L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara
The claim: L'Oreal Paris introduces Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara, their first sculpting mascara for a tightline effect at the roots and fanned out volume at the tips. Get three sculpting effects in one for deeper, darker, fuller lashes. Its exclusive Sculpting Wing Tip Brush technology has inner bristles that fill in the lash line for a no-gap tightline effect, a brush reservoir that loads the entire lash with maximum volume and outer bristles that fan out lashcorners to the extreme.
Cost: $8.99
Where: Drug and discount stores
Truthfully, I'm underwhelmed by most mascaras. Many promise to define and lengthen and volumize, but often fail to meet my expectations.
L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara was not one of them.
I wiggled the asymmetrical brush (think half of a brush) through my lashes, and when I got to the top, I couldn't believe how fanned out they were. I finally got the flutter that eluded me with all other brands. With my lashes stretched to the corner of my eye, my small eyes appeared larger.
Aside from the appearance of my eyes, the velvety mascara didn't clump on me, and I seemed to have the right amount on my brush every time. No more messing up the tubes as I'm wiping the extra mascara off, which inevitably finds its way to my hand, my clothes, the bottom of my makeup bag or the bathroom sink.
And, at the end of a 10-hour day, it hadn't smudged. Win, win, win!
I can't believe I'm about to say this — it might be first time I've ever been able to say it about a make-up product, actually: Voluminous Butterfly Mascara (mostly) does what it says it will do.
The brush is small enough and skinny enough that it can get right up against the lash line without stabbing you in the eye, plus it's fanned in a way that gets all the lashes — twice. “Lift and separate” is not the best phraseology, but that is, in fact, what it does.
The one slight downside is that if you go with more than one or two swipes, you end up with spider legs.
L'Oréal's Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara prompted skepticism in me the instant I pulled out the brush.
Typically, I'm not a fan of stiff plastic brushes, preferring softer bristles that tend to create a more natural look (Maybelline's Full & Soft is an old favorite) and thicken my lashes (like Laura Mercier's Full Blown Volume). This Butterfly Sculpt mascara, however, applied smoothly, evenly and made my lashes pop with the first coat. The pointed bristles are shaped like the body of, well, a butterfly and its antenna, or a partially unzipped jacket. The unique shape separates lashes into a structure that adds dramatic flair without much effort.
The product does weigh heavier on my lashes than I prefer for day wear, and it quickly dried and clumped upon an attempt at reapplication later in the day. It is long-lasting, though, and doesn't seem to smudge or smear, even when my eyes got watery because of allergies. It was a bit difficult to remove, but any decent makeup-remover product should do the job.
The packaging is sleek and it snaps shut tightly, so I'd be comfortable carrying it in my purse without worrying about things getting messy. I'll opt to use it primarily to create a dramatic look for a night out, and stick to one that provides a more natural look for day wear.
