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Sunday, May 03, 2009

Weekend Beauty: Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara

This week I found myself at Sephora, idly contemplating whether I should cheat on my mascara, Chanel Inimitable, with something new, because while it works wonders on my rather non-spectacular, not very long, not very thick eyelashes, we've been going steady for almost too years, and I am a little bored with it... or should I be loyal and reasonable and just stick with what's been so good for me. Reader, I cheated on it. Stumbling upon Givenchy counter and having a vague recollection of reading good things about their new mascara, I bought Phenomen'Eyes. Without trying it on or even opening it first. Because that is how I shop.

So imagine my surprise, when, upon unscrewing the tube at home the next morning, instead of the usual brush, I found this:

...something that looks like Rosemary's baby's bottle cleaner. Surely, this "high-tech, patented round sphere at the tip of the precision wand that reaches every lash and adapts to all eye shapes" will poke my eye out, thought I and proceeded to apply anyway. Apparently Givenchy's promise that you don't need a steady hand to use this mascara is true, as my eye survived intact and I made no mess on my upper or lower lids, whilst succesfully covering lashes from tips to the very roots. It is also true that the mascara curls lashes. I loved the fact that it applied very thick but separated lashes at the same time; the result was fairly dramatic: long (-ish, anyway, they would only stretch this far), thick, curled eyelashes. What's more - no panda eye problem (which was one flaw of my otherwise spectacular last mascara fling - Guerlain Le 2); the color stayed intact all day, and it was a very warm day. What's more- and very important for lazy moi- it washed off easily. Add to that the persistent and not unplesant suspicion that the formula contains snips, snails, puppy dog's tails and tannis root...Sorry, Inimitable. I am not sure we have split up for good, I do seem to always come back to you after playing around with other mascaras, but for now, it's all about Phenomen'Eyes.

Available at Sephora, in black and brown, $28.00.

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13 Comments:

Blogger fifthsensenyc said...

M- this is my 2nd favorite mascara. Have you tried MUFE smoky lash. Both are great for long and water resistant.
M

12:21 AM EDT  
Anonymous Elizabeth said...

I just laughed out loud at Rosemary's baby's bottle cleaner. Thanks! It looks fab, maybe iI ought to splurge...

12:35 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Lovely, enjoyable and, well, rather daring, with that instrument of torture cum magic wand. I am an Inimitable fan myself, and wandered afield with a DiorShow last month, but if you swear the Gyvenchy is applicable, I'll try. Write, write, write.

5:16 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

M,
Thank you for the recommendation, I will try the MUFE one.

7:57 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Elizabeth,
It is ...unusual :-), and the sensation whilst applying is kind of different, btu it does work.

7:57 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Fabiana,
DiorShow was my first mascara love. The I discovered that Inimitable was better. Givenchy is on the level of INimitable, but you have to prepare youself for The Brush :-))

7:59 AM EDT  
Blogger lovethescents said...

what a fun and bizarre contraption! My flimsy lashes do best with an eyelash curler and despite having tried a million different products, l'Oreal Voluminous is the best...but, I must try this on my short, sparse and flimsy!

10:18 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

S,
Mine are flimsy too, and they liked this one

10:20 AM EDT  
Blogger Alyssa said...

You made me laugh!

I have looked at that brush many times online and it puzzles me every time. The why and the wherefore.

I'll have to give it a whirl the next time I'm in Sephora. God knows when that will be.

12:39 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Alyssa,
Do give it a whirl...carefully :-) It is strange for sure, but it works...somehow.

9:41 PM EDT  
Blogger Cadence said...

When I saw this brush, I had much the same reaction but I bought it pretty much on a whim from Sephora. Well, the fact that I got GWP goodies helped the choice. LOL. Anyway, it is one of my TOP mascara choices. I am currently also using Lancome Virtuose which I like quite a bit more for the au natural look.

10:20 PM EDT  
Blogger Divina said...

Hi beauty! My own vote goes to Lancome's Virtuose, my miracle mascara :) I have really straight lashes and this works curling miracles (by itself, no extra curler required). It dries very quickly to 'set' the curl, so adding many layers is impossible, but 2 quick layers is all I need.

I looove mascara and can also attest to fifthsensenyc's suggestion for MUFE mascaras. They are all good. Like their fiber base too for extra-extra lengthening :)

7:54 AM EDT  
Blogger Vireo Perfumes said...

Ah, thank you for investigating. I like these new cosmetics posts.
As a person looking high and low for a magical mascara for years and failing. I will go and try teh Givenchy. Who could resist a wand that looks like a cannon ball with spikes!?

4:22 PM EDT  

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