Lily Lolo Mascara Review

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Lily Lolo mascara

Now that my kid is settled into preschool well I can finally relax and start blogging more, something I intended to do for a while now, but was never able to do. Roll on the blog posts I say :)


Ok, Lily Lolo! Even though I already have my all the time favourite mascara (which is 100%Pure Maracuja oil mascara, click here to see my review), I simply had to try this mascara for review purposes and to compare the two, and of course I was curious to try it as it is making waves in the green beauty world, so naturally I had to see what the fuss is all about. The fuss about this mascara gathered speed after it was included in some green beauty box or another (well played, Lily Lolo, well played) and after that it appeared in many monthly favourites blog posts and YouTube videos. It was the best mascara ever the bloggers said! The only one I use and recommend the organic bunnies shouted! It performs so well I never want to be without it, and the ingredients are all totally natural, Youtubers gushed. Well, yes, the ingredients are totally natural, I have to give them that, and yes, it does gives great volume for a natural mascara, so that are the great things about this mascara, but with a heavy heart I have to say I won't be repurchasing this mascara, and let me explain myself why.  I gave it a fair shot testing it for around 4 months, so I think that is sufficient time to test the product and form my final opinion on it.

As you can see, I expected big things from this mascara when I purchased it, I wanted it to be my holy grail mascara, because I wanted volume, great ingredients and good performance. Plus, this mascara is cheaper than my beloved 100%Pure one and as it is made in the UK, it is closer to home, (At that time UK was still in the EU, so I could escape those dreaded custom charges, not so much now, but the problem sorted itself out = no future purchases, no extra taxes).
Let's get back to the mascara. I was so excited to try it once I got it, one swipe, it was good, two layers, it was real good! It gave me lots of volume and some length, something I look for in the mascara. The formula is on the dry side, and you can pick up good amount of product to build the lashes up to your desired effect. It also layers well, either on it's own or with other mascaras, so you can do two or three layers and get that dramatic look if you want to.With my short and invisible lashes that is exactly what I need, if the mascara is described s "natural looking" "everyday mascara" that is how I instantly know it is not for me. And what's wrong with a volume for everyday? It does get a bit clumpy on the lashes for me and I need to comb them out though. So I was really happy with the mascara for a about a week, until it started flaking. Flaking just after a week is not a good sign for me, but I continued with it, because this is such a good mascara, with a cult following in the green beauty community, surely I can put up with a bit of flaking, no big deal I told myself. But as the days went by, the flaking was worse and worse (as you would expect) and started irritating my eyes, as when I looked in the mirror I could see the bits of mascara on the eyeball, and if I tried to remove it, it would make my eye go bloodshot red. Not a good look if you can guess. Even with this, I stuck through for the next few weeks, but I was beginning to wonder why is everyone raving about it? Maybe I got one from a bad batch I wondered, and I raised my question on Instagram. I got a ton of response, but the majority of people who came forward said that they had no such problems whatsoever and they are really happy with it. By then I was approaching week five, and the straw that broke camel's back was the mascara going foul on me in the sixth week. It wasn't your average mascara-getting-old a bit sour smell, it was full blown foul you-instantly-want-to-turn-your-nose-away smell. A bit puzzled by all this I emailed the brand, because if you pay full price (plus shipping) you would expect your mascara be good for at least standard three months, no?  The brand was extremely understanding and sent me a replacement immediately, so brownie points for awesome customer service, Lily Lolo!
I told myself I will start anew with my second tube of mascara, I won't hold anything against it and will treat it as a completely new unfamiliar-to-me mascara. What do you think? The exact same stuff happened, from flaking in the first couple of weeks, to irritating bits in my eyes, and I was constantly told I have mascara bits on my cheeks. I persevered until week six to see if it will go bad on me around that time mark, and it didn't, but instead it dried out on me on week eight.
Hmm, that is not a very positive experience, isn't it? Now that I look back on it, I can't believe I bothered that long, because any other sane woman would toss that second tube aside and get herself a decent mascara, right? (Esp as I have a tube of 100%Pure waiting to be opened). But as I am must-test-products-thoroughly-blogger, aka not-so-sane woman, I persevered for four months to give you my honest opinion on it. Sorry, Lily Lolo, I wanted to love your product, but I just can't. It would cost me too much to repurchase it every four weeks or so, and my stance is that a decent mascara should last me three months before it changes. Flaking on the first week and the irritated eyes are a deal breaker for me. I am sure Lily Lolo has many great products, but this mascara and I part ways here and now. My beloved 100%Pure one is initially more expensive but it lasts me at least six months without any crumbling or irritation whatsoever. I toss mine after it hits 6 months period for hygienic reasons, but I know a few Youtubers and green beauty bloggers have used it for 9 months to a year without a bother. And instead of irritating my eyes it makes my eyelashes grow! So I will stick to it, thank you very much!

P.s. I am testing Alverde Maximize Volume Lashes mascara at the moment that I got form Germany in a green beauty swap, and it is very comparable in terms of finish and wear, and it costs €3.75! Just letting you know in the case you are looking for cheap natural mascara. It does flake too, so just letting you know in advance.

Ingredients of the Lily Lolo mascara:
AQUA (WATER), MYRICA PUBESCENS FRUIT CERA (MYRICA PUBESCENS FRUIT WAX), PROPANEDIOL, COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA (COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX), POLYGLYCERYL-6 DISTEARATE, SUCROSE STEARATE, ACACIA SENEGAL GUM, GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED CERA (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED WAX), LACTOBACILLUS FERMENT BIS-OCTYLDODECYL DIMER DILINOLEATE/PROPANEDIOL COPOLYMER, POLYGLYCERYL-10 MYRISTATE, ORYZA SATIVA BRAN CERA (ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) BRAN WAX), GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE, GLYCERYL UNDECYLENATE, [MAY CONTAIN CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES)]



So there it is, my two cents, aka review of this cult mascara. Have you tried it? Loved it? Hated it? Please share with me :)


Lots of love,
Renata.


Disclaimer, aka the Boring Bit I Have To Say:
This blog post features items bought with my own money and the replacement sent by brand. It may contain affiliate links. If you decide to purchase via my link, it will be at no additional cost to you and I would highly appreciate the support for my blog. So far I am yet to make any money, but here's hoping :) Thanks for being eagle eyed and reading the boring bits too :) Take care.