Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! 01 Noir

Founded in 1828, Guerlain is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the beauty industry – a brand that also consistently produces up-to-the-minute cosmetics utilizing the latest technological & scientific breakthroughs, without ever losing sight of its venerable history or compromising on its world-renown quality. The latest such product to join the lineup, is the upcoming Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Volume Creating, Curl Sculpting Mascara (CAN $34.00/launching April 1st) and the mascara fiend in me couldn’t be happier, as this is the one beauty product I can become quite obsessive about.

Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir

Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir (ingredients list)

Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir

Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir | Housed in an easy t0 hold & manipulate black lacquered case with a golden band along the length, embossed with the brand’s name on one side, this is a deep black mascara that is meant to provide major volume as well as serious curl hold to the lashes. Unlike other mascaras that have a rubbery/chemical scent, Maxi Lash So Volume! has a lovely rose fragrance – although that becomes unnoticeable upon application, but still worth noting for those with sensitivities. The relatively slim-profile brush bears tiny nylon spikes instead of traditional bristles, and is meant to grip lashes securely while enabling you to get as close to the roots as possible for product placement.

My criteria for what makes a great mascara are that it must:

provide volume
add length
not flake, smudge, smear, or leave ‘crescent moon shadows’ under the eyes
be removed fairly easily at the end of the day without excessive tugging on my lashes

As I usually buy black mascara, I also want it to be the darkest, most deepest black hue possible (forget Fifty Shades of Grey; there’s about a billion shades of black). Curl-enhancing has never been on my priority list, as my lashes have a fairly decent curl on their own and since I always use a lash curler prior to mascara application anyway, that last point is moot (at least for me). In the past, how my mascara was scented was never an issue, but having a pleasant fragrance is a welcome bonus nonetheless.

I have been testing Maxi Lash So Volume! for a few weeks now, and am happy to report that it has easily met all my requirements. I tend to prefer bristles to nylon/rubber brush heads, but the downside to bristles is that they have the potential for smears, especially if the head is oversized. The little ‘barbs’ of this mascara brush have excellent gripping properties – or what I like to call “the burr effect”; I remember taking my Golden Retriever, Jagger, for walks through the woods, only to return home and find he had all these burrs stuck to his fur – which would then take me HOURS to remove, swearing all the while. Happily, you only get the positive aspects of this effect with Maxi Lash So Volume!, i.e.: the last-coating part … and none of the swearing. As far as colour goes, this is an exceptionally lush and intense black hue, while the formula is on the wet side, meaning it has a tendency to clump slightly (nothing that a lash-combing can’t solve), but again, I don’t have an issue with clumps – as long as they’re not blobs – since they can also give the illusion of extra fullness to lashes. Staying power is excellent, without any of the above-stated flakes, smears, or smudges, without any crunchy feel to the lashes either. While not water-proof, you will need a dual-phase makeup remover to effectively take all traces off.

{bare lashes}

Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir (1 coat)

Guerlain | Cils d’Enfer – Maxi Lash So Volume! Mascara 01 Noir (2 coats)

Mascara is the one product I refuse to comprise on; either it meets my requirements, or it’s gone. Guerlain’s Maxi Lash So Volume! has passed all my criteria with flying colours and has now earned itself a permanent spot in my beauty arsenal – and even with the steep price tag (which is actually comparable to other luxury brand mascaras), I find it’s well worth the investment, especially if you want the best for your lashes. Highly, highly recommend.

Available as of April 1st at all Guerlain counters across Canada. Find more information on the brand via guerlain.com