REVIEW: Serge Lutens Mascara
"If you are spending more than $5 on mascara you probably have something to prove and you need to work on that" -- Style icon Katya Zamolodchikova
Yes, it is ridiculous and unnecessary to spend $65 on mascara, but I did. I guess all I need to prove is my acute susceptibility to cringe-inducing blurbs like this one:
"While sipping green juice during a team meeting, VIOLET GREY’s Melrose Place makeup artists unanimously raved about the staying power of Serge Lutens’ Comb Mascara. Among the reasons for their enthusiasm? The mascara’s unique waterproof macadamia-oil formula, which conditions, elongates, and refines lashes, plus its comb applicator, which helps separate and sculpt. Before we had finished our juice, it was clear that Lutens’ eye-opener would become a new beauty wardrobe essential."
Guuuuuh. Fittingly, this mascara is about as 'essential' as the cold-pressed (I imagine) green juice quaffed at this VG team meeting -- neither will keep you alive, nor stave off the inevitable march of time, aging and death. But it conditions! Refines! Elongates! Separates! Sculpts!
The packaging IS elegant... but $65 elegant?
Does it? I *think* it does, but it could be vestiges of $65-derived guilt that are influencing me here. It IS very very waterproof, to the extent that you have to use an oil-based cleanser to get it off (this one works really well for me -- don't make the same mistake I did and drop an additional $40 on un-returnable Serge™ makeup remover wipes... ). I've worn it to the beach, in hot humid weather and to two weddings that ended at 4 a.m. and it looked the same as when I initially applied it.
I've also got some The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.1P mixed with Hylamide Finisher HA Blur on, with Besame Lipstick in Red Velvet.
Application ease is about 6/10 in that I don't have the usual issue of getting it on my lid, but if I'm not super careful it can grab on to the lower lashes on the far edge of my left eye. This often dries too quickly for me to comb it out, resulting in end lashes going in a different direction than the others. On the lower lashes in general it's not the best -- I haven't figured out whether a downward or upward comb is the best practice. Downwards has a better effect but you run the risk of getting it on your skin and it's kind of a pain in the a$$ to get off.
I still have to use a lash comb for the lashes to be smooth and headed in a uniform direction. I honestly don't believe a mascara exists that doesn't benefit from a lash comb, so I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. One trick I figured out to make things easier with Serge is to clean the comb in between with cotton soaked in Bioderma (or your micellar of choice) to dislodge stuff that gets stuck in the comb and to soften the mascara on the lashes so they comb out more easily.
The verdict? It's a nice mascara. I like the effect on my lashes more than Benefit's 'They're Real' and Too Faced's 'Better than Sex' which are my prior go-tos. Benefit is a bit more spikey and Too Faced more truly black with a thicker effect (I find it is also more flakey). Serge has a nice color, gives a decent curl with some good volume and has really good staying power. It's not essential or magic but if you feel like you need to prove something specifically with mascara it's not COMPLETELY a waste.
