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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Review: Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black

Right after I first posted about this mascara at the beginning of April, I found the display at Rite Aid and picked up a tube. I've been using nothing but this mascara for the past two weeks, and I'm ready to give you my verdict!


NEW Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara in 001 Blackest Black
(retail: $7.99 at Rite Aid, 0.34 oz)

Note: This is the washable formula. This mascara also comes in a waterproof formula.



Cutest mascara tube I've seen at the drugstore in quite a while...





The "Illusionist Wand" is made of traditional nylon bristles and the bristles are spaced out so that there are big gaps between them:


The bristles are definitely not dense, which actually appeals to me (more on that later). Also, there are three "sections" or "clusters" to this wand:

Sorry, my camera wouldn't focus on the bristles, but I think you get the idea.

Here's the Lash Potion brush compared to the CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion brush, just for perspective:


My eye, no mascara:


I have pretty much nonexistent lashes, as you all know.

 Here's my eye after two coats of Lash Potion (I did not curl my lashes either before or after application):



On a different day, I tried this mascara on just my upper lashes.
I wore it around the house for four hours, and here's what happened:


Sorry for the tired eyes and skin--these pics were taken late at night. Anyway, after four hours of just wearing this mascara in my house, you can see that it smudged and transferred to underneath my eyes. Also, if you look at my upper lashes, you can see that, after a few hours, my lashes sort of started to stick together and go in different directions. And for the record, this wasn't an exceptionally hot day/evening. I'd say it was in the upper-60s.

Texture and consistency:  This formula is not too dry and not too wet--it's right in the middle. It's a thicker formula, but it adheres to the lashes quite easily. The first coat is pretty clump-free, but there is some "clumpage" on the second coat, and things definitely get more clumpy if you apply a third coat. After two coats, this mascara doesn't quite delver mega-volume, but it does deposit enough product to make me (a volume-fiend) satisfied. Once this mascara has dried, it is not brittle or crispy -it stays very soft and pliable after it has set. 

Brush: Because the bristles are loose (vs. dense) and spaced far apart from each other, this brush allows you to easily coat your lashes. I like this brush a lot, because it feels like you're getting product on all sides of your lashes with very minimal effort. It's also an easy brush to use if you tend to hold your wand in a vertical position and use a windshield wiper motion for lower lash application (my preferred way to apply mascara to my lower lashes). 

Application: Because the formula is not too dry and not too wet, and also because of the brush as described above, I find application very easy. 

Staying power: Staying power for this washable formula is sub-par when it comes to my oily skin.  I was able to test this mascara on cold days and warm days, and I could never, ever get more than 3-4 hours before I saw smudging under my lower lashes, even when I was wearing no mascara on my lower lashes (see pic above). Also, this mascara flakes and basically becomes a smeared, flaky mess after a full eight hours of wear. It literally feels like it just starts melting off my lashes, causing my lashes to stick together and go in different directions. I have no idea how the waterproof formula will perform, but I strong suggest, if you're thinking about trying this mascara, that you skip the washable formula altogether and go straight for the waterproof formula.

Removal: Considering that this mascara stays quite soft and pliable on the lashes even after it dries, coupled with the fact that it smears and flakes, removal is as expected: extremely easy. I am able to remove this mascara quickly and easily with my just regular facial cleanser. No makeup remover needed.

Fragrance: This mascara has a typical "earthy" scent to it that you find with many other mascaras. It's not terribly strong or noticeable to me during application. 

FINAL VERDICT: Adorable packaging, awesome brush, easy application, decent volume and...horrible staying power (for me, at least). If you generally have issues with mascara smudging, smearing or flaking, I would strongly advise you to skip the washable formula of Lash Potion and head straight to the waterproof version. I obviously don't know how the waterproof version performs, but I think you'll have a much better chance of getting it to last more than 3-4 hours than you would with the wasahable formula. I have worn this product every day for two weeks straight and I cannot get it to last longer than four hours before major smudging occurs. After eight hours, I pretty much have raccoon eyes, and some flaking as well. I'm really bummed about this, considering that I love the consistency and brush so much, and I'm also satisfied with the level of volume this gives my lashes (not dramatic, but good enough for daytime wear). I think I might just pick up the waterproof version when I can find it, and revisit this one in a future review.

Do you own the new Revlon Lash Potion? Thoughts?

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.
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27 comments

  1. bought this the other day, and i'm underwhelmed. (drat you, pretty packaging! you snookered me!) i get good length, but no volume, and staying power is bad for me too. i usually buy waterproof formulas to help hold my curl, but i didn't this time. i plan to return this mascara and am still deciding whether to exchange it for the WP one or just skip altogether. (btw i just bought one of those Physicians Formula mascaras you love and it came with a free extra one. here's hoping that it works for me!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got the waterproof kind with the same results. Not a lot of volume but some length. But it stayed longer and didn't smudge.

