I recently attended an event here in Vancouver hosted by L'Oreal featuring their luxury lines. The Lancome table was featuring their brand new mascara Grandiose Extreme, which you just know I was itching to try! They claim it is blacker and more voluminous than the original Grandiose {review here} with maximum lift that can last 24 hours. So did it deliver on such incredible claims?
Created with the same swan neck applicator that the original has, Lancome's Grandiose Extreme really does get into every little nook and cranny and grabs hold of every lash. In my original review I was surprised to find out that the funky looking wand was in fact not a gimmick, and the Extreme version follows suit. The brush itself is also smaller in length that most mascara wands, and slightly tapered which helps from getting mascara absolutely everywhere when you are trying to get into the inner and outer corners.
Grandiose Extreme has more bristles in its brush over the original Grandiose (with the same synthetic style brush), in short and long lengths which supposedly help both precision and volume, but I actually find my lashes wanted to stick together a bit more than when I use the original formula. This baffles me a bit, because generally more bristles on a synthetic/rubber/silicone wand would equate to more definition but in this case I found myself having to be careful during application.
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| L-R Bare, curled lashes, One coat of mascara, Two coats of mascara. |
Grandiose Extreme claims to be uber black with a new colour-boosting polymer and I definitely feel like it is a super black formula. One of my pet peeves is when a mascara looks kind of dull or ashy, and this most definitely did not disappoint in the drama department pigment wise. The formula is creamy and glossy looking in the tube, but does translate to matte upon application, which I prefer.
One thing that did disappoint slightly was that I didn't see an improvement on volume in comparison to the original Grandiose, in fact I think the original might have performed better in that department! It did give sky high length though (more so than the original) so if you are wanting lashes touching brows you might want to check this out asap! It also holds the curl really well in my lashes, and I chalk that up to the crispy feel it leaves them; Softer formulas generally wilt my lashes rather quickly. As with most mascaras that do not have a traditional wire bristle applicator, you will benefit most from work one eye at a time, and layering coats before the previous dries; It is almost impossible to build up once the coat has dried.
Another improvement I feel that Grandiose Extreme has over the original is how smudge proof/flake proof it is - this might be one of the first Lancome mascaras where I have not experienced any flaking or smudging even after several hours of wear in a humid environment! The brand does claim 24 hour lift, but nowhere does it say it is a water resistant formula and while I use an oil cleanser to remove, it doesn't run immediately once water has entered the game, unlike the original.
Overall I have been really impressed with Lancome Grandiose Extreme. I will be curious to see how it thickens up (I've been using it for almost 2 weeks now) and if that effects the formula in a good way (most mascaras get better for me as the formula binds a bit more). Since I have super fine eyelashes, I do which it coated them more individually, but that might come with time.
Let me know in the comments what your favourite mascara has been lately, and what I should try for the next Mascara Monday!
Let me know in the comments what your favourite mascara has been lately, and what I should try for the next Mascara Monday!
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