Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Effet Extension Black
I don’t have enough adjectives to properly describe this little marvel! After using this mascara almost exclusively for the past 2 years, all I can say is ‘amazing’! When Givenchy first launched this product back in 2008 (Phenomen’Black), everyone wondered at the fairly menacing looking wand head….seemed an awful lot like a medieval instrument of torture and not something you would necessarily be wanting to use near your delicate eye tissue! After having bought into all the promotional hype, I purchased it and decided to give it a try. The formula is quite flexible which means simply that you have time to coat your lashes properly without worrying it will start stiffening up and clumping before you’re done, and it leaves your lashes looking believably darkened. I was told that the wand took some getting used to but in all honesty, I had no problem whatsoever adapting to this unique shape and have found it to be one of the more user-friendly mascaras I have tried in many years now.
The head itself is round, spiky-looking and rather small; it is approximately the width of other brands, but significantly shorter. This small size makes it so easy to coat those tiny lashes at both the outer and inner corners of your eye, and it also enables you to get closer to the base of your lashes than any other wand, thereby being able to deposit quite a bit of colour there and increasing the intensity of the look. The formula I am featuring here is their ‘Extension’ version and with one swipe, you not only see your lashes lengthen, but the bristles on the head do an amazing job of separating lashes as well. With a second swipe, you have significantly more dramatic length and if you curl your lashes beforehand (which you should always do people!!), the formula holds onto that curl and really emphasizes it. I found that the original formula, while definitely delivering on innovation, ease of use and colour saturation, had a tendency to leave some deposits on the skin below the lower lash line, causing minor smudging; maybe it was just me that this happened to, so if anyone out there has a different experience to report using the original version, please feel free to let me know. This new and improved version not only gives the appearance of length, volume and incredible curl, but also happens to be completely smudge-free and after having tested it through many different lengths of time and scenarios, I am impressed with the way it delivers. It also comes in a waterproof formula and in the past 3 seasonal collections that Givenchy launched, they included a coloured version of this mascara:
- Poetique Grey Lavender – a faded looking black with the barest hint of dusty lavender
- Purple Impression – a vibrant purple
- Water Turquoise – a muted turquoise leaning more towards the blue, waterproof
Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes - the wand
All in all, one of my favourite products in my makeup arsenal and the first mascara I reach for whether it is a delicate daytime look I want to do, or for a more exotic evening look. It can also be layered over other brands, as a tool for those hard to reach lashes and/or to help add definition. I wish to stress that when you remove the wand from the tube, make sure to properly wipe it in a circular, almost swirling motion down the inner opening of the tube, or else you will end up with too much product on the bristles resulting in a very clumpy and uneven application. I have not tested their Phenomen’Eyes Water Black (waterproof) formula yet, (I do own Water Turquoise but do not use it often so I can’t offer a proper review at the moment…but I’ll get to it!) as I have found their regular version to be quite water resistant on its own so far. It also removes quite easily not requiring a specific makeup remover, leaving no flaky residue or nasty smudges. Available at Sephora, it retails for US $29.00/CAD $32.00 for 0.24ox/7g
