Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

I noticed a couple of days ago that both my trusty Clinique High Impact Extreme mascara and my Guerlain Cils d'Enfer mascara sample were getting pretty dry. Part of me wanted to just go to Boots and get some under-a-tenner Maybelline Extreme Cat Rocket Volum' Boost Lash (or something like that) but I can't resist the pull of the John Lewis make up counter. Along with the division between drugstore and high-end mascaras, I'd say there's two main price categories within high-end: those from, say, MAC, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, which typically cost £14-18, and those that cost £22-25 such as Lancome, Dior, Giorgio Armani. I decided to stick to the first category. More specifically, I wanted to make my first ever Bobbi Brown purchase*.

I'm starting to develop an opinion on mascara brushes and effects. I like bristle brushes as opposed to plastic ones, I like the brush head to be as large and thick as possible, I prefer a non-waterproof formula. I like mascaras that give fluttery lashes, but with potential for layering and buildability. Having done no previous research into Bobbi Brown mascaras, I picked the one with the largest bristle brush: Extreme Party Mascara, £18.

When I got home, I looked it up on MakeupAlley, where it has a solid pretty rubbish 2.9 out of 5. Lots of blog reviews complain that it's not Extreme Party enough, instead rather fluttery. Perfect!

This photo is two layers of careful application and wiggling. The brush is pretty massive and also it tapers off towards the end, meaning that you can get in to the little lashes on the inner corner, but it also has potential to cause clumps if you rush. But I never rush mascara, so I don't count this as a negative. The formula is fast-drying and curls my lashes very well.

I definitely prefer the brush to Clinique's Extreme High Impact, which is plastic. The original High Impact mascara (still available) has a bristle brush, but it's not as wide as Extreme Party's. This formula can be removed using cleanser, which is a huge bonus for me as I can't bear oil-based removers. This puts it ahead of Guerlain's amazing yet indelible Cils d'Enfer in my personal rankings. So I think I might be looking at my new favourite.

Of course, mascara preferences vary wildly from person to person, but if your mascara preferences sound similar to mine, I definitely recommend checking this out.

*I know, what?! Though I've never purchased one, I have used Bobbi Brown products before - I took my mother's Pot Rouge in Pale Pink off her hands, but I hated it. It was too cool and utterly un-blendable. Until very recently I've felt a little too young for BB. I don't know what caused my change of heart but, as I said when I bought the mascara, I think it's going to act as a gateway drug. Lots more Bobbi Brown will be finding its way into my makeup bag soon.