This Drugstore Mascara Started a TikTok Controversy, so I Had to Try It

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Welcome to Deep Reviewsyour one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.

The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors quite literally can't shut up about. This time around, I'm highlighting L'Oréal Telescopic Lash Lift Mascara ($15).

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A lot of products go viral on TikTok, but as someone who spends a little too much time on the internet, I haven't seen a mascara cause as much frenzy as L'Oréal Teloscopic Lash Lift has. For scale, the hashtag #TelescopicLift currently boasts 348.4 million views and counting on the video app. After an influencer was accused of wearing false eyelashes in advertisement for the product, many took to social media to give the product a true test. And despite the initial controversy, most of the reviews were full of high-sung praises. Even as an editor, I was intrigued. One trip to the drugstore later, I was ready to give this "revolutionizing" mascara a shot. 

The Application Process (Plus Some Helpful Tips)

At first, it was a bit tricky to apply the product evenly. But that's when I realized this wand is different than any other wand I've used before. (Do not be like me and forget to read the directions on the box.) The product comes with a double-hook bristle brush, each side offering a different step for the best results. The first step is to use the front hook to lift and load the lashes, which adds volume and length. Following the first step, I noticed a natural curl that I would only get from the use of an eyelash curler. Second, I carefully brushed my lashes with the side-hook comb to separate the lashes and avoid any clumps.

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Since the two-step method on this product makes the process quick and efficient, there isn't a need for many coats like there is with other mascaras. Despite having naturally long lashes, I'm always building up multiple layers to get the dramatic effect I want. With this one, only one coat is needed for full-looking lashes. I know the phrase "less is more" is a bit cliché, but it's the motto for this product. Applying additional layers can cause the mascara to get clumpy, so the best results will be with minimal product. (This means less time in my makeup routine, which is a winning situation.)

L'Oréal set out to make your makeup routine more seamless, and this product surpasses that goal. If you're looking for a mascara that requires minimal application but still creates a dramatic look, this is the one for you.

Shop More Products I Swear By for Next-Level Lashes

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Associate Fashion Editor
Yusra Siddiqui is an editor who resides in New Jersey but bounces between the suburbs and NYC. (She's a Jersey girl at heart.) After interning at Who What Wear in 2019, she found her way to the team after graduating from LIM College in 2022 with a fashion media degree. She's also spent time writing and working for publications such as Fashionista, Coveteur, and Nylon, but she always knew that Who What Wear was where she was meant to be. When she's on the job, she's perusing runway shows, analyzing the latest thing fellow Gen Zers are up to on the internet, and sharing what she can about the modest-fashion market. You can also catch her dabbling in entertainment, talking about the costume choices of the latest Netflix series or diving deeper into how the plotline affects the viewers in a myriad of ways. Lastly, she likes to create content for Who What Wear's TikTok. Her personal time is spent doing similar but also different things—deep diving into almost every new TV show (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, and Stranger Things are favorites), planning her next local getaway (whenever that may be), and reading the latest Emily Henry or Sally Rooney novel in one sitting.