Bristle Wand

L'Oréal Paris Pro XXL Lift Mascara Review

By Maychiri's Thoughts - October 05, 2024

Oh my – time for a new mascara! And not a cheap one this time... this is the L’Oréal Paris Pro XXL Lift Mascara!
 
 
Okay, so I bought this mascara when it was brand spanking new, literally right as it arrived! I’m not usually one to fall for marketing tricks that tell you to “ooh, buy this new thing” then to “buy this newer thing now!!”, but I had a mascara quite like this one before and it was amazing, so I was interested to see how good a new generation of that kind of mascara would be. I had 3 options to choose from: Lift, Volume and Extension. I chose Lift because I liked how they advertised it as giving you a “Lash extension and lift effect”... my eyes are too sensitive to actually tolerate real extensions or lash lifts so if it can give me that effect, I’ll be as happy as one can be! But is this 2-step mascara a good one or is all the hype around it just that –  hype? Well, only one way to see!
 
 
 
Packaging: ooh, this is fancy! Immediately, it looks high-end and expensive. I love the Ferrari-red colour of the tubes, it’s so intense and eye-catching! Since this is a two-step mascara, there are two sides, each with its own little tube. The tubes are slightly bulbous, which helps give this mascara some shape, and both close securely. It would be boring if it was straight from one end to the other. 
 
 
 
 
There’s not a lot of details, just the L’Oréal ‘R’ and the numbers 1 and 2, to help you differentiate step one from step 2. I love the silver colour of the text, it really pops – especially on the centre! The centre, which connects the two tubes, is black and has a micro studded pattern on two sides to help you hold the mascara wands! 
 
I love that texture, it’s so fun to touch! And it gives a bit of rock’n’roll energy to this packaging. I also love the giant silver plaque that displays the name of this mascara, but it is a fingerprint magnet! All in all, a very luxurious packaging indeed!
 
 

Ingredients: jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) oil, arginine, serine for nourishment. No parabens but it does have BHT. This is only for Step 1, Step 2 contains no nourishing ingredients or parabens or BHT. The scent is like most mascaras, it’s that chemical, bitter type of scent. The expiration date is 6 months after opening.
 
 
 
 
This mascara is deep black, truly jet-black! Wonderful!
 
 
 
 
 
I have to admit, the formula of this mascara is goddamn perfect! Like, it’s not too watery or too dry, it is near ideal. But it is pretty creamy and a bit heavier than I’m used to. I hope this doesn’t affect how it applies... but it feels so luxurious and nourishing! It doesn’t change too much over time, it does become slightly drier, which makes it feel even creamier, but it’s not a huge change. But I do love how it dries pretty fast once applied to eyelashes! This makes it easier to avoid huge messes! 
 
 
 
This mascara... isn’t the easiest one to apply, I must admit. See, sometimes, even when the formula is near perfect, it is not enough. This is one of those times. Why? Because it applies so thickly that making a mess is almost expected. I always try to apply mascara on the roots and then comb it out with the applicator, but it’s like this mascara prefers to stay there. It’s not the easiest one to fan out or comb through it. Plus, it applies thickly from root to tip, so I often have unsightly thick eyelash tips that are a pain to fix. 
 
 
 
It does apply evenly, but there’s often too much of it – particularly when you apply the second step. See, my eyelashes look good – great, even – with just step one, but they’re missing a lot of volume and lift, and the second step (that gives you this) is often where things go awry. This is the most likely time when it’ll smudge everything up... or clump everything together, which happens even more often. No-one wants clumpy eyelashes, it’s not cute. So their claims about “no clumps, smudge or flake”? Yeah, not true, not one bit true in my experience. 
 
 
But maybe I just have too long eyelashes, or maybe they’re too unruly... or maybe it’s the mascara. Fortunately, things get slightly better after a month or two, once the formula becomes a bit drier. There’s fewer smudging incidents then. So, I guess, wait until it’s been open for two months??
 

Results with just Step 1

Here’s more claims about this mascara: “... up to 17x more volume. (...) 20 degree curl effect.” So, it should both volumise and curl eyelashes... what about lengthening? Well, on my eyelashes, it’s got everything! I don’t know what it is about my eyelashes, but they usually show extreme results with mascaras, and this one... whoo boy, it looks extreme! And I mean EXTREME! Honestly, it’s a bit too much for me, it just looks messy and way too... dramatic... uhm, wild? I can’t find the right word. Anyways, you can clearly see how my naturally long and slightly curled lashes become extremely black, long and lifted. I think it looks a bit messy because of my double row of eyelashes near the outer corner, they all get tangled up which results in a not-too-clean appearance. This mascara lengthens my already (too) long lashes to heaven, which would be a great thing, right? Yeah, not really when they constantly bump into my browbone because of how long they are! This also causes smudging on the upper eyelid, which can ruin certain eyeshadow looks. 
 
