Is this thingamabob worth getting?

    One good thing about doom-scrolling on TikTok is that I get to catch brands' live sessions. Lives (or live/online sellings) are great because they're pretty much the main reason why I don't buy most of my makeup and skincare (and other things!) at full price anymore. A downside is that whenever I see really good deals, specially on items I've been eyeing for the longest time, spending my money is inevitable. What can I say, the deals are dealing!

    Case in point: the Pretty Secret sale back in June. I was just minding my business when poof! Great deals from the brand left and right, including the concealer that has been sitting in my basket for a few months now. Naturally, I had to get it since it was on its lowest price, but when I saw some items that were suuuuuuper marked down, I had to get them- for research purposes, of course! 

    One of the things I got alongside the concealer was the Mermaid Waterproof Mascara, a limited edition mascara included in the Pretty Secret x Jillian Ward collection. This waterproof and smudge-proof mascara claims to not only volumize and lengthen the lashes, but also give the lashes a long-lasting curl. This mascara is enriched with castor oil that help in keeping the lashes moisturized and healthy.

    This mascara is cruelty-free and retails for ₱129 (but I only scored it for ₱38!) for 3.5ml of product.

    We gotta talk about the packaging first, yes? Personally love the full-on mermaid theme, from the metallic pink and blue hues, to the scale patterns all around, to the cherry on top: a mermaid tail. Visually, it's cute and really screams mermaid and I like how eye-catching it is. The vibe is really giving teens and tweens, which is apt because I think they're the brand's target market. However, as someone in their 30s, though I like the look, I can't help but think that it's something that'll intrigue my nine year-old niece and something my four year-old niece won't hesitate to play with!

    Also, I was so surprised to see its wand! For some reason, I was expecting your standard mascara wand that's either a spiral or a cone but lo and behold, we have a skinny/micro wand! This is the second mascara I've encountered with this kind of wand, the first being Mondaze's Fiberlash Mascara. In my experience, this kind of wand really helps in lengthening the lashes and it's also the best wand for applying mascara on the lower lashes!

    Now let's talk formula. Based on what I received, this mascara is more on the drier side- like, it reminds me of a Kryolan mascara I used back in makeup school. It's dry to the point where it's crumbly. Now I don't know if this mascara's formula is meant to be like that or it's pretty much the reason why it's on sale- either way, that's what I have so that's what I'll report. 

    Upon application, the mascara gets into the lashes easily but the more I apply it, the more it gets "crumbly" so it's best to just have two layers max. Despite that, I'm quite impressed at how it lengthens my lashes. It even holds the curl of my lashes for several hours! Though this mascara is dry, it's quite lightweight on the lashes. It's also more of a water-resistant than a waterproof mascara as it didn't go everywhere when I accidentally washed my face and scrubbed it. So far, it's true that it's water-resistant, curling, and lengthening. Volumizing is a no go, as I felt like it didn't really thicken the lashes that much. It's also worth noting that this mascara smudges on my lower lashline, even after it has dried down so that's a bit of a downer.

    Overall, though it performed relatively well, I feel like in the end I got what I paid for. Would I repurchase? Honestly, no because it's not really on par with the mascaras I'm used to. This mascara is definitely a "Glad I tried it!" product and one I'll still use until I finish it. If there's any consolation, I can probably keep the cute tube and put it on display on my drawer haha!