I fell in love with Korean “polymer” mascaras with my first tube (which happened to be by Missha). If you aren’t familiar with this type of mascara - I highly recommend you try it. The application is identical to any other regular mascara, but the removal is pure magic - just add water and gently slide the polymer tubes off the lashes. That’s it! And I haven’t seen any damage to my lashes at all. You can see pictures of what comes off in this review.
That Missha mascara is long gone. The next one by Mamonde was a miss. It was a regular mascara which didn't even come close to the polymer ones.
I’m currently using Holika Holika Magic Pole in Volume & Curl, available on eBay, Amazon, and YesStyle. You can see what it looks like “live” in this video. The applicator is very interesting - a thin spoolie with a ball on the end, which is supposed to help separate any lashes that may clump together, plus get any of the elusive ones in the corners. I think it would have been ok without the ball, but it’s not in the way either.
My impressions:
I am pleased. I like looking like myself but better, so I’m not chasing a false lashes look or anything equally dramatic. Holika Holika Magic Pole Mascara does a great job at volumizing and lengthening the lashes, doesn’t flake or smudge, and doesn’t irritate the eyes or cause fatigue. I even received some compliments on it from coworkers.
The price is very affordable as well. I’ve had mascaras that cost more than twice as much, including Tarte, Better than Sex, and Benefit - and this one works better than all of them. I am unsure what to try next - for some reason, it’s really hard to figure out which Korean mascaras are made in this “polymer” way and which ones are the more traditional formulas. If you know a good way to navigate the makeup listings, please let me know.
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