Anyone with a fondness for applying mascara will know that it doesn’t last very long and in any case should be regularly replaced in order to prevent horrible gooey eye infections. While I’m lecturing, may I remind you to stop pumping the wand?! You know you do and it might make you go blind… ;)

Maybelline is not a brand I’m fond of, on the whole. I find their ads annoying, their packaging cheap-looking and their products so-so. But I was attracted to this mascara by its unusual description: apart from the ordinary thickening and lengthening, it claims to “wrap” lashes… I would have thought all mascaras do that, but I was intrigued as to what this might mean in practical terms- maybe it really will thicken my lashes (they’re not that thin, but hey, a good flutter will get you far, so it never hurts!). Let’s give it a try.

It’s a thick formulation that coats lashes well with even one coat doing a fair job if you’re not in the mood to stand around building up the coats. In fact, one coat is the perfect everyday amount, with maybe a second for a more dramatic look at night, and so on. It doesn’t glob very much at all, but you do have to wipe the excess off the wand first. One thing it definitely doesn’t do is the hideous spider effect, so it gets good marks for that. It’s quick drying- the only smear I got was my own cack-handed fault, not too sticky and generally a good and reliable choice. It didn't irritate my relatively sensitive eyes, even when I stuck the wand in by accident (you can't take me anywhere) and rubbed at it. I tried it in plain black (the only colour I found, though I'm unsure if others are available) and it has a clear, true colour. It does leave lashes feeling a little dry, but as far as I know it is in fact impossible to find a mascara that doesn't. The main thing for me is that they don't adhere superglue-like to each other, and this doesn't make them do that. They're quite separate, appear slightly longer, slightly thicker and it does make lashes stand out suprisingly well. *bat, bat*

You may need to scrub your eyelids into infinity before it comes off. My Liz Earle cleanser is pretty damn good but even that needs a good thick application to properly remove this tar! Get yourself a good, non-stinging eye make up remover/cleanser, you’re going to need it! I made the mistake of forgetting I to remove it one late night and as I wasn’t a panda in the morning, I forgot I hadn’t removed it. Until I got in the shower… black eyes all round. It isn’t a waterproof formulation, of course, and to be fair it does take quite a lot of water (and misjudged rubbing of eyes) to make it run, but do bear that in mind if you’re off to see a weepy at the cinema. Actually, though, one morning I found just a tiny trace under each eye left over from unenthusiastic removal and it looked like smoky eyeliner… pretty sexy really. So it’s not all bad!

It’s made in France, if that means anything to you :)