L'Oreal PRO XXL LIFT MASCARA

Firstly, by way of explanation, I have long lashes but they're very, very pale. I usually go for a regular mascara to give them a bit of bulk and colour, but I'm not really in need of the length. I used to get them tinted but I found I still needed to wear mascara for the volume. I don't wear a lot of makeup but I always always always wear mascara - I just feel undressed without it!

Which brings me to this particular mascara. I'm not sure what I expected from the "lift" exactly, but I was disappointed. Firstly, the tube is double-ended and clearly marked 1 and 2, so you know what order to apply it. End #1 has a straight wand, End #2 has a curved wand. For some reason, the mascara in #1 was gluggy and yuck. Every time I tried to apply it, I'd end up with clumpy, awful-looking lashes, no matter how much product I tried to scrape off the wand first. Quickly became not a fan of #1 - and applying #2 on either dry or wet lashes just had me ending up looking like a toddler who'd gotten into Mum's makeup bag.

So, I tried just applying from End #2, after scraping off as much excess as I could. I liked End #2 a little bit better - it wasn't as gluggy and I liked the wand shape (curved), it was easier to apply without ending up with a mess. I'm not sure what each end was supposed to do as there were no instructions with it, so I can't really comment on whether it did what it said it was going to do (perhaps lift? If that's the case, I didn't really notice anything like that happening).

I liked End #2 well enough but it just didn't really do anything extraordinary that other mascara's didn't already do for me (and they were easier to apply, on the whole).

So I'm afraid this one is a no from me. I might keep it as a back-up and just use the remainder of the mascara in End #2... or I might just give it away to my daughter and see if she can make it work for her. She may succeed where I failed miserably!

I'm not sure if it was my 50 year old stumpy lashes or the product but I ended up in a clumpy mess. The packaging is pretty cool, a vibrant shade of red and a double ended contraption. The brushes are a little fat barrel, not unlike myself actually. They are loaded with product which I knew would be a disaster for me to apply but in for a penny, in for a pound (surely one of my tūpuna would have used that phrase). Anyhu, using the side that was labelled with a number 1, off to a good start but once the number 2 brush came close to my 50 year old stumps, aka my lashes, it was all over red rover. I did the most unthinkable blink mid application, and the hands were givering like they'd been on the JDs all night so I ended up looking like a racoon or rather... like I'd woken up after the night before! I gave up far too early, threw the mascara at my daughter and now she's strutting her long luscious lashes, all plumped and primed! She loves it, recommends it to anyone else but her mother.

I have alot of very short, very straight eyelashes and found that my lashes all bunched togeather. The product would be prefect for someone with sparse long lashes. I did like the 2 different brushes, but for me after applying the product twice it was too much. The packaging is super cool though and I'm keen to try the other mascaras in this range. It did last all day and was super black which I liked.

I wanted to love this mascara. Sadly it didn't really live up to it's claims. Positive stuff: It comes in a cool looking red double-ended wand, clearly marked 1 and 2 for the different steps. It's easy to apply. The product is quite thick and looks almost gluggy but goes on easily. It does have good staying power once dry. I rubbed my eye quite forcefully before it smudged.

Negatives: I didn't really find a huge increase in volume or lift.

All in all this is an okay mascara. I wouldn't buy it over my usual product, but will finish the wand none the same.

One thing I noticed straight away was this was a double ended mascara wand. So to me that his double to work and application - I'm lazy so this was something I had to just deal with. Wand #1: It's rather gluggy so you do really need to take your time applying otherwise you look like you have 5 stupidly thick lashes. Wand #2 This can be tricky, if the coat from wand one is still wet than it winds up thick and you look like you have spider legs instead of lashes. If it is dry then you feel that creepy sensation of scraping onto your lashes. I tried the wands on seperate occasions too. #1 is just like a basic clumpy mascara but ok. I love wand #2 it does actually curl your lashes up = they look awesome! So because my lashes are an ok length I'll keep using wand #2. I would only purchase wand #2 on it's own.

