This Luxe $29 Mascara Is the Key to Long, Fluttery Lashes

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Although the wonderful world of false lashes is an essential part of my makeup routine, I still heavily rely on mascara. Falsies simply cannot provide my bottom lashes with the love they need and deserve. And I'll be honest: Just the thought of grabbing lash glue and meticulously placing on fake lashes exhausts me sometimes. 

The YSL Beauty Radical Volumizing Mascara has become the next best thing for my lashes recently. When I first got my hands on the 2021 Best of Beauty Award-winning product, its sleek, black-and-gold tube instantly mesmerized me. Between the metallic accents and embossed YSL logo, the mascara already had me oohing and aahing. 

As eye-catching as the packaging is, I needed to make sure the mascara met my lashes' needs, too. They're fairly naturally long, so I typically gravitate toward thickening and volumizing mascara formulas. Plus, I love a mid-sized applicator with either cylindrical- or hourglass-shaped bristles that draw out every single itty-bitty lash on my upper and lower lids. 

Once I twisted open the Radical Volumizing Mascara's gorgeous tube to see its glossy black formula on cylindrical-shaped bristles with a tapered tip, it earned my seal of approval right away. A wand like this, especially with smaller bristles at the tip, makes swiping product onto my fine lower lashes mess-free. 

I don't have any fancy tricks for finessing my mascara. For the top lashes, I'll tend to go in with a few coats on the top and underside until every single lash has been saturated in pigment. Then, I'll address the bottom lashes with the same standard. But I decided to get some advice on the best way to apply mascaras that have cylindrical wands like this YSL mascara from New York City-based makeup artist Joseph Carillo. These wands are best for volumizing, he tells Allure. 

He recommends starting at the root of the lash and then moving the wand up and out through the lash hairs. "I like to start right in the center of the eye [to create] lots of volume and length there, and then [move] towards the outer corners," he explains. "And with the remainder of the mascara on the wand, [I'll hit] the front lashes closest to the inner corner."

For the bottom lashes, he doesn't typically like to use a mascara wand. He prefers grabbing MAC's 205 Synthetic Mascara Fan Brush, rubbing it along the wand to pick up the product, and then making an "O" shape with his mouth before applying. But if you want to use the wand, he highly recommends making that O shape. The reasoning is because "the O-face makes the skin tighter, lifting the lashes away from the skin," he explains. He also recommends squinting a bit to ensure you bring those bottom lashes up, and this technique will prevent mascara from staining the lower lid.

To see the full effects of the YSL Beauty Radical Volumizing Mascara's in action, I followed these steps only on my right eye. But I used the wand to apply the formula on the bottom lashes.

This little test of mine proved to create an amazing before-and-after photo. The lashes on my right eye were definitely longer, fuller, and more defined than the mascara-less ones on my left. The wand gripped my lashes well, dispensing the product evenly across the length, even on my bottom lashes. Even though I kept layering on multiple coats, no clumping was to be found. 

I noticed the tapered tip also lent itself to a more precise application on the lashes in the inner corner of my eye. I repeated the same application process on the left eye, and the final result was a truly stunning pair of lengthy, fluttery lashes. I was pleasantly surprised to see the formula held up well for hours with very little flaking or smudging, even through some sweaty errands. 

My affinity for falsies comes down to how perfectly they accent my bold eye makeup when some mascaras can't quite cut it. However, I paired this mascara with eye-catching orange eye makeup, and the lashes were still large and in charge. The formula gave my lashes the necessary amount of drama that only elevated my amazing blending skills. It's exactly what I need for those false lash-free days.  

YSL Beauty Radical Volumizing Mascara

Want longer and thicker lashes? Then, go grab your own YSL mascara for $29 at sephora.com to see what all the hype is about. And don't forget to peruse our list of the 2021 Allure Best of Beauty Award winners. (Trust us, it's well worth the read.)

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