Ever on the hunt for the for perfect mascara, our beauty editor Laura Mulley but Benefit’s newest one to the test to see if it stands up to her favourite formulas…
If there’s one beauty product that you can guarantee I’m going to try as soon as a new one launches, it’s mascara. Despite the current trend loved by the likes of Molly-Mae Hague for going mascara-free, as I’ve got fairly small eyes and fair lashes, I wear a couple of coats of mascara almost every day – and the best ones have the power to make me look (I think) and feel loads better.
I’ve got a handful of long-time favourites, including my ride-or-die Gucci Mascara L’Obscur and some brilliant budget alternatives, but when I heard that Benefit, who make some of the very best mascaras, had launched a new one – BADgal Bounce Mascara – I just had to try it out. Here are my thoughts…
Dove ‘holiday glow’ gradual tan under £5 in multi-buy bundle that’s cheaper than Boots
Does mouth taping really work? Experts weigh in on this trending wellness practice
Pros
- Quite a ‘dry’ formula that doesn’t easily transfer onto lids
- Feels very light and airy on the lashes – not crispy or clumpy
- Lasts well – it didn’t flake or smudge on me during a regular eight-hour day at work
- Love the packaging
Cons
- Not very lengthening
- Double-sided brush is a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, and it could benefit from a pointier end for coating tiny hairs
Benefit BAGgal Bounce Mascara – which costs £27 from major retailers such as Boots, Sephora and Cult Beauty, as well as Benefit’s own website – combines a lightweight formula with a unique dual-sided brush to give, Benefit says, a ‘full, fluffy and lifted look’, and 242% more volume. In Benefit’s tests, 93% of users said lashes looked fuller and instantly lifted.
I’m already a fan of Benefit’s mascaras, such as They’re Real!, and I could tell as soon as I opened this one that the formula was different. It’s very light and airy – almost mousse-like – and quite dry (this is great if you find that your mascara always ends up on your upper eyelid when you apply it).
Not having read about this product before, the brush also took me by surprise; one side is small, plastic, comb-like bristles, while the other is fluffy fibre bristles. This supposedly gives volume as well as definition.
Admittedly, on first swipe I didn’t think this mascara was for me. I wasn’t able to get as deep between my lashes as I like, and I’m used to a wetter formula that coats every millimetre of every hair instantly. However, after a few swipes I changed my mind.
‘Fluffy’ really is the right word to describe the effect it gives. Lashes are nicely coated and lifted, with a ‘medium’ amount of volume, and it gives a really pretty, soft effect – no clumping or spidery lashes. I’ll probably use the comb side of the brush most; mascara wand preference is very personal, and this is mine.
Most impressively, though, was just how light this mascara feels when on, like you’re not wearing any at all; I kept touching mine throughout the day and they stayed soft and fully flexible, with no crunchiness or flaking. Also, despite all this touching, it didn’t smudge on me at all throughout the day.
Overall, I’d say you’d like this new mascara if you prefer a soft, fluffy lash look over a spiky or very defined one. I think it’s one of Benefit’s best ever.
