I’ve been in need of a new mascara for a while and decided to pick this one up to try out. It’s supposed to be a volumizing and (I guess) moisturizing formula, hence having “Balm” in the name. These are my thoughts based on a couple weeks of wearing it so far.
Packaging and Applicator
It has a bendy plastic applicator. If I press it against the edge of the container, it gives a little but it isn’t floppy. It’s a cool feature but I don’t feel like it makes applying the product any easier or harder. The bristles aren’t pokey or uncomfortable against my lashline. It’s not too big for the size of my eyes or length of my lashes so I don’t get very much smudging on my lids during application. I have a few mascaras from Covergirl that have a similar type of applicator, which is maybe why I thought I might like this.
Here are a few other mascara wands to compare to and help you visualize. From left to right:
- Loreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara
- Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara
- Tarte Tarteist Mascara
- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara
So far the have tried the Covergirl one side by side with this and they feel nearly identical both in how bendy they are and how gentle they are against the lashline. These are all taken straight from the container without cleaning any excess product off the wands.
I prefer a lighter mascara application so for me, just the right amount of product coats the brush to apply to all my lashes on both eyes without having to dip back into the container. The stopper removes all excess mascara from the wand except for a tiny bit on the tip which is no big deal to wipe off.
What The Formula is Like
The formula is more volumizing than lengthening but has a good balance of doing both. I usually go for lengthening mascaras that provide good separation and fanning so I’m surprised I still get that quality out of a volumizing formula. The balminess seems to make it take longer to fully dry down than other mascaras I use but it does completely dry so I can touch my lashes without it transferring. I can add a second layer without it causing my lashes to stick together or uncurl them.
Something that I can’t stand about mascara is when the part the mascara that extends past the tip of my lash to create that extended length doesn’t follow the curve of my lashes and gives me these weird angled bits that don’t look natural at all. Thankfully, this does not do that. It very nicely follows the curve of my lashes and doesn’t cause them to point all different directions once I’ve applied it, even when I add a second layer.
How It Wears
This holds curl all day and I get very minor flaking and smudging on the lids near the lashes. Smudging happened more as my skin became more oily toward the end of the day or if I wore more emollient concealers. Most of the days I’ve worn this I haven’t seen flaking except for those that I decided to apply it more heavily or layer it.
There really isn’t much that stands out as being super unique about this. It’s kind of a no-nonsense, just-make-my-lashes-look-better type of product and I’m happy with how it has been working for me. Flaking isn’t something that bothers me unless there is a whole lot of it. Smudging is annoying but this has been so minor and not something I’ve seen happen every time I wear it.