 
Results with Step 1 + Step 2
But besides lengthening for miles, it also does add serious volume to my lashes. The roots look totally black and dense, which does help with the whole falsies effect. I love this volume, and – don’t get me wrong – I love the length, but there’s too much mascara over the entire length of the lash, which makes it thick at the tip. This is what bothers me the most, and what I really, really don’t like. It just looks messy and ruins the whole “false lashes effect” that they were going for, at least to me. I always feel like I applied the mascara like an amateur from the way it looks but there is no other way it can look on me... guess I have too long and thick eyelashes naturally. This also results in the lower eyelashes looking a bit spidery, no matter how careful I am.   

 
But to end this section on a higher note, the lifting effect is superb! It really does lift and curl my eyelashes dramatically, giving me a more wide-awake, albeit dramatic, look. I love this, it's by far the best thing about this mascara, even if the other things aren’t good at all! I guess this was the point, no? But is it really a 20° curl? Honestly, who can tell... and I’m not getting my protractor out for this lmao! I choose to believe them, at least for this.
 
 
In terms of comfort, this mascara is pretty comfortable to wear. Although it can be slightly heavy, especially if your eyes feel tired. I can definitely feel it on my eyelashes, and it sometimes can get a bit uncomfortable in the outer corner of the eye, where the upper and lower eyelid meet. It’s like my lashes get tangled every so often there, which forces me to pick at them or blink vigorously. It does feel like there’s some wax on the lashes. So, yeah, I’ve definitely had more comfortable mascaras, this one is a bit too heavy for me, and I only apply a single coat from each side. Oh, and it causes quite a bit of irritation if it accidentally gets into my eyes; my eyes start watering and it takes a very long time to get them to settle down. It wasn’t marketed as being specifically suitable for sensitive eyes so... idk.
 
 
Longevity is stunning... but most mascaras last for a stupid long time on me anyways. 8 hours later and my eyelashes still look lifted and super intense and dark. They claim that it can last for up to 24 hours, I would never keep a mascara on my eyes for so long (you should never go to bed with mascara on your eyes), but I’m inclined to believe them. It doesn’t look like it’s been 8 hours – or like I’ve had a shower! Although, it is not at all waterproof, only slightly water-resistant, so do take care not to get your eyes wet while wearing this mascara! It doesn’t tolerate tears too well, as it starts to run down the face (yeah, it gives you that dramatic mascara-running-down-the-face look). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I’ve also had it clump my eyelashes more when they’re moist, such as during an exercise routine. I checked after exercising and indeed, there were more clumped eyelashes post-exercise than pre-exercise. But, as long as you keep your eyes dry, it will stay lifted, curled and long af!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I mentioned that it’s not waterproof; that also means that it’s not very suitable for anyone whose eyes water for various reasons. My eyes often feel watery and irritated (god knows why, it seems random), so I often battle with excess smudging on my lower eyelid while applying this mascara. And, because my eyes react to bright sunlight by tearing up, I am always worried that it will smudge while I am out and about – sunglasses are a must with this!
 
 
 
 
 
This mascara isn’t the hardest to remove, but it also isn’t the easiest to remove. This is not a tubing mascara, so it’s natural that it isn’t really easy to remove. I need to rub my eyelashes for some time before it comes off; this isn’t really good for my sensitive eyes. It’s not uncommon for a few eyelashes to fall out, and my eyes do feel slightly irritated after removing the mascara. A bit scratchy and dry.
 
 
 
 
Applicator: well, there’s two! Let’s start with step 1, which is the “Volumise” step. The instructions say to “apply the mascara with the straight mascara brush, brushing from root to tip, for up to 17x more volume”. This is that kind of wand, but, thing is, it’s not straight, not really. If you look at it closely, it’s a tiny bit conical as the tip is slightly narrower than the base. This should help the wand in tighter spaces such as the outer/inner corner of the eye. The wand is medium sized, and the bristles are relatively short, which is typical for volumising mascaras. This wand picks up a very large amount of pigment, perhaps a bit too much, but it applies it evenly from root to tip. 
 
