L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara, my review

Having rediscovered L’Oréal mascaras last year during my North American road-trip, I was really looking forward to their new releases. And their latest mascara, the Voluminous Lash Paradise was highly hyped up by all the American beauty gurus. So I basically had to try it! ^^

On YouTube, this mascara is clearly having its moment. All the big beauty YouTubers compare it to the best-seller Too Faced Better Than Sex (which is called Better Than Love in Dubai)(lol, I swear). I tried the Too Faced in the past, but I didn’t like it, it was super flaky just after a few hours, it’s really not a long-lasting mascara…
I also tried the waterproof version, which is better, so I admit that the promise of a dupe for more than half the price is very tempting!

It’s true that the pink packaging and also the brush of the L’Oréal mascara looks a lot like the Too Faced one. But the formulas are quite different, IMO.

Let’s see all that in detail! wink

L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara, presentation:

What the brand says about it:

“Voluptuous Volume. Intense Length. Full Lash Fringe, Feathery Soft.

Take your lashes to paradise with voluptuous volume & intense length. Soft wavy bristle brush holds the maximum amount of formula. 200+ bristles catch every lash for a dramatic volumizing effect. Silky smooth formula glides on evenly and easily. This volumizing and lengthening mascara delivers a full lash fringe that’s feathery soft. No flaking. No smudging. No clumping. Waterproof Mascara. Women agreed: 3 out of 4* women saw volume & length, 90%* said it doesn’t flake, 95%* said it lasts all day. 
*In a consumer test for Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara “

The brand describes it as a volumizing mascara but also lengthening, and above all, it insists on the fact that it doesn’t flake. Difficult not to see a reference to the Too Faced! wink
The brand also claims that the waterproof version is very long-lasting.

This mascara exists in 5 versions: 3 different colors in a classic formula (black, blackest black, and black brown) and 2 waterproof versions (black and blackest black). I chose the waterproof version (as usual because I have super straight lashes and waterproof mascaras hold the curl better) in the blackest black color.

The brush is very similar to the Too Faced BTS one, with its hourglass shape. It’s a classic bristle brush, not a synthetic one. It’s quite thick, and it has more than 200 bristles to intensely thicken the eyelashes.

L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara, my test and thoughts:

– Formula:

The formula is very creamy, not thick at all and quite “dry”. It’s easy to apply, and it’s not clumpy at all. It’s very easy to layer it. It’s not flaky during the day.

– Application/ Brush:

It’s a thick classic brush with bristles, and it applies the mascara on all the eyelashes without putting it everywhere. It has a slight hourglass shape, and it has different hair sizes to catch all the eyelashes, including the shortest ones.
I found it rather easy to use.

To get more volume, I practice the technique of the zig-zag application (I oscillate my brush during the application), which allows me to spread the formula everywhere on the eyelashes. And also, I apply several layers because the original volume effect is a little bit light for my liking (unlike the Too Faced BTS which has a much more visible volumizing effect on the first layer).

– Lash separation:

For a volumizing mascara, I don’t find it clumpy at all, and it really separates well the eyelashes. The formula is rather flexible on the eyelashes, that’s probably why.

– Lengthening effect:

I didn’t find it especially lengthening, but my lashes are already quite long, so it’s not really the effect I’m looking for in a mascara.

– Curling effect:

It’s not really a curling mascara, but as it’s waterproof and if you use a good eyelash curler before (mine is by Surratt, and I love it), it holds the curl quite well.

– Volumizing effect:

The volumizing effect is OK, but you really have to apply several layers! With just one single layer, the effect is very natural, it takes at least 3 layers for a truly dramatic effect. It layers pretty well, but you need a little bit of effort for a more intense look.

Otherwise, you can also use an eyelash primer before applying the mascara, and it really helps to get a thicker effect quickly. The one from L’Oréal, the Voluminous Primer is not bad at all!

– Color:

The Blackest Black color is a very beautiful intense black, I like it very much.

– Lasting power:

It lasts very well, all day long without flaking or smudging.

– Value for money:

It retails for $9.99. Honestly, even if you need to apply several layers for a nice volumizing effect, it’s still worth it compared to the Too Faced BTS! wink

How does it look on my lashes?

I used my eyelash curler before, and here in the photos, I applied 2 layers of L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara. I didn’t apply any primer below, and I didn’t use it on my bottom lashes, only on the top ones.

– Front view (before and after):

– Eyes closed and side view (before and after):

– And the complete makeup look:

On my lips, I wear the new Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick in the shade Purée (I will probably do a review on these lipsticks because I purchased quite a few of them wink ).

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

Although I’m not totally amazed with the volumizing effect of this mascara, I still like it. It’s a good product, especially for this price! smile

The L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara is available from the L’Oréal website for $9.99.

And you, have you tried this L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara? Otherwise, what is your favorite mascara at the moment?

Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com