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I just checked, I have been talking about the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara since 2023. It has been featured in my New In videos, in my empties and has easily become the most repurchased mascara since I started documenting my purchases here on the blog. And yet, I hadn’t managed to write up a proper review yet.

 

 

Why? Well, I can only speculate. One reason is surely that I put my main focus on reviews for YouTube, and there a single mascara one most likely wouldn’t work (especially not for something that has been around for that long), so I pushed it back. And back. And back. And the second reason is that I really struggle with taking great pictures of mascara on my lashes. I mean, I have bought this mascara over and over again, yet in the pictures I took it just looks … average?

Not to mention that I am at an age where taking makeup-free close up pic of ones eye area has a sobering effect – yes, apparently that is what I look like when you get up close. I wouldn’t know as I don’t zoom in on that area, I merely glance at it from afar in the mirror. And if I do, I most likely am not wearing my contacts yet, using my build-in soft focus filter to soften the blow.

Well, let’s see if I can transport why I like it in words, as the pictures clearly fail me.

 

What the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara claims

Mega volume – made easy: L’ORÉAL PARIS Air Volume Mega Mascara Black uses a volumizing formula that coats every single lash with a weightless feel, delivering intense yet airy volume. The special formula is highly gentle and suitable for sensitive eyes. During application, the soft brush’s short bristles capture lashes right from the root, while long bristles evenly distribute the black pigment and gently lift the lashes. Finally, the unique balloon-shaped packaging ensures optimal storage for the airy, lightweight formula.

 

Facts about the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara

One tube contains 9 ml and is available for 11,95 € on the website here. I only like the pink version, not the one with the turquoise body that is waterproof. Somehow this little change ruins the whole formula for me.

 

 

Brush of the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara

I remember hearing someone (with authority, like Wayne Goss, not Karen from next corner) say that it is the brush rather than the formula that will determine whether you like a mascara or not, and that you should simply keep a cleansed brush of your favorite mascara and use it with whichever formula you happen to have at hand. I have also heard the opposite, so I can’t really tell you what is true, but if I had to pick a favorite type of brush, it would most likely be one like this: Thick and rounded, with soft bristles of different length that are densely packed all around.

The upside is that you really get all the lashes with it, even the small ones right at the inner corner, and that you coat them all around without having to do individual painting. The downside is that it is very easy to smudge some at the base of the lash line as it is just so thick. If I had to some it up, I’d say it is more quick and getting the job done than elegant and for artistic expression, which pretty much sums up my approach to makeup: I want something you can see, but I also don’t want to spend too much time on it.

 

Formula of the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara

Here comes the first caveat: I love this mascara, but I don’t love it directly after purchasing it. It is wet, too wet for my lashes, as it weighs them down too much and takes the clumping to a level even I with a high clump tolerance can’t take. If you decide to wipe down the wand with a tissue, you can use it much quicker, but that is an effort I am not willing to put in in the mornings. It takes at least four weeks to dry down to something I enjoy, which is – I understand – a long time to wait. But after that it keeps getting better with every passing week, a little less clumpy, a little less heavy until, one day, it just is too dry to work anymore and the cycle starts again.

 

How does the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara perform on the lashes

For reference, my lashes are quite long, but you don’t see that without a layer of mascara because the tips are blonde, making them appear shorter than they really are. On top of that they are straight and don’t hold a curl well, so even with mascara they still look shorter when you look at them from the front. And lastly they don’t grow evenly, but a little wonky with a tendency to clump. I don’t mind a little clumping though, I like drama on my lashes and not a natural look. As I wear contact lenses, I can’t make do with too much flaking, but don’t mind it if things get a little smudgy sometimes.

 

For reference, the above is a picture of how my lashes look au natural. You can’t really see their length , but you can tell if you look at the right side of the picture (my left eye), that they are a little wonky in that some point straight ahead while others have a little lift to them. If I apply mascara to them this wonkiness shows ever more

 

 

With mascara applied (top and bottom lashes), you can see that there isn’t much lift through the mascara and that some of the lashes, especially on the top, clump together. This is something that happens with most mascara for me, probably due to the way they grow, but I admit that there are other mascaras that prevent it a little better. For better reference I have another picture of me looking down and then from the side so you can really see how it looks on.

 

 

If you compare this picture to the right, you’ll see that the clumping is as much caused by the way my lashes grow as it is by the mascara, as you can see it on the mascara-free eye as well. Still, it doesn’t help it either, I’d reckon it makes it a little bit worse.

 

 

Here you can see that even the small lashes are coated in black (except the roots very close to the lid, I was trying to avoid smudging). And you can see the weird way my lashes grow. Why can’t they be straight straight, but have to be wonky straight?

After application, the mascara stays put with only minor flaking. It also leaves my lashes soft and touchable, I really don’t like crunchiness on my lids. If your eyes are very watery, be warned that if in contact with water, the mascara will start to run. If I wear it when I get caught in the rain or while taking a shower, you can’t really avoid panda eyes. The upside here is that it is also easy to remove at night, your regular balm or oil cleanser will melt it right off. No mascara smudges on your pillow, very important to me as I sleep on silk that is a pain to wash (More info: The benefits of silk pillow cases for your skin and hair explained).

 

Do I recommend the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara?

I have purchased it well over ten times, so the answer is yes.

Still, when I look at the pictures, I love it less than I do in real life and keep asking myself which version in my head is now the right one: the one I think I love or the one I am looking at now that I am writing this post. I know the limitations of my lashes, and so far I haven’t found one that I like better, that doesn’t get under my contacts and that doesn’t make me hate the way my lashes feel. But I don’t think I am ready yet to settle and stop purchasing new ones to try. Which I usually do in the four weeks it takes this one to dry down a little more.

This is certainly not the one for you if you don’t like your lashes to clump together or if you can’t stand smudging your eye lids, as both will happen very easily with this one.

 

 

Shop L’Oréal Makeup here

 

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