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Friday, September 30, 2011

RockEye: YSL Faux Cils Volume Effet Mascara Review

I've been buying, testing and reviewing different mascaras here on the blog for a while now, but somehow didn't come up with the idea to compile my reviews into their own little series. So, there it is: 'RockEye' is going to be devoted purely to mascaras. Why? Because 1) I like mascara, 2) I'm still on the search for the Holy Grail, 3) I like cheesy word play, 4) At least now you know how to pronounce my blog's name. There!


This time, I got my hands on a sample tube of a cult classic: YSL Faux Cils Volume Effet in 'Noir Radical', which, as I gather, is their 'blackest black'. This is what Sephora has to say about it: 'Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS Luxurious Mascara achieves an intense, dramatic lash look in a single stroke, for lashes that stop traffic with the blink of an eye. Its secret is the Triple-Film Complex: a film-coating for intensity, a conditioning film for curve, and a fixing film for long-lasting effectiveness.'.

Top: 1 coat, bottom: 2 coats of YSL Faux Cils.
What I like about it:
- It is, indeed, a true black.
- It seems to grab every lash and defines them nicely.
- It adds both volume and a bit of length to my lashes.
- It doesn't clump much when multiple coats are applied.
- It seems to hold a curl quite well, but is not curling on its own.
- It doesn't make my lashes stiff or crunchy.


What I dislike about it:
- It is scented.
- Its formula is quite dry and heavy.
- It can be tricky to apply as the brush is quite large - I always smear it on my lid.
- It doesn't last! Sadly, this mascara doesn't last well on me. After about 6 hours, it starts flaking and transferring on the lower lid.

Will I purchase the full size? Umm, no. I guess that for $30 I'd really like to get more wear out of my mascara - but I do love what it does for my lashes and can definitely see why it has such a cult following. If you're thinking about trying YSL Faux Cils, Sephora's currently giving deluxe samples with a $25 online order; the coupon code is 'FAUXCILS'.

Have you ever tried YSL Faux Cils?
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6 comments:

  1. AnnatheaSeptember 30, 2011 at 3:20 AM

    I can never justify paying more than 30zl on mascara, as one should replace them every 6 months and had a wow-effect on me.

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  2. BeautyLovesSeptember 30, 2011 at 4:19 AM

    The transferring is a problem with this 'Noir Radical'. I've been using the regular black one for years, I find it better than this version.

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  3. LarieSeptember 30, 2011 at 12:41 PM

    Scented mascara??? That is just...odd. And unnecessary. It does look like it adds some oomph, but I hate flakies!

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  4. Monika @ RocailleWritesSeptember 30, 2011 at 3:00 PM

    @Annathea: I know, I usually go for drugstore as well, but I'm not going to say no to a free sample!

    @BeautyLoves: Oh, that's good to know! I was wondering if I'm the only one with the transferring problem...

    @Larie: Yes, I actually think they add some sort of perfume to it, it's not just the scent of the ingredients. I hate flakies too!

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  5. Gaby FauchonSeptember 30, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    I really, absolutely, totally HATED this mascara. Mine wasn't the Noir Radical but it was the blackest I could find and it wasn't even that black. It just made my lashes clump together, it didn't add volume or length at all and it didn't hold a curl. I'm starting to lose hope in high-end mascaras ):

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  6. Monika @ RocailleWritesSeptember 30, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    @GABY: That's so interesting, I know a lot of people absolutely love this! I was wowed either, but didn't think it was too too bad... I have a bunch of high-end mascara samples waiting, it'll be interesting to compare my experiences to drugstore mascaras.

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