      Delete
    2. DO NOT BUY THE WATERPROOF VERSION!!!!!
      It DOES NOT COME OFF. Even with makeup remover (I tried 3 different brands). It sticks to the lashes and won't come off. I bought it a few days ago and it's still on my lashes :(

      Delete
  2. awh ! I totally wanted to get this but it definitely doesnt seem like it would work for me too bad that packaging is adorable

    ReplyDelete
  3. I received it for free (fortunately!) and it's definitely not my favorite. I found that the formula just thickened my lashes too much. Not actually making me appear to have MORE lashes...just thicker ones. If that makes sense. I like a more fanned out look. This stuff does give great length though; I will give it that!

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  4. I bought the waterproof, but haven't tried it yet. I will let you all know when I do. Thanks G for your review!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just want to say something else about Revlon. Revlon have brought out Revlon Colorstay Foundation with a PUMP in Australia but they have CHANGED THE FORMULA. It's so thin and low coverage. Hardly covers anything at all-it just sits on my skin. The formula is now more dewy so it gives you more time to work on it. They have also tweaked with the shades, so what you wore in the old formula might not necessarily be the right one in the new formula. I'm not too sure when they will release it in the US. (apparently Australia is the first country to get the new pump formula)
    So if you really like Revlon Colorstay, better stock up.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the review! I have never had luck with Revlon mascaras, so I skipped this one, and glad I did!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here. That packaging almost got me but my track record is so bad with Revlon I was able to pass. I didn't see any waterproof ones in the display or on the wall with the regular lineup where another store had them.

      Delete
  7. The first thing I thought was how pretty the packaging was! The smudging definitely isn't appealing, though!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I purchased this as well and agree about the staying power, I find that it doesn't hold a curl very well at all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have yet to try a Revlon mascara that I actually like/can tolerate. I feel that Revlon has so many great products, but mascara has never been one of them. They should just stick to foundation and lip products.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was able to score a free tube of this, and had really high hopes for it. I love the Grow Luscious (in the green tube) and alternate between that and the Almay Get up and Grow mascara. both of these I find leave my lashes soft and not crunchy.

    I'll give it a whirl since I have it, and it was free, and appreciate the heads up about the smudging.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Am I the only person who doesn't really like the packaging...? Anyways, thanks for the review. I wanted to try this, but now I might not. I like the original grow luscious mascara, though, even if it smudges a bit on me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't love it either. It's got a 1990's Limited Too/Claire's vibe going on for me.

      Delete
  12. First, I have a question: do you normally have so few lashes or is that clumping? Also, I noticed the little non smooth parts on the tips. Its the same thing that The Rocket does. :/ I'm definately going to pass on this one. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not really sure how to answer that, since I don't consider myself to have "so few lashes". I mean, I know my lashes aren't super lush and thick, but try looking at any of many other mascara reviews and maybe you can get a better idea. Just search my blog for "mascara review" and they'll all come up

      Delete
  13. Surprisingly, given that I've HATED every other Revlon mascara, I really like this one! I agree it isn't the longest-lasting mascara ever, but I get around 8 hours from it and that's enough for me. I just have to be really careful to coat my lashes and "style" them how I want them (does that even make sense?! lol! I don't use a lash comb) in as few coats as possible or it does get clumpy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I got this free, and the only way I can get more than a few hours of smudge free wear is to coat it with my waterproof Maybelline (I think it's the falsies one? It has wings on it but the name is pretty much worn off). When I do that, I get 8 hours of wear, but I have to be careful and only apply one normal coat of the Revlon, then right away apply one coat of the Maybelline. Any more than that and my eyelashes turn into one big single clump!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I got this free, and the only way I can get more than a few hours of smudge free wear is to coat it with my waterproof Maybelline (I think it's the falsies one? It has wings on it but the name is pretty much worn off). When I do that, I get 8 hours of wear, but I have to be careful and only apply one normal coat of the Revlon, then right away apply one coat of the Maybelline. Any more than that and my eyelashes turn into one big single clump! (And sorry if this posted twice! I didn't see the normal "Your comment will be visable...." so I reposted)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Seems like Revlon cannot produce one good mascara. Everything else that they make is of such great quality, but not mascaras. Too bad..

    ReplyDelete
  17. How would you say this compares to Maybelline's Mega Plush? Most people don't like it, but it's the ONLY mascara I've found that doesn't cause my curl to droop. And even though it's volumizing, it gives me length (I have plenty of volume). It's become my HG, but I'm greedy for falsies like length!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel like the Mega Plush holds curls better than Revlon Lash Potion (I have both in waterproof)

      Delete
  18. I've never tried this Revlon mascara because I'm too obsessed with the original Grow Luscious formula which is a dupe of the dior blackout. I'd recommend giving that a try. My lashes always look full and long, and there's no transfer to speak of by the end of the day

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is actually my favorite mascara by far , it builds very well because of its not too wet not too dry formula which makes my lashes look thicker

    ReplyDelete
  20. Also for the waterproof formula it's pretty much everything proof so apply normal mascara and the coat it with waterproof in the end. It will come off fairly easy without sticking to your lashes

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love this mascara and hate that it has been discontinued. I have a horrible habit of rolling my mascara off my lashes when I get anxious/bored and lose lashes because of this. This mascara does not clump together or make my lashes brittle and stiff.

    ReplyDelete

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