To Be Added to the List of Mascara Greats: Lancôme’s Virtuôse Black Carat

Virtuôse Mascara

As a follow-up to my article titled “Best Mascara Ever,” I first must confess that I strayed from the path of trying out the Firebird mascara that was recommended by Sephora.  The Lancôme counter at Macy’s is closer than the local Sephora store, so I stopped by to see what’s new on the mascara end.  The sales lady did not have much to say about the new Virtuôse and recommended I stick with my old faithful, Hypnôse, but I was feeling adventurous that day and took a chance on the Virtuôse Black Carat. 

The Virtuôse Black Carat is a waterproof, high definition, thickening, lengthening and curling mascara.  This mascara has a big lash look that is not quite as dramatic as the Hypnôse , making it more suitable for daytime wear, and there is a definite curling effect that makes the lashes appear longer.  Below is a picture of the Virtuose Black Carat applied hastily as one would during the workday morning rush, which means sans eyelash comb and curler.  You will also recognize the symbolic bloodshot eye of the cubicle monkey.

Lashes coated with Virtuôse Black Carat

Virtuôse is non-flaking, smudge proof and long lasting.  In fact, it lasts so long that it doesn’t want to come off when you wash your face at night.  This is the only con of this product and is what will make me perhaps think twice before purchasing another tube.  An oil-based, waterproof mascara remover must be used, and even that does not work so well.  I found that baby oil is the best remover for this tenacious cosmetic.

Virtuôse also comes in some fun colors, which I have yet to try:  copper, golden and platinum.

Overall, I recommend this mascara.  I’ve gotten used to the extra minute it takes to remove it at night, and it is a relatively small price to pay for a great finish and the fact that I can go through my day confident that it will not smudge or flake onto my cheek, as some volumizing mascaras do.

Best Mascara Ever?

Sephora sent me an email listing the best mascaras ever, and generally they are fairly accurate in their reviews of beauty products, although sometimes I do take issue with their assertations. They listed Dior “Diorshow” mascara as one of the best, and that is sort of true. It’s one of the best for evening if you want to create a falsie mod look or a very dark smoky eye that needs an unnaturally thick fringe of lashes. However, if you want a daytime mascara, stay away. Stay far, far away. “Diorshow” looks very thick and clumpy in natural daylight and produces a look reminiscent of Tammy Faye Bakker. For those of you who may not be old enough to remember Mrs. Bakker, the former wife of famed television evangelist Jim Baker (who was caught in a hotel room with a prostitute), she looked like this:

Tarantula Lashes

Also on Sephora’s list of best mascaras ever is a product called “Firebird Mascara.”

Sephora claims this mascara offers a 70s style feather fringe, which immediately got my attention. I tend to alternate my look between 1950s glam and 1960s mod, but I do prefer the 70s style of eyelash, especially for daytime wear. I have been wearing Lancôme’s “Hypnôse” mascara, which lengthens and volumizes extremely well but is a little high maintenance since an eyelash comb is often necessary after application. I really do like the “Hypnôse,” but I am always looking for something better, so I’ll give the “Firebird” a try. With “Hypnôse” priced at $24 and “Firebird” at $26, I really am not investing a ton of extra money for this experiment and I am out of “Hypnôse,” so I figure there will be no harm done. I am ordering the “Firebird” mascara today and will test it out and report back on its integrity. Also of note is that it contains vitamin B5 and other ingredients that nourish the lashes. This is a far cry from the days when mascaras were made of guano. I cannot imagine putting bat feces on my eyes. I suppose sometimes a girl feels she must suffer for beauty. After all, this is the reason I sometimes wear 4” heels, so I reckon I cannot be overly judgmental of the pooplash girls of old.

The absolute best mascara, in my opinion, is Lancôme’s “Définicils” High Definition Mascara. It is appropriate for either day or night, and it provides the perfect amount of definition, volumizing and lengthening for a natural looking, perfectly groomed eye. At $24 a tube, it is an excellent investment in an everyday “go-to” makeup essential.

By the way, if you live under a rock or in a rural area where there are no Sephora stores, you really must check out Sephora’s website. Sephora carries many of the mid and high end department store products you’d find at Macy’s, Neiman Marcus or Saks. You can find everything from Chanel to Givenchy, and you can even cosmetically slum it because they also carry Clinique.