Thursday, July 19, 2012

Givenchy Noir Couture 4-in-1 Mascara REVIEW and swatches

I was very intrigued by the Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara when I first heard about it on Sephora. I really like the sleek packaging and the unique brush. I was even more interested in the 4-in-1 feature: volume, length, curl and care. So I purchased the Black Satin shade first chance I get from Sephora.

Givenchy Noir Couture, 8g/0.28oz, $32
in Black Satin.
Available at www.sephora.com late July and in Sephora stores in August.

A closer look at the brush. Triple Sphere Wand.
Similar to the "sphere" wand on Givenchy's Phenomen'Eyes Mascara, Noir Couture has three of these for faster application, but still giving the option of reaching the corners of your eyes.




According to Givenchy:
What it does:This multitasking mascara is formulated with Givenchy’s exclusive Lash Booster Expert Complex that provides nutrition, revitalization, fortification, and protection. 

A look on my lashes:
Bare lashes curled for comparison (camera can never focus on my thin lashes!)

 Givenchy Noir Couture mascara one coat ( left) and two coats (right)

After 10 hours of application, Noir Couture is still going strong.

I must say I really enjoyed this mascara. The problem that I had with the single sphere that Phenomen'Eyes had (and also L'oreal's telescopic explosion mascaras) was that it took a long time to apply and the application is usually not as even as with a longer brush. However, this brush had more than just one sphere, allowing it for classic mascara application. You can still use the spheres individually to get hard to reach corners and ends. 

My lashes are short, straight, and thin. It is probably the worst combination you can have, haha, but that makes me a harsh judge when it comes to mascara. I need a mascara to hold curls, lengthen, volumize, and also not flaky/smudgy. This mascara has all of those points and also claims to give my lashes nutrition and care! 

My all time favorite mascara has to be Maybelline's Falsies mascara. It is affordable, holds curls, and volumizes. It doesn't do very well in the lengthening area, but I can make it work. It is hard to build up with the Falsies because if you try to reapply when it dries, you will get major clumping. 

The Noir Couture mascara seems to take Maybelline's Falsies a step further by creating length. I was easily able to add a second coat on top of  the Noir Couture mascara, allowing for further lengthening. See above for the difference. By that feature, I must say that Noir Couture is a better mascara performance wise.

Like any good mascara, there is a downside. For Noir Couture it has to be the cost. At $32 a pop, it isn't really something you can just throw out every few months. Since you are supposed to switch out mascaras every 6 months or so, this could get rather expensive. However, if you do have money to splurge or if mascara is your thing, then I would say definitely give this one a go!

Application: Applies so easily! No clumping, flaking, or smudging. It was not too watery, but thin enough to allow two coats of mascara.
Texture: Upon drying, the texture of my lashes is crunchy. Compared to my recent review of the Maybelline plush mascara, which was soft to the touch, these ones were slightly harder. Not to say that it is harder than other mascaras, it was just not as soft as the plush ones.
Scent: There is a faint "mascara" scent. I don't smell it at all unless I put my nose right to the opening of the tube.
Staying power: Very strong. After 10 hours of wear, I did not notice any smudging, flaking, or even drooping of my lashes. Yay!

Overall: This mascara does everything I want it to: curl, lengthen, and volumize without smudging, flaking, clumping. It also contains nutrients to keep your lashes healthy. It is a bit expensive, but if you can find the money to splurge on it, I would definitely give it a try!

Have you tried any of Givenchy's mascara? Are you going to give Noir Couture a try?

Em

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All products shown here were purchased with my own money and were given my fair and honest opinion.

4 comments:

  1. Now I want to try this one (despite the fact that I have SO many new ones sitting around still grr)!

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    1. I know what you mean, Sunny! I really have to stop buying new mascaras until I used up some of the ones I have opened!I will try starting tomorrow :)

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  2. I've always been really curious about this mascara.. It sounds lovely.. I'm currently using Guerlain which I love but once I'm done with it, I might just give this one ago.. thanks for the review!

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    1. No problem, Delyteful! I am glad it helped. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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