DewscopeEyes, Lips & Cheeks3 min read
Lancôme Lash Idôle Review: Does the Curved Wand Justify $30?
The curved wand lifts straight lashes and the gel formula stays soft, but it costs more than twice what Maybelline Sky High does. We explain who should pay the difference.
Our verdict
A good lifting mascara for straight, droopy lashes, with a soft gel finish and no clumping in most reports. It is close enough to Maybelline Sky High that the $16 premium buys a different finish, not a better one.
Best forStraight lashes that need lift and a soft, separated finish
What we liked
- Curved wand with fine bristles lifts straight lashes from the root
- Soft gel finish that reviewers describe as feathery and clump-free
- Separates lashes rather than building a heavy, stiff coat
What held it back
- More than double the price of Maybelline Sky High
- Some retailer reviews report flaking by the afternoon
- Not the choice for a dramatic false-lash look
If your lashes grow straight out and refuse to hold a curl, the Lash Idôle wand is built for you, and it does the job. Whether it does the job twice as well as a $13.99 drugstore tube is a different question, and the honest answer is no. Here is where the extra $16 goes, and where it does not.
What the curved wand is trying to do
Most mascara brushes are straight, and a straight brush coats lashes where it meets them. Lash Idôle uses a curved head covered in what Lancôme describes as 360 micro-bristles of varying size. The idea is that the curve follows the arc of the lash line, so you can sweep from the root upward and push the lash into a lifted position while the bristles separate it from its neighbours.
The formula is a lightweight gel. Lancôme claims a lift that lasts up to 24 hours, and a retailer listing we read repeats a "140% eye-opening effect" figure. Treat both as marketing: neither comes with a test method we could find, and a claim of a day-long curl says nothing about how it holds up at the end of a humid commute.
What independent reviewers report
A Makeup.com editor curled first for thirty seconds, then wiggled the wand from root to tip, and reported noticeable lift with no clumping however many passes were made. A review on Escentual reaches the same place: soft, feathery, separated lashes rather than a thick, dramatic coat.
