than black formulation dries down quickly but I find that it also flakes pretty quickly also, so that is something to be mindful of. When it comes to offering up length and volume, the L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes performs well, though it takes a little work to get it going.
I love both of these mascara’s, they perform differently but for ease of use it’s gotta go to the Benefit BAGGal BANG! For instant results, in one swoop you can go from looking 6am just-rolled-out-of-bed- tired, to Bambi-eyed and awake.The formula is really easy to apply (once you get used to the consistency)…and remove and the length and volume you can achieve is INSANE.
If you’re in the market for a new mascara, you don’t mind spending extra on it and you want noticeable results, definitely try BADGal BANG. If, however, you want a an easy daily mascara without too much drama, the Volume Million lashes is for you!
