A mascara? I can see you sitting there, reading this, saying to yourself “what can be said about a mascara?” A whole lot, if you believe the world wide beauty web out there! Mascara is one of those beauty items that ignites one discussion after another (drugstore vs high end, black vs brown, mascara vs lash tinting and so on), but also seems to be the prime beauty bit that is always evolving and infinitely improvable. A new wand, improved formula, an intenser black, curlier curl or a  bolder result than ever before.

Like the perfect little black dress, the perfect mascara needs to work for you on all fronts. It needs to be the perfect shade to complement your eyes, sublimate you lashes with what they may lack and boost their strong suits. In my case that would be emphasize their length but add that much wanted vertiginous curl… So when Givenchy’s Noir Couture 4 in 1 landed on my desk, I was, as always, intrigued and ready to rip into it. First thing I noticed was that the casing, though sleek, is rather hefty, it really does weigh a considerable amount more than many of the other mascara’s I own at the moment. That  being said, it’s what’s inside that counts, right? A futuristic looking tri-tufted wand (they’ve upped it from one to three balls) makes it appearance, and though strange looking, it is surprisingly easy to use, allowing you to be nimble, even with I-can’t-reach-them inner corner lashes. One little tip though, try applying this mascara when nobody sees you, as the brush can be used from a variety of angles to reach all those lashes (#upperarmworkout). Also, as a fair dose of product comes out with each dip, accidents are part of the application, and if you’re not careful, you end up looking like a Jackson Pollock painting personified.

In addition to all the above, the marketing peeps of Givenchy also claim that the formula provides “compete lash care” and general lash wellbeing, but in all honesty, I cannot (yet) attribute to that. Maybe I’ll notice the difference three or our tubes in, but right now, I’m not quite seeing it yet. However, the nitty gritty of this is that this is an outstanding all-purpose mascara that lengthens, separates, lifts and slightly curls my lashes. Once you get the hang of the brush and found your best wiggle & rake technique for application, sophistication and gorgeous eyes are there for your taking!

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara – €31.90