There are a few reasons I can’t integrate eyeliner into my super-casual daily makeup routine. Sure, the extra step is part of the issue, but mainly I don’t want to deal with the color migration and necessary cleanup when I’m spending the day in my home office. But with that said, I love the subtle definition that only tight-lining can provide, which is why Clarins 3-Dot Liner has been a mainstay in my kit for years. Then a random pop-in to Ulta—and spending some time in the It Cosmetics section—changed everything.
Truth be told, I wrote about It Cosmetics’ Tightline Full Lash Length Mascara Primer when it debuted almost exactly a year ago, but now that I’ve been using it for a week I felt the need to write about it again. Upon opening it for the first time, I was immediately reminded of the now-defunct Helena Rubenstein mascara with the bristle-less metal wand (and gorgeous gold packaging). The lack of bristles is major, because it allows you to wiggle the mascara into your lashline—which imparts the appearance of thicker, lusher lashes, just like tightlining.
Yes, this is billed as a primer, but you can totally use it as mascara. I’ve used it alone and before regular mascara and I’m thrilled with the results every time. It also contains a blend of lash-enhancing ingredients like peptides, jojoba, biotin and lots of other stuff that definitely can’t hurt, so I like to think it’s a treatment in addition to a cosmetic. I will admit that it takes a little extra maneuvering when applying to the inside of my right eye (I’m a lefty), but the effort is well worth it.
So if you want to look like you spend more time on your makeup than you really did, this is a must. Do you want to try it?