L'Oreal Lash Architect Mascara 4D

A good mascara comes into my life maybe once a blue moon. I hate buying them. The major bug about them is I have not once come across a mascara advertisement that features a model or celebrity with too-perfect, beautifully sculpted and separated eye lashes, that doesn't have scribbled somewhere 'Shot with lash inserts'. 

So I've ignored the posters and adverts for a while now, and simply just examined the testers in stores. The first thing I look for is the 'gloop'. When you pull the brush out of the tube, does it bring half the contents with it? Yes? Put it down. My now ex-mascara was Models Own 2in1 Lengthen Mascara, and I wasn't wowed at the beginning, but just a couple of weeks later, it was incredibly stodgy, a horrible experience to apply, and just generally unhygienic-looking. Not to grass it up or anything...

Secondly, I look at the brush. There are so many different brushes now. Hell, Clinique make a mascara designed especially for your lower lashes! You think I'm joking? Click here! But you'll always be wanting a different style for your eyelashes. Long and fluttery, extravagant and fabulous, au naturale, simple/plain, glittery, coloured, waterproof...it goes on. 

So anyway. I purchased this mascara in the hope of a miracle. I saw this was new. I saw this was on introductory offer. I bought.

The brush is very exciting, it's like a spiral almost, hence the 4D name. No gloop when I first took the brush out, but just the right amount for only one application. See below for difference between eyes.

What it says it is/does:

• Enriched with teeny tiny fibres - I didn't even know this until now. I can't say I'm surprised though really, it really is brilliant at sculpting your lashes. Although I haven't got it in my eyes (yet), if it has fibres in it, it will hurt if you get it in your eyes.
• Volumises and Lengthens - True. My lashes certainly look longer and thicker.
• Texturises and Curves - Also true. My eyelashes don't feel heavy and stodgy with the mascara on, and they are definitely more curvy!
• No Clumps - If you don't apply 10 layers of it, I think you'll be clump-free.

Tip: I learnt this in 2007, and it's stuck ever since. When I apply mascara, to get my eyelashes curved, separated and as fluttery as possible, I slowly shut my eyelid onto the brush, shaking the brush gently from side to side. It's another trial and error situation, but it works for me. I do have an eyelash curler too, for when I require a sky-high eyelash day, and if I'm looking for a nighttime look, I push the eyelashes out to the sides slightly, and slick on some jet-black liquid eyeliner. Fab!

Before

Shot with lash inserts. Just kidding.

So to summarise, this mascara is quite brilliant. It's not expensive, £10.99 at Boots, but I got it on offer, and there's almost always a nice deal on. The packaging is very attractive, shapely and shiny. You could probably double it up as a mini-mirror too if you want to multi-task. 

Enjoy!!