DewscopeEyes, Lips & Cheeks3 min read
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Review: Drama Without Smudges at $29?
The prestige volume mascara that keeps topping sales charts gives full, curled lashes with little clumping. Reviewers split on smudging, it is not waterproof, and at $29 a drugstore tube gets you most of the way.
Our verdict
It earns its reputation for volume. The hourglass brush coats every lash and builds a full, curled fringe fast, and independent reviewers saw little clumping. It is not perfect: some wearers report smudging or flaking by the afternoon, it is not waterproof, and the brush is a touch thick for short lashes. At $29 the real competition is a good drugstore mascara, which comes close for a third of the price.
Best forDramatic volume on medium to long lashes without waterproof formulas
What we liked
- Hourglass brush coats top and bottom lashes and builds volume in few coats
- Reviewers report little clumping and a lightweight, comfortable feel
- Formula includes collagen, film-forming polymers and acacia extract
- Available in black and brown, with plenty of retail stock
What held it back
- $29 is far more than drugstore mascaras that look similar
- Smudging and flaking vary by wearer, with some reports after an hour
- Not waterproof, which is a drawback for tearing eyes or humid days
- Brush is a little thick for short or sparse lashes
Some products become famous because they are good, and others because they are loudly marketed. Better Than Sex is both, which makes it hard to judge. The name does the selling. What matters at the vanity is whether it gives you drama that survives lunch, and whether $29 is a fair price for the effort.
The brush is the product
Too Faced packs 0.27 oz (8 ml) into the tube and describes a formula with collagen, film-forming polymers and acacia senegal extract. The part buyers talk about is the hourglass brush: wide at each end and narrow in the middle, so it grips lashes at the root and lifts them at the tips, while the bristles reach the small lashes on the lower lid. The idea is to lay on volume without a separate lengthening coat.
Independent reviewers back that up. A Woman & Home tester found dramatic length, volume and curl without clumping, called the brush mess-free, and said it is slightly thick for short lashes. PureWow's tester scored it 20 out of 20 for volume and 97 out of 100 overall, and described the formula as comfortable and lightweight.
