New Year, New Mascara: Better Than Sex

Zerda Temmuz 04, 2021

With a new year comes new traditions, usually in the form of resolutions. I do not like to confine myself to a resolution as it feels too daunting. With a resolution you either complete it or you don't, it is a 50/50. Whereas I like more wiggle room where I can say, I haven't completed it but I have worked towards it. Instead of resolutions, I make goals. I make life goals but I also like to make one beauty goal each year. The beauty industry is something I have an interest in and it is something I want to learn more about and a goal each year helps me towards my dream job of being a beauty editor. This years beauty goal is to learn more about skincare. It is definitely an area of beauty I do not know enough about. Plus as I draw closer to my mid-twenties I think it is time for me to consider the products I use more. Even though I have set myself a new goal for this year, last years beauty goal most definitely failed but for a good reason.

Last year, I wanted to try more mascaras. I had been stuck in a rut for a long time using the Tom Ford Extreme Mascara. I absolutely loved it and I must have as it costs £35 for each tube. It gave volumised lashes whilst adding length. Plus it didn't end up half way down my face like other mascaras have a tendency of doing. There is nothing more disappointing than spending time making your eyes look polished for all of it to be ruined by black marks from your mascara. Last year I decided £35 was way too much to be spending and I need to find a new mascara which was cheaper. After testing a few high end mascaras I found one I loved and I stuck to it. The mascara in question was the L'Oreal Miss Baby Roll Mascara which of course comes from the drugstore. At only £7.99 this was my go to mascara for the rest of the year.

Technically my beauty goal was not a fail as I did find a new mascara which I loved just as much as the Tom Ford mascara and it was 1000x cheaper. In that case I succeeded but I failed in my quest to try lots of different mascaras. There are some truly iconic mascaras within the beauty industry which I am yet to try as I find one I like and stick to it. This year I want to try all the iconic mascaras and find one to top my current mascara love, the L'Oreal mascara. As it is the start of the year and the start of a new challenge, I have started with a true icon.

I think the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is so spoken about purely due to the audacity of the name. I mean is anyone stupid enough to think that way? People have two responses, either they hate the name or they want to prove it wrong, very smart by the marketing team. This has been one of the staple products for Too Faced and a lot of people talk about it but for some reason it had never crossed my path before. That was until the start of this year. When I decided I wanted it to be my first mascara of the new year.

I always think mascara is a hard one to buy based on reviews as one thing that works for someone doesn't necessarily work for another. Naturally I must have quite watery eyes as mascara just does not last on me. Pretty much every mascara I try ends up leaving big black marks all around my eyes. The only thing that stops this is a good mascara and the Estee Lauder Little Black Primer, which basically acts as a glue. With the L'Oreal Mascara I actually managed to stop using the primer as it didn't make massive black marks, only the occasional smudge. When I was shopping for the Better Than Sex Mascara I opted for the waterproof version as waterproof formulas are notoriously hard to get off so I hoped this would make it last. However that is not the case with this mascara. Not at all!

Just after application

4 hours later and there are black marks around my eyes

I don't usually go for a waterproof formula as it makes it difficult to get off but this mascara can't even stay on my lashes when I want it to let alone when I am trying to remove it. On the first day I wore this mascara I think more of the mascara ended up around my eyes opposed to on my lashes. As the days have gone on this has happened less but it happens enough for me to not to enjoy this mascara. Considering I could use the L'Oreal mascara without a primer, my lashes could only cost me as much as that mascara which was £7.99. Now I am going to have to go back to my lash primer to try and make this mascara better. The Better Than Sex mascara is £19 and the Estee Lauder Little Black Primer is £21 so in total the combo is £40, a lot more than the L'Oreal mascara.

Even though everything else about this product is completely different, the actual formula of the mascara reminds me of the Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara. It is quite a thick mascara and it does have a tendency to goop around the top where it funnels out so you do need to be cautious of that. The big difference between this mascara and the YSL mascara is the wand. The brissles are so tightly packed on the Better Than Sex mascara that they separate everything out, even the clumpy areas. Whereas the YSL wand had very short stumpy brissles which tended to group the lashes together more than some people like. In the end it is a question of whether or not you like this sort of finish.

Even though the mascara makes a black smudge all around my eyes, it does make my lashes look quite good. I have to admit it doesn't make my lashes as bold as the L'Oreal mascara but if you don't like bold, thick lashes then the Better than Sex mascara could be a good one. It gives good separation and makes your lashes look long. I do like the finish but not as much as the L'Oreal mascara. I guess it is just different to what I an used to but for me it isn't a good change. This finish is improved by using a primer. As I am using another product underneath that of course helps to make my lashes look more bold so I do prefer it with the primer underneath.

Too Faced are known for their kitsch style packaging which is always themed. I mean Too Faced are the creators of the Chocolate Bar Palette and the Sweet Peach Palette which are both equally as iconic as the mascara. Obviously the mascara isn't quite as kitsch, with the name or the packaging. The packaging is hands down my favourite thing about this product, which isn't a good thing. It comes in a metallic, insulated style tube which has a lot of weight to it. It feels nice to hold and it strangely makes it nice to apply the mascara. The weight and the packaging makes it seem worth the money. As this is the waterproof version it has little water droplets over the packaging and I really enjoy this added touch. You can tell Too Faced have thought this packaging through.

Difference between the mascara and my normal lashes

Not only is the outer packaging very thought out but the wand shape is as well. It is an hourglass shape which works wells for my lashes. It allows you to grab all of the lashes and to really coat them from lash to tip. Not only is the shape good but the brissles are all quite compact which also allows you to separate the lashes so it does give you very fluttery lashes. However this does mean it takes a long time to get the bold, thick lashes which I personally like. I completely understand that not everyone likes that sort of lash look so you will probably get on better with this mascara than me but overall I have to say I have been left disappointed by this mascara which is so well known.

I can confirm the Better Than Sex mascara does not live up to its name and in my opinion it isn't even better than some of the other mascaras I have tried, let alone sex. I like the packaging and the wand but that is definitely not enough to redeem the formula of this mascara. I haven't tested it's waterproof capabilities but considering it doesn't last on a normal day, I can only imagine what a couple of tears would do to this mascara. Really choosing the waterproof formula was my own downfall, I had heard it wasn't as good and I went for it anyway. I feel like I need to try the normal Better Than Sex because more people talk about that one so maybe it will be able to redeem the mascara because at the moment I wouldn't recommend this mascara to anyone. I've tried quite a few products from Too Faced which I have loved, especially the Sweet Peach Palette and the Natural Love Palette so I have nothing against the brand, just this particular mascara.

I am curating a list of mascara that I would like to try this year so if you have any recommendations let me know and I will add it. You can either leave a comment or message me on twitter, @SophaaRambles

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