I first saw the Lancôme Grandiôse Swan-Neck Mascara in one of Tati’s videos and I must say, I was VERY intrigued by the shape of the wand. I actually didn’t think this mascara would ever reach South African shores, but lo & behold – it arrived in September 2014. Lancôme very kindly sent me a Grandiôse mascara for review & I have been using it for the past month and a half (I’m wearing it in this blog post), so I think it’s safe to say I can give you a pretty good review.
I initially found this mascara to be a bit tricky to work with, but only because I couldn’t quite get the hang of the special wand.
The mascara comes with a little instruction pamphlet (that’s when you know you’re dealing with a luxury makeup product!) and it shows you how to use the wand to get the best results. In true Luzanne fashion, though, I did NOT read through the directions when I initially used this mascara. What a disaster…and I couldn’t understand why the wand wasn’t working for me. I suggest reading through the pamphlet (if you decide to purchase this mascara) – there’s a reason why Lancôme took the time to create an ‘instruction manual’.
Bending the mascara brush at the neck where it meets the wand has been a makeup-pro trick for the longest time. Kudos to Lancôme for creating a mascara with a permanently angled wand! The 25-degree angled brush makes getting to all the lashes quicker and easier. I know, I know…you’re wondering what in the world will be next? A mascara that covers you lashes in unicorn glitter? And I’m inclined to agree BUT this mascara really has made a difference in how quickly my lashes go from drab to fab!
Another bonus of the curved brush is it gives the formula a good stir every time you unscrew the top – genius!!
The brush is a tad smaller than other mascara wands, which gives it precise access to every lash. The design of the brush also ensures lashes are fanned out, to give you that wispy, doll-eyed look. I even get those fine, evasive little lashes that flog around the inner corner of the eye. The curved wand also makes crossing over the nose to do the eye on the opposite side of the hand you’re using, a smudge-free affair. I’m not particularly messy when it comes to applying mascara but there have been the odd occasion where I’ve accidently transferred mascara onto the bridge of my nose. It’s annoying, to say the least…
The formula contains conditioners and ultra black pigments, as well as special polymers (one of which is Latex) to give lashes a beautiful curl without the need for a lash curler. Grandiôse lengthens, separates and adds volume and I’m very happy to report this is a clump-free formula that is easy to remove too.
This is by far the most expensive mascara I have ever used – I’ve always been a Maybelline girl. BUT, after mastering the wand, I’m a total convert. I was actually hoping not to like it as much as I do, because now I’ll have to go out and purchase a brand new mascara once I run out of this one.
Lancôme Grandiôse Swan-Neck Mascara is available at your nearest Lancôme counter and retails for R 399,00.
