Leen, where have you been? I know, I know, I went a bit awol, but I had a good excuse. After a heavy few weeks, my parents in law had invited the hubs, our kids and me for a relaxing Easter week away, way out in the German woods. It’s was much needed week of quality time, a spot of reading, a lot of walks, and to be honest, hardly any make up. And by hardly any, I really do mean hardly any. A bb cream was only complemented by this latest offering from Estée Lauder. Sometime, one eyecatcher is all you need…

Right before I started narrowing down what I wanted to take with (multifunctionality for the win!), the new Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Defining Lift and Fan Mascara* popped into my hands, and about two minutes and an application later, it hopped into my toilet bag and became the only eye make up item to come with to my forest hideaway. So, what’s so special about it?

Estée Lauder amped up the volume of the formula with a new elastomer to boost the elongating and volumising effect of the mascara, and added what they call “an exclusive mix of two carbon black fibres”, so that each and every lash would pop with the most intense black possible. Sounds all very promising, but how does it hold up against my all time favourite, Armani’ Eyes To Kill?

I may have already let the cat out of the bag a bit by saying that this was the only eye product I took on holiday with me, so simply put, the ‘Knockout’ in it’s name is no disappointment. First things first, the black, matte vial. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and to this beholder, the vial is a beauty! Sleek, black, matte, not too overpowering, but a promise of the understated elegance housed within! The brush is smaller than what I usually prefer, to me, thick, big brushes are equal to long and luscious lashes, so I was curious how this would pan (or fan in this case) out. You need a few coatings to get a rich, intense effect, but the black really is jet black, and additionally, this mascara is perfect for layering. One layer wakes up your eyes without it being obvious that you’re wearing mascara, and two or three layers later, you’re ready for a night on the town. My lashes are visibly elongated, but volume-wise, I don’t see a huge difference. That aside, there are a few huge plusses to this mascara, it doesn’t clump or flake, it’s wearability is longer than any mascara I’ve ever tried before , it doesn’t dry out, nor does it make my lashes feel brittle, and it is extremely resistant to any kind of humidity (Trust me, I’ve put it through a downpour, a hefty crosstrainer session and even a good cry). Beauty meets performance!

Along with the mascara, I also gave the Estée Lauder  New Double Wear Infinite Waterproof Eyeliner* a go, wanting to know if it was equally powerful as the mascara. And truth be told, I don’t really know where I stand on this one. Yes, it is intensely black, and yes it is easy to apply or to smudge out to the wanted effect, but still I had expected more. Maybe I was in the wrong, high expectations and all, but still…. I can’t really fault anything with this eyeliner, I am just not jumping through hoops or proclaiming my love from the rooftops. The mascara on the other hand…