REVIEWSDAY: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

As you may have read on Friday's post (if not, why not?!), back in December we were lucky enough to be invited to an event with Elle UK and Benefit to hear about Benefit's brand new product, which was launched on Friday, Roller Lash Mascara. Although it is not in stores yet, they also very kindly sent us each a (full-size!) sample to test out before it is on general sale, so obviously we just had to review it for you guys! And since this is such an exciting review, we are going to do it as a joint post so you can see it on both of us and what we each think of it.

I was super super excited to try this mascara out after hearing so much about the research and testing that went into it, and their as-always very impressive consumer product trial results, but I have to admit I have been a teeny bit disappointed. I very much need to say this straight up with the admission that I have only been able to test it once because I have been ill in bed the past three days, but I just found it a bit difficult. The end results were pretty good but it was just quite a lot of effort to get there, but maybe this will get better with time and/or practice. I do find I have issues with quite a lot of mascaras the first time, and then they settle down, so it is possible that this will happen.

Please excuse my horrible, ill, puffy eyes...

I think my main problem was with the formula rather than the brush, because I just found it a little bit sticky, but then when I tried to comb through my lashes with the brush to separate them, I ended up overloading them with mascara and making it worse. On the second eye I managed a bit better, basically knowing that this would happen, but I wasn't really able to salvage the first eye for how I like my mascara, which is super natural and completely separated. For other people who like it a bit more dramatic, it might be perfect! I think mostly I just need a bit more practice with this and then I will like it a lot more, I guess it is maybe just not quite the holy grail I was hoping for. 

One thing I really do like about it though, is that as you can (I hope!) see in the picture below, it has longer bristles on one side, and shorter on the other, and the shorter side is incredible for the lower lashes. So although the top lashes are difficult and need practice, my bottom lashes are sorted forever. Also, let's just talk for a minute about the packaging. Not only is the black and pink fifties-style tube absolutely adorable, but it is also a really clever design. The roller grip on the wand is not just a gimmick, because it actually makes the brush really easy to handle. Beauty and brains, I think that sort of sums up Benefit!

I am not yet convinced that I will be running out to buy this when it finishes, but I am also far from convinced that I won't be. I definitely think it is worth trying, so pick up a tube free with Elle's March issue to try it a) before it is out in stores, and b) without the rather bigger full-price tag! 

HELLO IT’S ME NOLL. Pops has very sweetly allowed me to encroach on her turf this Reviewsday, as we’re so excited to have the chance to try out this new launch a bit early.

When we first got to try this product at the event we spoke about in Friday’s post, I still had half of that day’s eye makeup on, my hands were covered in Benefit Remove It and I was three glasses of pink champagne down. I’ll be honest: it’s not the most dextrous or skilled application of mascara I’ve ever done, but I was still pretty impressed with the results, and now that I’ve been using it for a few days I’ve only fallen deeper in love.

The formula is very smooth – if They’re Real! kicks you in the balls, Roller Lash is more of a hey-how’s-your-day kind of girl – and it’s got argan oil in it, which is great for your lashes. It’s not waterproof but it lasts super well throughout a normal day (3 hours of dance class yielded only a tiny bit of smudging) and it’s very easy to remove, which also makes it more of an everyday product than They’re Real! for me. 

The curl though. The curl. I was properly and very pleasantly surprised when I first tried this as it really does open the lashes up right from the lashline, just like an eyelash curler. It holds, in fact, even better than an eyelash curler – my main concern was that even if it curled initially, the effect would wilt throughout the day, but this is not the case, even when you throw gross dance sweat into the equation (sorry). I think – I’m going to science at you, prepare yourself – that this is a bit like spraying hair with hairspray as you curl it with tongs: the product seals in the shape of the curl.

The brush has rubber bristles, which I personally always prefer as I feel they coat more of the lashes - like a Tangle Teezer versus a bristle brush – with little, teensy hooks that catch the lashes and draw the curl up from the root. The first few times I used it I ended up snagging the shorter bristles too far from the root, which can make it hard to coat all the lashes. Over the last few days, though, I’ve got the hang of settling the shorter bristles right into the root and then rolling the brush (see what they did there?) to catch the lashes with the longer ones, and that works really well. Even when you’re doing it on the train, because you’re late for everything, because you're a rubbish grown-up.

Still, with this mascara, at least I''m a rubbish grown-up with lovely curly eyelashes.

P & N x

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