Flattering fluttering lashes

A mascara is a mascara is a mascara right? Wrong!!! There are so many different types to choose from, it's mind boggling. Broadly speaking, we find mascaras that promise to either volumise, lengthen or flare your lashes - and of course these all come in waterproof versions as well. Then you also have to consider which of all the weird and wacky brush shapes you prefer to create your lash curl of choice, as well as the more basic things like color and price. No wonder that trying to select a mascara can give me a severe case of shopping catatonia and I might end up leaving with nothing - not even a nail polish, and when that happens you KNOW it's been a bad shopping day.

Call me demanding but I don't want to compromise between volumising or lengthening effect - why should I? I want a mascara that does it all, that gives me looooong thick lashes shaped into that lovely flared butterfly effect that I love so much. Is there a product that can do all these wonderful things? Well it's a tall order but L'Oréal's False Lash Flutter Mascara (£10.99) claims that it can. L'Oréal has indeed a history of producing some amazing mascaras e.g. Telescopic, which is one of my all time favourites, so it was with high expectations and a lot of excitement that I quickly snatched one up.

The mascara comes in a sleek, stylish and quite sturdy packaging with a pattern of silver rays representing the long beautiful, flared eye opening lashes that we all dream of. It both looks and feels fairly high end, as I would expect from a mascara that is priced at the top end of the price range for high street brands. While I do really like the packaging, it might be a little bit too chunky to carry with you on a night out if you're planning on taking just a small clutch, considering everything else you might need to fit in.

This comes in three different colors, all with a midnight theme to emphasize the dramatic effect the mascara attempts to create; Midnight Black, Midnight Blue and Midnight Violet. I think it's great to see other shades on the high street than the classic old black and the more subtle brown since using a contrasting mascara color like violet on brown or blue eyes creates an amazing, eye catching effect. Saying that though I did get the mascara in Midnight Black since it's more practical for every day wear.

The main selling point of the False Lash Flutter Mascara is that it lengthens the lashes, gives volume as well as flares the lashes outward with the help of something called Cocoon fibres and an unusual double winged butterfly brush, with very defined teeth that makes me think of a centipede... scary. In addition the formula contains pigments to reflect the light and color of the mascara which I would imagine is more noticeable if you go for either the blue or the violet shade.

When I first started to use the mascara I wasn't impressed - the formula was quite thin, and even though it did make my lashes long, I needed to apply quite a lot to also get the volumising effect. Because the formula was so thin I also didn't get that butterfly wing look that it promised and I didn't know how to best work with the brush. However, I didn't give up and about two weeks into using the mascara, all that changed. The formula thickened and I figured out how to get the brush to work best for me, and all of a sudden it was so much easier to create the look that I was after. I'm sure this will differ for everyone, but  the way I found works best for me is to apply the mascara working my way from the outer corner and inwards, mostly using the angled part of the brush. That way you also automatically get more coverage of the outer lashes, creating a silky wispy long lashed look and you intensify the color.

I do find that the brush is a bit too big and clumsy for the lower lashes, and I almost always get a little smudge or spider legs on some of the lashes. Personally I'm not so keen on sporting really long lower lashes - it's too Clockwork Orange a look for me, so I actually switch to a different mascara for under the eye use. But that's definitely not an issue for me since there are several mascaras now specifically for the under eye lashes, regardless of which mascara you use.

Even though the False Lash Flutter mascara isn't waterproof it lasts really well throughout the day come rain, shine and gym sessions and there's no smudging at all, and at the same time it's very easy to remove in the evening with a good eye make up remover or micellar water.

So is this the do it all mascara I've been looking for? Well it's not entirely perfect because of the brush which clearly has its plus points but also some not so good ones, and in general I think you'll either love or hate it. However I adore the brilliant lengthening butterfly wing effect the mascara undoubtedly creates, and I would love to try one of the other colors as well for a truly dramatic, flattering fluttering effect.