On a side note it's not waterproof but it doesn't smudge either. After my usual spa I found clumps on my face - not panda eyes so that's a win for me.

I trialled this mascara as I was excited by the description. I am very much a one type mascara kind of lady so was very curious to try.

The product comes in a sleek tube with 2 ends labeled 1 and 2. It is really simple to use, 1 brush 1st and the other after. The 1st brush is long and straight. It adds crazy length to your lashes. The 2nd one is shorter and has a curve to it. It adds the curl to the lash. They definitely do what they say they are going to.

Unfortunately the result is what I wasn't a fan of. By doing the 2 steps your eyelashes end up very heavy and thick with product. I tried all different ways of applying with no success.

Each end on their own they work better and I think this is how i will continue to use this product to avoid they clumpy look. I also found the product does last well throughout the day.

I am gutted this product didn't live up to my expectations. This product has so much potential. I hope they continue to refine the product.

I love the design of this mascara, it looks modern, unique and stylish. However, I found it quite awkward to use. It is awesome having two brushes (one for lift and one to volumise) but I found it unnatural and uncomfortable to hold, so I felt like I couldn't properly apply it.

The product itself was very good! The mascara lasted all day on my eyes and did make them appear fuller and more defined. It also looked quite natural, like I had a nice eyelash tint. I liked the little number on each side so I knew which was for lift/volume. The brushes didn't drag out heaps of product on them (which was great!) as I didn't have to wipe any excess off, and was able to use it right away. It also didn't flake on my eyelashes or appear clumpy!

This product is reasonably priced as you do get the option of a 2-1 in mascara.

Overall, I would recommend giving this product a go to see what you think, I think it is a good mascara and perhaps others might find it easier to use than I did.

I was excited to try this new L'Oréal Pro XXL Lift mascara as it promised volume as well as lift - a 2-in-1 mascara that seemed from the outset to offer more than your average mascara. For me, length isn't too much of an issue when it comes to my eyelashes; however, 'volume' and 'lift' are words that quickly capture my attention. And, seeing as this mascara claimed to offer both of these effects, I jumped at the chance to give it a go...

This mascara comes in a sophistocated slim-line box, and the mascara applicator is an attractive, metallic deep-red colour, with black and silver accent colours on it as well. It all looks and feels like a good-quality mascara, which is what I would expect coming from L'Oréal. The mascara is also with infused with pro-keratin, which is a good protein for your lashes, making them healthier and stronger.

It's pretty easy to use - firstly, you apply the volume-amplifying mascara, which is the mascara with the straight brush marked '1' on one end of the applicator. Then you apply the lift mascara, which is the mascara with the curved brush marked '2' at the other end of the applicator. It is indeed a 2-in-1 mascara.

The description used by L'Oréal on their website is that this Pro XXL Lift will give you 'a lifted lash look, lasting up to 24 hours. No clumps, smudges or flakes'. So does their product deliver on these promises?

Well, in my experience, it does - mostly. It provides superb lift and volume and it is also long-lasting. So, no problems there at all. As well as being long-lasting, it doesn't seem to smudge or flake, which is great. Therefore, all of these claims, to me, were completely accurate. The one claim I can't agree with, however, is that it won't clump. When I used it, I noticed clumping straight away. Yes, clumping is reasonably easy to fix, and it doesn't ruin the whole effect that this mascara creates (once you've dealt to the clumping). But it is worth mentioning because a lot of people are keen to avoid clumps when using mascara.

When all is said and done, I'd buy and use this mascara again because it does offer incredible volume and lift in one product. It is also long-lasting and it doesn't smudge. Those are all big ticks, in my opinion. But, it has to be said, it does clump. So, while I would recommend this product overall, I also do need to mention my personal experience with clumps. For me, while clumps are annoying, they're one flaw in an otherwise flawless mascara. So, for all those reasons, I'm giving this product four kisses out of five. It delivers - well - on most of its claims.