This is what the Fenty Beauty mascara looks like IRL

Fenty Beauty has already given us so many major makeup products, but the collection was never going to be complete until a mascara joined Trophy Wife and Gloss Bomb in the line up.

Officially launching into Sephora on the 16th January, 2020, Fenty Beauty’s Full-Frontal Mascara has already received a lot of hype and ‘Holy sh*ts’, but as a mascara connoisseur I thought I’d best test-drive Rihanna’s latest love child before telling my mates (and my beloved bh’ers) to go and drop $39 on it. 

Here’s my verdict.

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At a glance:

What’s so special about the Fenty mascara? According to the brand it’s all about the flat-to-fat brush. The fat side packs on the pigment, to ‘load and lift’ the lashes, while the flat side curls and defines. As for the formula, it’s black (obvi) but also claims sweat and water-resistance, plus long-wear.  

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Good to know:

I’m lucky to be blessed with naturally long lashes, that have a decent (albeit sometimes wonky) curl. To see how other mascara have faired on them, check out my before and afters of the top five most-reviewed mascaras. I generally prefer mascaras that coat right to the tip (saturating my blonde tips in black) and a fluttery, clump-free finish, going for definition over thickness.

Sam’s Fenty Full-Frontal Mascara Review:

Ok enough chit-chat, let’s get stuck in. You know when you first try a mascara and it is absolutely drenched in the formula? This one is too, only it doesn’t just dump that clump straight onto your lashes. So I was happy I could skip the first week of swiping off the excess and get straight to the good bit.

Let’s talk brush; it’s true it has a fat side and a flat side. For people who use two different mascara brushes to get their optimal lift and length, this will definitely appeal to you. It’s like having a fluffy brush and more structured comb brush in one – no switching. 

Close-up of the mascara wand: Flat side (left) fat side (right)

I used the fat side first, wriggling it at the roots before coating to tip. I only had to do it once to get good coverage. Tick.

Then I used the flat side to add separation, and had the bonus of receiving some surprise additional length at the same time. I think this could be attributed as a ‘curling’ effect. If you have straight lashes, you’ll definitely still have to prep with a curler, but for those just needing an extra oomph, I’d say it does you a solid.

I wore it from about 8am-7pm. It didn’t feel stiff like a long-wearing or water-proof formula can, which I was grateful for because comfort is king always. It was a pretty muggy day and I didn’t experience smudging. I sometimes end up with wispy black bits under my brow bone, but this one didn’t budge.

Come removal time (micellar water and a cotton pad because it was a Tuesday and I was tired), it took a decent amount of rubbing to remove but nothing that caused redness. I think an oil-based eye makeup remover would do a better, easier job of it, but regardless it still removed without too much effort (or panda eyes). 

Final verdict:

For a flutter, clump-free lover, I was more than satisfied. If you’re a big fan of MAC’s Extended Play Gigablack Lash, you’ll probably love this, and you’ll get the extra benefit of a fluffy brush to build pigment quicker. If you like your lashes coated to the point where they’re twice their thickness, it may not be for you (unless you solely use the fat side). For me, the formula I can leave or take, but the brush is bang on and worth the hype. Again, if you’ve found yourself using two wands to create your optimal lash look, this could be a gamechanger.

Are you a fan of Fenty Beauty? Do you have any questions about the mascara?