Like many people, my beauty routine has changed quite a bit in the last six months. Gone are the days of reapplying lip gloss [1] several times a day (in public!) and long gone are the days when I aimlessly roamed the aisles of Sephora [2] trying anything that caught my eye with barely a second thought. Not only that, now I find myself even more obsessed with finding the perfect palette [3] right from home . . . because testing eyeshadows is my new idea of a fun Friday night [4].
Since eyes are the feature most people see [5] these days, the fact that I haven't had eyelash extensions all year [6] make my short, brittle lashes [7] stand out even more when I look in the mirror (or quite the opposite). Of course, I've got a regular rotation of bold, jet-black mascaras [8], but those waterproof formulas are a bit more trouble than they're worth for a Zoom meeting or grocery-store run. After all, taking them off usually requires an extra makeup remover [9] and results in a few sad hairs left on the cotton swab each time I'm done (and also probably leads to my aforementioned dry lashes).
Still, since picking up a tube of the new Kosas mascara, I've worn it every single day for the last two weeks. What I love most about this product is not as much a look as it is a feeling (and that feeling is good), and I'm going to explain exactly why ahead.
Kosas The Big Clean Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara Details
The main reason I opt for extensions [10] has to do with the length of my natural lashes, but I also like getting fullness while leaving the hair completely bare. No matter which mascara I try (and, trust me, I've tried a lot [11]), there's always a visible change in texture. In fact, if not for the oft-intimidating application process [12], I'd even put false lashes [13] above that product (no thanks to any smudges on my glasses or under my eyes at the end of the day either).
But the ingredients for Kosas The Big Clean Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara [14] ($26) quickly caught my eye and sounded way more like a special treatment than traditional mascara. I actually recognised several from my hair care products: Castor oil [15], pro-vitamin B5 [16], and biotinoyl tripeptide [17] all help keep hair (on my head) strong and healthy, and encourage growth. That reminded me of lash conditioning primers [18] and growth serums [19] . . . and to get that along with the the jet-black colour of mascara with just one product? It sounded nearly too good to be true.
Kosas The Big Clean Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara Results
This Kosas mascara is the happy medium between the dramatic look of extensions and my less-than-dramatic naked lashes. After I applied one coat and let it dry for a minute, the second coat went on even smoother as if I'd used a lash primer. (I used the side of the brush with the tinier bristles to comb it through with zero clumps.)
Then, the fact that it's clean [20]leaves little concern about contact-lens or eye irritation either. It easily comes off with just my regular face wash [21] and I haven't noticed any lash fallout either. Sure, I haven't seen any growth thus far but, when I touch my bare lashes, they're noticeably softer and smoother. So, most of all, it's not about how it looks but how it feels, and I really wish I could photograph this feeling for you.