We tried the new Urban Decay Lash Freak mascara – here's why you need to buy it
Promising voluminous lashes with 20 hours of wear, did it deliver? We put it to the test
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I want three things from my mascara; length, volume and clump-free lashes that last. Having short, fair lashes, I’m always on the lookout for a transformative product to add to my make-up bag.
Urban Decay’s latest offering is its "lash freak" mascara, a neon green tube with an unusual looking wand. Costing £21, the brand makes some pretty bold claims about its results.
“Lash freak is an intensely volumising and lengthening mascara that creates up to 23.6 times more volume and up to 40 per cent more visible lash length with up to 20 hours of longwear,” it says on its website.
Urban Decay is a make-up brand that’s created some of the most sought after beauty products on the market, from the cult favourite eye potion primer, the all nighter setting spray to keep your carefully applied products in place for hours and of course, the famous naked eyeshadow palettes.
Disclaimer: I own them all, and have re-bought the setting spray many times over the past decade and can wholeheartedly attribute to its staying power.
So when it launched lash freak, I was intrigued to find out if it lived up to its claims of delivering a long-lasting, wide-eyed, dramatic look. After putting it to the test, here’s my verdict.
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Urban Decay lash freak mascara: £21, Urban Decay – buy now
The brush and how to use it
Living up to its freaky name, the wand on this mascara is pretty different. The asymmetrical, one-sided brush is uniquely shaped, promising to define, lift and volumise all in one.
Rather than having bristles all the way around, they're only on one side – the other side is smooth, with little product on it, designed to lift lashes from the root. Only on the tip of the brush will you find tiny bristles all the way around for your lower lash line.
It’s sturdy but not heavy and I start by swiping it across all my lashes with the longest bit of the brush. At first, they clump together and for a slight second, I panicked, before going over them a second time to separate them and this time I’m left with defined, long lashes, just how I like them.
My tip would be to go easy on the first coat, slowly building up the product to customise how dramatic a look you’re going for. The brush makes it easy to manoeuvre around your lashes too, and adding a couple of coats is easily done.
So far, so good, there’s nothing worse than your lashes sticking together in a tangled, messy heap.
I used the tiny bristles at the tip for my lower lash line, a brilliant feature that allows you to coat them without ending up with Twiggy-esque clumpy strands. It looked good during the Sixties, but that style isn't for me.
As someone who is guaranteed to end up ruining a painstakingly applied eyeshadow with an accidental smudge of mascara, the brush is surprisingly agile and lightweight which I found minimises the risk of mistakes.
According to Urban Decay, the side of the wand with no bristles is designed to give your lashes a lift, so following instructions, I held the curved side at the root of my lashes and err...waited.
The result mimics an eyelash curler, giving a quick boost and instant lift.
The formula
When you first comb the wand through your lashes, it does feel wet, which is great as it allows you to separate lashes that get stuck together or by wiggling your brush side to side, to ensure an even coating.
It doesn’t dry instantly, as some mascaras do, so there’s room to fix your mistakes, which I greatly appreciated. One I’d finished and felt happy with the results, my lashes felt lightweight, almost like I was wearing no mascara at all.
It has that traditional mascara scent, but it isn’t overwhelming.
Does it last?
I’ve tried many mascaras before where I’ve loved how it looked immediately after application, but after a day of wearing it, it left me looking like a panda.
With this product, my top lashes lasted impeccably, with not a single flake, smudge, crumble or smear or be found.
As it’s now mandatory to wear face coverings when in supermarkets, indoor shopping centres, banks, post offices, travel hubs and shops, as well as on public transport, we’ve got another obstacle to contend with when it comes to wearing make-up.
Having adjusted my beauty routine for my mask – including ditching the lipstick for lip balm and trying out more experimental eye looks – big lashes are key for my new go-to style.
As my mask sits securely on my face, there’s a lot of trapped heat and being on the tube does not help either.
It’s when wearing a mask that my only gripe comes in as I noticed my bottom lash line started to smudge the longer I wore my mask and I did have to try and hastily remove it in a compact mirror while on the train.
However, when I wore it without a mask, it held up fine, so I’d recommend leaving your lower lash line bare on the days you have to wear one, to avoid any smudging.
The verdict: Urban Decay lash freak mascara
All in all, this is an impressive new launch from Urban Decay which has created a mascara I’ll definitely be adding into my make-up bag.
The innovative brush is like an eyelash curler and mascara in one, delivering fluttery, lifted lashes that made me look instantly wide awake. The staying power was impressive too, so I'd definitely recommend investing in it.