Glossier Lash Slick Mascara Review With Photos
Expect to hear a lot more “your lashes look good” and less “what mascara are you wearing?” reads one of the taglines for Glossier’s Lash Slick Mascara, which launches today. Glossier’s marketing is about as slick and irresistible as its Millennial pink packaging, and anyone’s who’s ever tried a mascara that claims to be flake-free and non-clumping (so, all of us) knows how few of them actually stack up to their claims. This, however, they’re really not kidding about. As I was swiping on two coats of the brand’s new vegan mascara—its first ever—a colleague looked at my lashes and shouted, “What the f*ck!” They were practically to my brows. So that should tell you something.
According to brand reps, it took them 18 months and 248 tries to get the formula just right—a mix of “Japanese Fiber Technology” (i.e. one- and two-millimeter-long fibers that hook onto your lashes like extensions), biotin to condition and strengthen your lashes, and polymers that help add shine. The brush, meanwhile, is flexible and rubbery with tiny, tiered bristles meant to grab every single lash. The price rings in at a modest $16, which actually lands in the more affordable range for Glossier and cheaper than a lot of prestige mascaras.
Still, though, I’ve got rather long, cooperative lashes. So I called in a couple other Glamour staffers—all with different eye shapes and lash types—to weigh in on their thoughts. The photos below compare the mascara on one eye (at left) to our regular lashes. Here’s what each of them had to say.
Lindsay Schallon, senior beauty editor
First Impression: Honestly, I thought no way in hell this wand would give me the thick, fat lashes I want. The brush has tiny rubber bristles and doesn’t hold a lot of product like my usual favorites: Too Faced’s Better Than Sex, Dior’s Diorshow, and Maybelline’s Total Temptation.
Loves: Um, hi, I was wrong. For how little product the brush holds, the tiny fibers in this formula go to work. As I mentioned above, the length this mascara gave me was nuts. What’s best though is that it actually held up to its no-clump, no-smudge claim. I had a very fancy dinner with a celebrity hairstylist the day after the Met Gala—I was tired and sure that by the end of the night, the bags under my eyes would be intensified with black raccoon smears under them. Lo and behold, not only was there not a single flake or smudge, I woke up in the morning having forgotten to take off my makeup and my mascara was still in tact.
Gripes: I wish it were the tiniest bit more volumizing. I like thiccc lashes and this delivers more on length than volume.
Would I Buy It?: One thousand percent. And not just because it’s on the more affordable end for Glossier, I genuinely love this mascara. It’s joining my rotation.
Maureen Choi, beauty contributor
First Impression: Pretty little thing. I’m an insufferable lover of good beauty packaging, and this hits all the right notes: sleek, yet unassuming, feminine without being frilly. It sparks some joy, so I’m down to give it a try even though mascara and I don’t really mix.
Loves: The wiper did a solid job at removing excess gunk before I even thought about swiping it on, so my lashes ended up evenly coated and clump-free. And the tubular formula prevented the dreaded drop down/smudging situation normal mascaras subject my eyes to, so that was a win!
Gripes: It’s hard to find mascara that won’t weigh down my stick-straight lash nubs, and unfortunately, this wasn’t the Holy Grail exception. Just one coat made them sad and droopy, even after heating a lash curler and proceeding to squeeze from root to tip a million times. Wah-wah.
Would You Buy It?: This would be rad for someone who doesn’t have low muscle-tone lashes that go limp at the first sight of mascara. I wouldn’t buy it for myself, but would def recommend it to a friend.
Ana Colón, digital fashion editor
First Impressions: I honestly had no preconceptions because I’m not picky with mascara. However, I did feel I could wear this on its own, without eyeliner, if I’m super pressed for time but want some makeup on. And $16 doesn’t feel like too much of a splurge, considering it’s Glossier. I think the most I’d pay for mascara would be like…$18.
Loves: I like that the brush doesn’t pick up too much product, so there’s not a lot of clumping! It kind of lets you control how ~ dramatic ~ you want.
Gripes: On the flip side, it’s so subtle that I had to apply two to three swipes.
Would You Buy It? Maybe. I don’t feel super strongly about it, but when I run out of my current mascara, I’d consider this as a swap.
Rachel Nussbaum, beauty writer
First Impressions: It reminds me of my first ever mascara, CoverGirl Lashblast. It very much looks like a basic mascara—no bells or whistles, just Glossier pink and a simple tube.
Loves: It took around seven coats to reach the long, brow-sweeping lashes that I like, but it got there without any clumps. The definition is cray, and it caught every lash. I really like that it darkened to the very ends of my lashes, without weighing them down. I didn’t curl my lashes, and I didn’t need to.
Gripes: It caught every lash, but I’d like more on the volumizing and thickening side of things. I’d say it’s great if you just want an everyday, above-average casual mascara. It didn’t blow my mind (I want flutter!), but it’s good.
Would You Buy It? Nah. My lashes look good up close, but from far away, I want my lashes to look more dramatic.
Blake Newby, beauty assistant
First Impressions: It goes on incredibly smooth and I really like the lift it gave my lashes. Most of time I have to use an eyelash curler before I apply my mascara because of my naturally downturned lashes, but this gave me the perfect lift.
Loves: Like all mascaras, it firmed up after time, but at no point did it clump or feel crunchy like many others.
Gripes: So far…none!
Would You Buy It? For only $16, absolutely. Glossier has a winner with this one.
Shop It: Glossier Lash Slick Mascara, $16, glossier.com
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