From Nordstrom: "A clear base coat for eyelashes that improves mascara application and wear as it boosts volume and curl. Adds dramatic definition to the eyes. Contains Multi-Nutrient Factor, an advanced moisturizer."
I purchased Shiseido's "The Makeup" Mascara Base ($22) from Nordstrom after reading all the rave review of it on MUA, and while it's a good mascara base, it's not the miracle product I was expecting.
One surprising and disappointing factor for me was the fact that when I first pulled my wand out of the tube, I noticed that the base was old and clumpy looking (See how it looks on the wand above? It always looks like that =X). This makes for a bit of a difficult application, since most of the product is concentrated towards the back-end of the wand.
The Mascara Base leaves a coat of white/gray base on your lashes, and extends beyond your natural lash length, which makes it really good for lengthening. But this means that you won' t be able to wear this on its own, unless salt and pepper lashes is the look you're going for.
I've found that if you wait until the base is completely dry, and then apply your mascara of choice on top, the application tends to feel dry and look rather clumpy. The trick is to wait for the base to set a tiny bit, and then sweep on your mascara. As a result, I tend to apply both base and mascara to one eye before moving onto the other.
So as you can see, Shiseido's Mascara Base gives me great length and curl, but little to no volume (not that I've ever found a msacra that has given me any volume). The base will make most mascaras waterproof, which is a huge plus in my book since I have a problem with mascaras ending up under my eyes an hour into the day, but it also makes removal rather cumbersome.
The bottom line is that while Shiseido's Mascara Base certainly delivers on its promises, it's just not a necessity for me. If you have trouble with mascaras not holding a curl, smudging all over the place, or not lengthening enough, then this is definitely the product for you.
As for me, the mascara base does pretty much the same job that my Chanel Inimitable does, with the only difference being that with the Base I'm paying for two products (base plus mascara = over $50!!!) to get the look of one!
Sure you can use the Base with a not-so-great mascara to turn it into a great one, but I'd rather spend my money on an all-in-one mascara!
Have you tried Shiseido's Mascara Base? Think I'm way off base? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
RATING: 3.5/5
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Don't forget to enter my Giveaway for the Month of June!
See Part 1 of the Mascara Series for a review of Majolica Majorca's Lash Expander mascara.
See Part 2 of the Mascara Series for a review of Yves Saint Laurent's Everlong Lengthening Mascara (waterproof).
See Part 3 of the Mascara Series for a review of Christian Dior's DiorShow Mascara in Azure Blue.
See Part 4 of the Mascara Series for a review of Chanel's Inimitable Mascara (waterproof).
See Part 1 of the Mascara Series for a review of Majolica Majorca's Lash Expander mascara.
See Part 2 of the Mascara Series for a review of Yves Saint Laurent's Everlong Lengthening Mascara (waterproof).
See Part 3 of the Mascara Series for a review of Christian Dior's DiorShow Mascara in Azure Blue.
See Part 4 of the Mascara Series for a review of Chanel's Inimitable Mascara (waterproof).
14 comments:
Well you already know how I feel about this mascara base... exactly the same as you! I don't even find myself reaching for it very often, since most of the time I don't have the patience to apply that, and then mascara, lol. I know it doesn't take that long, but I don't like to rush it, so I waste even more time. If I ever run out, assuming that I use it enough, I don't think I'll be buying it again. And if I were to buy it again, I'd wait til Sehpora's F&F, because I wouldn't pay retail for it.
BTW, Kiehl's F&F is this weekend! I saw a thread about it on tPF in the Deals & Steals section. Do you like any of their products? I love the Tea Tree Oil Toner, and I'm running out, so I will probably pick up that. Possibly (but not sure) the pineapple scrub since it seems a lot of people like it on tPF, but I don't know, since MAC's F&F is also on Monday. Too many F&F's at the same time!
good morning nicole! <3
i don't have the patience for this either. yeah it only takes a few extra seconds, but i'm always in a huge rush to get out the door so every second counts!
i did read about the kiehl's F&F, but i don't think i'll be purchasing anything. SO loves their products, but i haven't really tried anything other than their lip treatments and TM. i like the TM, but have a huge amount left plus i'm sure i'll love my la mer more!
and all my money's going to be going towards the MAC and L'Occitane F&F's :) i hate when things are clustered together like this! :\
Good morning! I'm so bored at work right now, lol. I have so much to do, but I don't want to do anything. I'm glad I have your blog to distract me for a bit. :)
I have the Kiehl's TM, but it doesn't compare to La Mer's. La Mer's is much more lightweight, although I think Kiehl's offers more coverage. La Mer's feels better on your face though. I hope you love it! Do you when it will be arriving?
