It’s no secret that I love a good mascara. So when I had a chance to try to Clinique High Impact Mascara–a favorite of my beloved Pixiwoos–I of course went for it. I love big, full lashes, and mascara with staying power. Did it pass the test and make an impact on me?
What I Loved:
1. First off, it’s got a standard wand. None of this spiky ball or rubbery wand business. Just a good ol’ mascara wand. Especially because I have to use disposable wands on clients, I’m more interested in the product than the applicator. I feel like if a mascara can be good on its own, without a fancypants wand, it’s a solid product.
2. It is super buildable. It might actually be the most buildable mascara I’ve ever used. So whether you want a barely there look, or a full on look, the High Impact Mascara can take you there.
3. It is an excellent lengthener. I have found this with other Clinique mascaras too. They know how to make a girl’s lashes look long.
4. It doesn’t flake off. Being a contact wearer (and having many clients who wear contacts), mascara flakes are one of my enemies. But I had absolutely no problems with flaking with this mascara. Score.
5. It washed off easily. A little cleanser, some eye makeup remover and we went our separate ways. Some mascaras take forever to remove. Clinique High Impact is not one of them.
What I Didn’t Love So Much:
1. The scent. It kind of smells like burnt rubber. It’s not so strong that that’s the first thing you notice when you open the tube, and you certainly can’t smell it once it’s on the lashes, but it’s there (at least it is in the tube I have!) I have to smell everything before I use it–let’s call that one of my “quirks”–but the scent of this mascara was not so overpowering that I couldn’t use it.
2. I did experience some smudging, but only from my top lashes. Because this didn’t happen with my bottom lashes, I suspect it happened because I have oily upper lids. I rarely get smudging from bottom lash mascara, eyeshadows, or eyeliner, but if I don’t wear an eye primer on my upper lids, my eye makeup fades in no time. So I’m going to blame my oily lids for this one. And I also want to point out that the smudging was so minimal–literally a few tiny dots on each eye where my lashes hit, and only after about 4 hours of wearing the mascara–that it wouldn’t stop me from wearing it again. I just wiped off the smudges with my finger and all was well.
3. It’s not the best volumizer. It’s certainly better than many, but it’s no Diorshow. When I said it was buildable, I was referring more to the length. With each coat, the volume does increase slightly, but it’s the length that really builds up. I’d say it has average volumizing power, which again, is better than the majority of mascaras I’ve tried.
4. It’s not black black. This is purely a preference thing, because my natural lashes are already black. So I like deeply pigmented black mascara–like Smoky Lash Mascara by Make Up For Ever–and the High Impact wasn’t quite there.
The Verdict:
This is a solid mascara and I think it’s worth the $15 price tag. If you like your mascara to be clump-free, buildable, and lengthening, Clinique High Impact might be perfect for you.
Have a beautiful day 🙂
