Lash up!

When it comes to mascaras, my go-to, forever favorite, always repurchased one has always been Maybelline's HyperCurl Volum Express Waterproof Mascara. It's pretty affordable, easily available, and most important of all: it is able to lengthen my lashes without weighing the curl down. Oh, and it's pretty damn waterproof as well. I've tried quite a lot of mascaras already and I can honestly say that most of the time, the affordable ones tend to trump the pricey ones. Case in point: the HyperCurl.

My current HyperCurl tube's getting dried up so I thought this would be the perfect time to try a new mascara. I want to see if I can find a mascara that's as good and budget-friendly as the HyperCurl. After browsing, I decided to start with Mondaze Cosmetics' Fiberlash Mascara. 

What exactly is the Fiberlash Mascara? Mondaze describes it as waterproof and lengthening fiber mascara that includes a carbon black or iron oxide pigment to darken lashes, and a polymer to form a film that coats lashes. This mascara also includes thickening waxes and oils, namely lanolin, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, castor oil, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax.

The mascara comes in a black and white tube, with the white part being the container of the product and the black part being the lid and handle of the mascara wand.

So let's talk about its main feature: its uber fine-bristled wand! Listen, it's not my first encounter with a skinny mascara wand but I was still pretty shook when I saw how fine and skinny it was! It's like having supersized lower lash mascara wand- that's how fine and thin this wand is.

I thought it would be difficult to use this kind of wand but turns out, it's just like using your usual mascara. However, I find that there's a learning curve with this wand. During my first few gos with it, I find that my lashes tend to clump together and that I have a difficult time separating them. I remember having a spoolie on standby just in case I need to brush and separate my lashes out! After a number of tries, I sort of leaned a trick to avoid my lashes from clumping: do a zigzag motion from root to tip while applying this mascara. I find that my lashes get coated and lengthened without them clumping too much. Also, two coats is enough. A third one can start to get thick and heavy on the lashes.

In summary, don't get intimidated with this kind of brush! It's easier to deal with than it looks, I promise! Also, with this kind of brush, it really lets you get into the roots or base of the lashes without the fear of getting poked in the eye. We've all been poked by fluffy mascara wands at some point but with this kind of wand, you don't have to worry at all. With this skinny wand, most of the product is in the base of the lashes which means the tip of the lashes would pretty much be weightless and your curl would last longer. The more you know, you know?

Now let's talk formula. This mascara is feels thin and lightweight on the lashes, just like the HyperCurl. I like that it's able to coat my lashes easily and that it feels neither too watery or dry. The mascara applies quite well and that it's good in adding some length to my lashes without weighing them down.

I did a wear test on this mascara for its waterproof-ness the results were quite interesting. This mascara holds up and won't smudge if you accidentally rub your eyes. It'll stay intact even if there's a bit of sweat involved no problem. However, if for some reason your face or eyes get in contact with a lot of water (ie. you go swimming or you get caught in the rain or you splash your face with water to freshen up) and you rub your eyes, then it'll budge- pretty easily if I may add. It's the weirdest waterproof product ever haha! You don't even have to bust out your toughest makeup remover for it; all you need is water. Which makes me think that it's not really that waterproof. Which is still confusing to me because it didn't budge when I rubbed my eyes while my lids were a bit oily and sweaty. So I guess the moral of the story is.... try not to rub your eyes at all?

Overall, I do quite like this mascara. The fact that it doesn't uncurl and weigh down my lashes is good enough for me, to be honest. (Let me just say it again: this mascara is for lengthening so don't expect to have volumized lashes with this mascara.) Admittedly, though, its waterproof feature could do a bit more improvement. 

The wand may look intimidating but once you get the hang of it, you'll appreciate it more. I honestly cannot get over the fact that I can easily reach my lashes' roots with this wand! It's also a great wand to use for your lower lashes- no need for a separate mascara! 

Lastly, this mascara is very budget-friendly: it only retails for Php168 (and even less when it's on sale!)

PS. In case you missed it, I already reviewed another product from Mondaze: the ProLip, aka my current fave lip balm! Don't forget to check it out here! xx