April Week of Mascaras - Monday Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes

Welcome, Welcome to my second week of Mascara!  For those who follow Week One occurred in March and I reviewed these products:

• Urban Decay Supercurl
• Stila Forever Your Curl
• CoverGirl Lash Perfection
• BUXOM by Bare Escentuals
• NYX Doll Eye Waterproof

Feel free to click on the links.  Highly entertaining...well for me at least!

To kick of this series I am starting with my most expensive and arguably interesting mascara, Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes.  I purchased it after watching Wayne Goss (gossmakeupartist) onYouTube and seeing it highly recommended.

Now I am going to warn you up front that most days I hate this mascara, because when it is fiddly to apply I get upset.  But the days where it goes well, it is a joy to wear.  It comes with an instruction pamphlet... I kid you not.

Let's have a look at the container and wand.  I want you to compare my pictures with the one from the publicity pics.

Very nice container

Wand

Picture from Sephora website

Your first reaction?  What is up with the wand, medieval torture device?  It is different I can tell you but in theory this wand should be able to conjure up each lash and coat it with mascara goodness.

Here is the official word from Sephora:

What it is:
A revolutionary new mascara designed to grip at lashes starting at the roots.

What it does:
Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara perfectly curls and separates lashes. It has a high-tech, patented round sphere at the tip of the precision wand that reaches every lash and adapts to all eye shapes. It's a Sephora exclusive.

What else you need to know:
The result—A beautifully fanned-out panoramic effect, holding the curve of your lashes perfectly in place.

Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product. 

 Here is the word from Lori:

It's darned fiddly...

More?  OK.

Formulation is a very glossy and of a wet cream consistency.  I actually really like it!

Rating:  Hooray

The base of the wand has plenty of mascara left on it.  And so do the bristles on the tip.  It stands to reason though as the narrowing of the mascara tube would not remove the excess from the top (as it is narrower and at the end) and it would not remove the excess from the base of the wand before the ball applicator as it is also much more narrow.

There ends up being a big glob at the end that I have to wipe off so that when I apply it (as per the directions) there isn't a bit hot mess on my inner lashes.  It's wasteful and irritating.

Wand Rating: Undecided

That said though, the wand does separate my lashes and allow me to apply mascara from root to tip.  As you can see below, it does a phenomenal job.  And the lengthening is excellent (fluttery lashes).  I have to do this on a day when I have patience (and time).  If I was going out dancing or a night on the town, this would be my go to mascara!

Rating:  Hooray

Eyes at 700am

Right eye one coat

A little closer look one coat

Right eye two coats

Again, there is virtually no clumping or glooping when applying the second coat.  Today was a good day!

I checked throughout the day and flaking or leeching did not occur.

Eyes at 730pm 

End of Day

A closer look

I will admit that this mascara held up for the whole day.  When you compare the pictures there is little difference in the mascara (the eyeshadow is another matter).  Highly impressed.  In actual fact it stayed on this well until the end of the day (about 11pm).


End of Day rating:  Hooray!

Price was $35CDN and $30USD.  So a Boo there.

Final tally.

Hooray -3
Undecided - 1

Boo - 1

Would I buy again? I just don't know, the mascara makes my lashes pop like few others I have tried but the fact that I have to read directions makes me twitchy.  And $35 is pretty dear for mascara.