 
 
I like to go a little zig-zag at the roots for added volume, and then go straight towards the ends of the eyelashes. Then use the old “blink while the applicator is at the base of the lashes” method. I find that this side actually separates and fans out lashes quite nicely, but what it does best is lengthening. Yeah, it’s far better at lengthening than volumising. It doesn’t add a lot of curl, though. But I do like how incredibly long my lashes look with just step 1! They just lack some volume. 
 
 
Enter step 2! Instructions, please! “apply mascara with the curved mascara brush, brushing from root to tip, for a 20 degree curl effect” Thank you! Now, this sounds great... on paper. In reality, things quite often fall apart here. See, something about the formula in step 2 makes this wand apply it messily and too thickly. Granted, this does give me that volume I was missing – and then some! This wand is curved – one side convex, other concave – so that you can apply mascara deep into the roots and then lift them and curl them dramatically with the other side. This is exactly how I use it, I start with the concave side and I nest it neatly at the roots, then I go towards the tips, easing up on pressure along the way. Then a few blinks while wand is nested neatly, and that gives me extreme volume.
 
Then, I turn it around and use the convex side similarly by placing it on the outer third of the eye, tuck it in near the roots and brush towards the tip. Also blink a few times and press with the wand and this is how I get that “20° lift” effect. Thing is, it’s really difficult to apply it neatly. This side almost always causes smudging, and is the one most likely to provoke irritations in my eyes. And it applies way too thickly on the tips, even though I really don’t use a lot there! I use a very light motion as I’m approaching the tips, but it still looks thick and messy and just... it ruins the neatness that step 1 had. And this is where my eyelashes usually clump together. No matter how I use this wand, they always clump, and it can be a nightmare trying to separate them. As for the size, it is pretty large and a bit clunky to use precisely, but I like the long bristles! Ugh... I really don’t like how it looks in the end. These wands should give me a better result... this is just not good. I blame it all on step 2, but without step 2 it looks bland... so yeah, I guess I’ll have mega thick, mega long and slightly clumpy lashes now...
 

 
All in all, eh, I’m not a huge fan of this mascara. It had so much hype surrounding it, but, in my opinion, it failed to live up to it. Look, there’s much to love here, but the results aren’t quite what I expected (or wanted) them to be, and it just looks messy. But let’s start with the good. The pigmentation is extremely black, which gives me pitch black eyelashes every time. This is excellent! The wand is another great thing about this mascara; it picks up a lot (but not too much... usually) of pigment and it usually applies it evenly and thickly. Since it’s curved, this allows you to use the concave side to apply mascara right into the roots of eyelashes, for maximum volume, while using the convex side to lift and curl eyelashes. The wand is precise enough to apply mascara into the corners without making a huge mess. And it’s soft enough, it doesn’t feel prickly even when I’m pressing it against my eyelid. And the longevity is excellent but mascaras typically do have great longevity on my eyelashes. It doesn’t droop during the day and it keeps its shape nicely. But not everything is sunshine and rainbows! It’s got some major issues. Namely, with how it applies. I don’t know why, because the formula is almost ideal, but it just looks messy no matter how careful I am when applying it. While eyelashes are usually separated and fanned out, it’s not at all uncommon for this mascara to clump eyelashes. It usually clumps 2-3 eyelashes together (and it’s the central ones too...); it becomes incredibly difficult – if not impossible – to separate them with the wand. I need to grab a clean eyelashes comb and comb through them just to get good definition on all of my eyelashes. Besides that, it applies a bit too thickly, especially on the tips of eyelashes. It’s not a very cute look. It’s giving messy, not falsies, at least to me. Although my family members did compliment me on my “falsies”, only to be surprised that those were, in fact, my natural eyelashes just with this mascara on. Idk, it just doesn’t look like a typical false-lash effect to me, not with how thick the tips are. But I will give props to this mascara for how extremely long it makes my eyelashes! Like, they’re way too long, even! Like, I know my eyelashes are naturally long, but this is extreme! As is the volume, if I manage to apply it right down to the roots. The result is extremely intense, long, and just all-around extreme eyelashes – and that’s with just one coat from each side! You really shouldn’t apply more because it will clump and look worse. Idk, I just never grew to like it. From the start it had problems, and it didn’t get any better once the formula dried up a bit. The old double-sided L’Oréal mascara was much better in terms of the false-lash effect, but this one definitely lifts and curls lashes more. Hmph. I don’t even know what to think. Like, I like some aspects of it but then others are just terrible... well, the hype was too much. But I couldn’t have known this without actually trying it out for myself. I won’t be giving it a recommendation, though, since I (honestly) don’t like it very much. Shame...
 
 
 
Rating: 6.5/10
 
 
Would buy again? Probably NO (too messy-looking and clumpy)



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