One coat, two coats.

 When it comes to mascaras, I only have three qualities I look for: first and foremost, it should be able to hold a curl; secondly, it should be lengthening; and lastly, it should be waterproof. That's it. Those two functions/features(?) are very important to me because my lashes are hard to work with. They're stick straight, short, and have no curl at all- typical Asian lashes, am I right? That's the main reason why I'm very picky with mascaras. That's also why I stick to the ones that really work on me. Seriously, I keep purchasing certain mascaras because I just KNOW they work on me and they won't let me nor my lashes down. So when it comes to trying out new ones, I get a bit skeptical. There were times when I was stoked for a mascara (a known one, mind you) only to be disappointed and underwhelmed because it didn't do what it was supposed to do. Sigh. Gotta crack some bad eggs at some point, I guess. Which take me to my next point: is this new mascara another bad egg or one of the good ones?

Here I have the Clinique High Impact Mascara in 01 Black, a beauty product that, correct me if I'm wrong, became a cult fave around a year or two ago. I think this is my very first beauty product from Clinique (or I've already tried some before; sorry, my poor memory is very poor). This is obviously the small, travel-sized one, perfect for testing, if you ask me. The mascara's tube looks, quite slick: a dark slate gray, almost black, tube with silver writing. No frills, just straightforward packaging. I love it.

Now, on to the mascara itself. According to the brand's website, the High Impact Mascara is "Instant drama for lashes. Kicks up the volume and length of each and every lash" and that it "Creates lusher, plusher, bolder lashes. Pure, deep color adds to the impact. Lash definition draws attention to eyes. Ophthalmologist Tested." It is also indicated that this has no parabens, phthalates, and fragrance.

This is marketed as a volumizing mascara, which explains its big fluffy brush that's usually for volumizing mascara. It's not a wand I usually go for since I'm more into lengthening than volumizing and let's be honest: huge ass mascara wands are terrifying to use but we'll see. Maybe this one ain't so bad.

I tried using it on my lashes twice: one time with just one layer and the other for three layers. And can I just say- I'm not mad at it at.all. This mascara was a breath of fresh air: it was really easy to apply, it didn't clump, didn't give me spidery lashes, didn't feel heavy on the lashes, and that brush? It was so easy so use, I can't even. The brush itself wasn't too loaded with product nor was it lacking with product, which I think helped in the application. 

I curled my lashes beforehand and I won't lie: it weighed my lashes down a bit, even with just one layer. It maintained some curl but honestly, I was expecting it to not weight down the lashes. But that's fine by me. As long as it doesn't totally undo my lash curl, I can live with it. Despite that teeny tiny hiccup, I'm glad to report that it lengthened my lashes and, I guess in a way, volumized it too. It was also good in separating and fanning out the lashes without looking too clumped up. It's amazing and I'm here for it.

So it's good on lengthening, it semi held a curl; is it waterproof? Well, brace yourselves: it's not. Apparently, this certain mascara's foe is water, any liquid really. I checked out of it's waterproof by splashing water on my face and when I looked in a mirror, I looked like this:

Just mascara streaks running down my face. You can't use it anywhere near any liquid. Going swimming? Nope. Bride on her wedding day who's guaranteed to cry? Nope, not the mascara to use. Planning to use this while doing a physical activity (like working out or dancing, etc)? Girl, you better pick another mascara. Basically, all I'm saying is: don't use it if you'll have contact with any liquid like water or sweat. Don't even get me started with lower lash application. On the upside, it's real easy to remove. Just water and a few rubs and you're mascara free. 

(Don't worry though, Clinique has a waterproof version of it. Heehee.)

To answer my previous question: this is a good egg. This is a pretty good mascara, one that I'll wear more than once for sure. I'll be more mindful when or where I'll use it, yes, but I'll take my chances given it's such an easy peasy thing to use that gives my lashes that needed boost. Does it beat my current favorite? I'll say it's in second place. If this mascara only held my lash curl, it would've been my new fave but alas, it didn't so it's a second placer for me. I think I'll definitely enjoy the waterproof version more but for now, I'll just use this happily until it's time to find a replacement. 

And so the search continues...