Illamasqua Masquara in Raven

Illamasqua Masquara in Raven

I bought this mascara cause I'd read a couple of reviews and it seemed to give exactly the effect I like. And I'm not disappointed. The mascara guarantees length and volume without clumpiness. It's possible to layer a couple of coats for a more dramatic effect and the lashes are still flexible, separated and curled.
How does Masqura compare with my favourite mascara of all times, namely Make Up For Ever Smoky Lashes? Well, the effect of Masquara is definitely less spectaclar, it takes more effort to build up the volume (you need a couple of coats for the same result as one coat of Smoky Lashes). But Smoky Lashes is more clumpy and doesn't separate the lashes as nicely as Masquara, and it's almost twice as expensive. Considering a potential repurchase I suppose I'll stick to Smoky Lashes, the decisive factor being simply the availability. I can get Smoky Lashes from my local Sephora store, whereas Masquara needs to be ordered online and it happens that I prefer the immediate experience of doing shopping in a point of sale with the possibility to test and sample to the hit or miss game when buying things online.

EDIT: The mascara turns clumpy after a couple of weeks using it and the packaging turns into a horribly looking cheap and tacky tube.


Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.