Are you buying the MAC stuff online or going to the store? I can't wait for Monday so I can purchase online! I'm still hoping that the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator will magically be in stock again. Wishful thinking!
my evidence review class today is kicking my butt =X
i definitely agree that the kiehl's TM feels a bit heavy going. but it does give me great coverage! i'm really excited to play with the la mer though. i think it should actually be arriving today, so i have something to look forward to :P
i'm actually headed to the mac pro store after class today. i really really hope they have the volcanic ash exfoliator in stock!! i think i want a beauty powder, a pigment or two, plush lash, volcanic ash, and a few other goodies. we'll have to see how much money i have on me!
Hey ;) So I read all your other reviews, they are pretty interesting. What's your favorite mascara so far ? I really liked your YSL mascara. They come out so pretty on your eyelash. I always wanted to try kissme heroine mascara. I should get it oneday.
Nabi thanks for taking the time to read all my other review! I know they can get pretty long ;)
I'd have to say that my favorite mascara is a toss-up between Majolica Majorca and Chanel Inimitable.
I do LOVE the YSL but to achieve the look, it takes a good amount of time and layering which is pretty annoying, plus even though it's waterproof at the end of the day it still smudges on me a little bit. Also, it doesn't hold a curl that well.
The Majolica Majorca mascara gives me an amazing look (I know the photos weren't that great but it really defines, lengthens and curls like nothing else) but it's such a PIA to work with that I usually feel like it's not worth it.
While Inimitable isn't perfect, it's the best all-around mascara that I've found. In the waterproof version it never smudges, it lengthens almost as well as my YSL Everlong, and best of all it holds a curl really well. Plus the shape of the brush makes it easier to do your bottom lashes, whereas I find it impossible to do my bottom lashes with the Everlong brush (asian eyes plus fat brush!).
Hope that was helpful and not too long! :P
I always appreciate you reply everytime I leave a comment :D you are so sweet. Hmm, Mines are just single-lid so I learned that finding a right mascara for my eyes are very important. I'm using LashBlast from Covergirl because I heard so many good comment about it, but the thing is once I apply then it looks fantastic and in awhile it doesn't stay like that :( So it just looks long without volume haha does that make sense ?
Awww thanks Nabi! I love responding to my comments, it serves as a great distraction from all that's going on in my day :)
And I really appreciate the fact that people take the time to comment!
I know a lot of my single-lidded friends have trouble with mascara and have just given up on it altogether. I know what you mean about LashBlast, I had similar issues. My mine gripe with it was that it didn't hold a curl at all though.
I've always had trouble with volume and haven't found a solution for it other than falsies, but if you haven't tried Inimitable I'd recommend. It seems well for my lashes.
I just picked up MAC's Plush Lash so we'll have to see how that does :)
I just came across this post in a Google search, and I had the same experience with the Mascara Base! I was creeped out by the appearance of the wand straight out of the tube, and it didn't give me over-the-top lashes like I'd hoped. Sounds like we had the same reaction to this product! I just blogged about my experience as well.
Great post!
Hey Kristen!
I'm so happy you found me! I really wanted to absolutely LOVE this since people rave about it so much, but while it's good, it wasn't anything amazing. That's not to say I don't love the look that I get with it, but it's not stellar enough to justify the price.
Oh no! I'm so disappointed this didn't work for you. I have been using this mascara base with Shiseido's Advanced volume for the past two years. When I went back to HK this past year, I got stopped where ever I went with ladies asking me if I was wearing fakes. Perhaps you should try pairing it with different mascaras???
Tumbly it is a really nice product, I think I'd just hyped it up a little too much in my head. It does create beautiful lashes though! I'm definitely going to try experimenting with different mascaras and different combinations to see what works best.
I am not offended :) I just hope it creates the same effect for everyone as it has for me because I thought short Asian lashes was something I was stuck with forever!
Great job on the mascara series though! originally I found your site off Google for Jill Stuart's loose powder (wondering if it's worth the money...) And instead I came home two days later with Dior Iconic and Chanel's Inimitable. Clearly my money logic is not very consistent LOL.
Tumbly it really does create beautiful length. I think part of it is also that most days I'm just too lazy to use a primer LOL!
Mascaras are a HUGE weakness of mine, I think I need help =X.
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