Emmie Reviews – Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara

In the pantheon of drugstore mascaras, Maybelline has reigned supreme for me in terms of making some of my favourite mascaras of all time. So when the hugely hyped Total Temptation range dropped last month here in Australia, I immediately rushed out and got my hands on the Total Temptation mascara. So have I been fully tempted by this mascara? Just keep on reading!

MAYBELLINE TOTAL TEMPTATION MASCARA – $21.95 – priceline.com.au

I have to start with the packaging because it is easily my favourite Maybelline mascara packaging. The tube is a gorgeous matte baby pink, very similar to the colour Maybelline used for the GiGi Hadid collection last year. It also has a soft, almost rubberised feel to the tube. I like that it’s not exactly the same as all of Maybelline’s other mascaras and it has a distinct look to it.

The wand has natural bristles and a slight oval shape, tapering off on both ends. These are the wands I personally like the most because it allows me to get the wand into the corner of my eye and get mascara on the hard to reach lashes. It also means I can use the tip of the wand on my lower lashes without making too much of a mess. It also did an excellent job of separating my lashes and while it’s not the most lengthening mascara on the planet, it did lengthen enough so you can see the lashes on my right eye (my problem eye).

The formula is probably the biggest letdown of this mascara though. It’s definitely black and very rich in pigment. However, it’s also very creamy and almost oily when applied to the lashes. As a result, it takes a long time to set, it smudges really quickly and it constantly leaves me with the dreaded panda eye on both sides. When I tried this mascara for the first time a few weeks back, I was also trying out a new eye cream that was very hydrating and as a result, the smudging was very real!

Having now worn it several more times with and without concealer and powder, the result is very much the same. Though I did find that the smudging isn’t as bad if you have powdered under eyes. I also discovered as the formula dries over time (I’ve been using this mascara for over a month now), it actually begins to flake off of my lashes, which really bummed me out. Strangely though, the formula hasn’t really dried out at all so far. Thankfully though, this is an easy mascara to remove. I used both an oil based remover and a non oil based remover and they both worked well.

One final thing. I have to be the only person that doesn’t think this mascara smells like coconut. It definitely does have a scent, and coconut oil is a key component in this mascara, but it doesn’t remind me of coconut.

As much as it breaks my heart, I do have to say I would give the Total Temptation mascara a skip in the future and I won’t be repurchasing it. I very much love the way it makes my lashes look, but I have heaps of great affordable mascaras that don’t smudge nearly as much as this one does. If you have drier under eyes, you might like this more than me, but this is a no.

Cheers and love
Emmie xo.