Comments about LORAC Special Effects Conditioning, Defining & Lengthening Mascara, Black, .35 oz:

To me, mascara is the only true must have makeup product. Often, mascara, a dusting of face powder and a touch of lipstick is all I will wear for running errands, working out - those days when full makeup isn't really needed. A few years ago I was introduced to Lash-DNA and I was hooked. I didn't think I would find a mascara I liked more or one that would work better, that was until I tried Lorac's conditioning, defining and lengthening mascara.

When I first opened the mascara, my initial thought was the small brush would not work well for lengthening, separating and coating. I was very wrong. The brush performs excellently without caking to much product onto your lashes. Some reviews say their mascara appeared caked or globed on. Reading that, I attempted to recreate caked/globed using my Lorac and simply could not do it. I wonder if the controller, found in all mascaras to remove extra product from the brush may have come out or is missing from their tube. The only place I could get a glob of product was at the very tip of the brush, easily removed by wiping it off using the top of the tube.

To use Lorac's mascara, first give your lashes one coat with the conditioning brush. There is no need to wait until it is dry. In fact, I put on the conditioner, waited until it was dry and then applied the mascara. I did notice my lashes clumped somewhat and didn't lengthen as well by doing this. The trick is to put the mascara on while the conditioner is still wet. It seems as if the conditioner and mascara work together to create long full lashes without being overly stiff or flaky. Within a minute or two at the most, your lashes will be dry once the mascara is applied.

What I do is also use the conditioning side to almost brush my lashes, separating and positioning them where I will want them to be when finished.

For me at least, during the day, I only need one coat with the Lorac. I'm blessed with long eyelashes however they are thin. One coat gives me added length and fullness without clumps or stuck together hairs. For night-time applications, I will add two coats and sometimes follow that on my upper lashes with Dior's Blackout Mascara (the highest pigmented black mascara on the market) just on my top lashes for a more dramatic look.

Even with one coat, my lashes stay defined throughout the day and they keep their length. A makeup artist once taught me how to assure lashes are separated while providing life and thickness. Place the brush as close to the base of your upper lashes as comfortable, let it sit for several seconds then move the brush slightly side to side before sweeping upward. Doing this will help lift your lashes, help to separate the hairs and provide a fuller look. I use this technique with any mascara brand and the "trick" has served me well.

I've always had a problem with my mascara and eyeliner running. I have t-oily skin that contributes to this plus I live outside of Miami, Florida where humidity and heat equals sweating. I've yet to have the Lorac run, flake or fail on me. No raccoon eyes!

Over the years I've bought or tried dozens of mascaras. Some went into the trash can after the first use, others were ok but not great. Some were great but not "run out and buy when I was out" must-haves. Today, I can honestly say I have three mascaras that fall into that hard to find final category. Dior Blackout, Lash DNA and now Lorac.

Unfortunately, I would not be able to give such a great review to all Lorac products. My mascara was included in a kit along with a Baked Eye Shadow Trio, Front of the Line PRO Eyeliner and a Lorac eyeshadow brush.

I like the eyeliner a lot. I primarily use liquid eyeliners and found the Lorac to be easy to apply, doesn't run or smudge and lasts through the day.

Lorac's eyeshadows are not something I would buy again and after a few uses they are in my discarded makeup drawer, where they will probably remain. They do not apply smoothly even when using an eyeshadow base (their own brand as well) and are way to frosty/glittery for my tastes. A teenager who likes glitter/frosty eyeshadows may like them but even with my very good eyeshadow brushes, the eyeshadow was uneven, didn't blend well left a lot to be desired. Their eyeshadow blending brush was horrible and went into the trash can almost immediately.

To finish up this way to long review, I highly recommend Lorac's mascara and liquid eyeliner. Try putting the mascara on while the conditioner is still wet and using one or two coats. I hope by following the suggestions on my and the first reviews post, you will love the Lorac mascara as much as I do.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review.

Comments about LORAC Special Effects Conditioning, Defining & Lengthening Mascara, Black, .35 oz:

I absolutely love this product! It is a fabulous mascara that really makes my lashes look long, thick, and dramatic.
If you prefer a more natural look, this mascara may not be for you. But I find the combination of the lash conditioner and the thick shiny black mascara really makes my eyes pop.
I have not had any trouble with the product clumping or running. You absolutely DO NOT have to wait for the conditioning coat to dry before applying the mascara. Perhaps this is why the previous reviewers had trouble?

Regardless, I have worked in cosmetics,and have tried many many mascaras, and this is by far one of my favorites of all time.

Comments about LORAC Special Effects Conditioning, Defining & Lengthening Mascara, Black, .35 oz:

I was looking for a lash conditioning treatment and purchased this as part of a kit, thinking it was a good value -- until I tried to use it. The lash conditioner is white and very, very wet -- like hair conditioner -- and does not dry quickly. When it finally did dry and I tried to apply the mascara over it, a single coat stuck so many lashes together that I had ridiculous, scary-clown lashes instead of the smooth, defined, full, elegant lashes the packaging had led me to expect. (My own lashes are fine but naturally long, so did not want length so much as fullness and definition.) There were also enormous clumps near the ends of lashes. It stuck together so badly that I could not get a lash comb through at all, and clumps stuck so hard that only way I could get them off was by entirely removing the product. Yuck!

It did suggest on the packaging that conditioner alone could be worn as an overnight treatment...which would be more reasonable if the treatment were not WHITE. It scared my husband a bit, which was amusing once, but not good for regular use.

Comments about LORAC Special Effects Conditioning, Defining & Lengthening Mascara, Black, .35 oz:

This was quite clumpy. The base coat seemed fine, but the color coat was sticky and messy. It is not worth my time & trouble to see if the product actually does improve one's lashes.