Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01

Whether you’re looking to boost volume, add length, hold a curl, or all of the aforementioned combined, it’s rare that using just one mascara will meet all those criteria. In fact, beauty aficionados and makeup pros alike, have been known to create ‘mascara cocktails’ in order to get that customized lash look. Mascara brush heads come in a plethora of forms as well: dense & bushy, thin & spidery, curved, spiked and even ball-shaped, but one thing has always remained the same; the wand … until now. Lancôme has recently introduced their Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01 with its patented unique Swan Neck™ wand, a 100% bonafide novelty as far as mascara is concerned, and here to make your life easier. At least it’ll make applying mascara easier – the rest, is up to you.

Created to not only fit the contours of the eye better, but to help provide easy access to applying mascara to both eyes (ever have mascara smudged on the bridge of your nose during application?) the unique Swan Neck™ wand shape allows you the freedom to move it around the eye effortlessly, enabling you to reach all lashes from root to tip – even in those hard to reach areas, as well as coaxing those shy lashes you never even realized were there, to show up. Not bad, huh?

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01 (ingredients list)

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01

Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01 (CAN $35.00) | A pitch-black mascara designed to provide volume, lift, length, and curl, with the help of a patented bent wand and a new elastomer-molded brush to ‘perfectly deposit formula on each lash, with smaller bristles woven in to grab even the shortest lash hairs’. Native Rose Cell Extract™ in the formula, helps keep lashes nourished, redensified, & strengthened, as well as providing smooth yet buildable colour. The bowling-pin shaped bottle has a black gradient acrylic cap that bears a black rose in the centre – such a lovely touch. Another feature of the Swan Neck™ wand, is that the bent shape thoroughly mixes the formula each time the wand is pulled out, keeping the contents well combined. There’s a slight rubberized scent I pick up if I bring my nose close to the opening, but it’s not apparent upon application at all.

I have very exacting rules when it comes to my mascaras, and I do expect a lot from them – especially when paying top dollar such as this. Basically, I need my mascara to apply without clumping, then stay smudge as well as flake-free for the duration of the wearing. To start, I suggest reading the insert that’s provided with the Grandiôse Mascara, as it clearly depicts the suggested method of application – but that’s just a guideline. A quick rule of thumb, is when doing outer lashes – keep the wand curve facing down (in the direction of your chin, for example) and that applies to both top & bottom lashes, and when working with the inner part of the eye, keep the wand curve facing up (towards the forehead). Of course, you’re free to play with the direction of the wand to find which way is the most comfortable.

There have been many innovations with regards to that most necessary of beauty products – mascara – and several I’ve tried lately have all scored high marks with me. Once I got past the learning ‘curve’ (sorry, I just couldn’t resist) of using Grandiôse Noir Mirifique 01, it has become one of the mascaras I’ve been turning to quite a bit lately. The formula is a touch drier than some and while you do need to work quickly, there’s still enough flexibility to allow for multiple coats without fear of lashes crackling off. The brush has these little ‘grippers’ (as I like to call them), that literally grab even the teeniest of hairs and coats them with product, while the Swan Neck™ makes it easy to see exactly where you’re applying the mascara. The finish is not only one of the deepest black shades I’ve tried, but a glossy obsidian black hue, basically making lashes look even fuller as a result. I experience absolutely no flaking, or smudging (is there anything worse than those annoying black crescent smudges under the eyes?) and lasting power is iron-clad, or until you finally remove your makeup. While not touted as waterproof, I can say that this mascara even sailed through some incredibly humid weather I experienced here, and continued to look amazing. Removal is best performed with the use of a dual-phase eye makeup remover (my gold standard is the one by Neutrogena) – just soak your cotton pads with remover, apply to lashes and hold the pads there for about 15-20 seconds, then gently remove all traces.

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01, rose detail on cap

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01, brush detail

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01, closer look at the patented curved wand

Lancôme | lashes pre-Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01, 1 coat applied

Lancôme | Grandiôse Mascara Noir Mirifique 01, 2 coats applied

Sometimes hype is exactly as promised, but all the buzz that surrounded Lancôme’s Grandiôse Mascara is extremely well merited. For those who love a full lash look, then you need to give this a try. If subtlety is more your speed, you might find that this is too much of everything – too dense, too intense, and too black. I’m personally thrilled with how this mascara performs, and it now holds a top place in my beauty arsenal.

Available at all Lancôme counters, find more information by visiting www.lancome.co