Review: Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara

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I will be the first to admit it – I’m a mascara hoarder. It’s so easy to pick up free travel sizes that I rarely ever buy mascara, yet somehow I’ve ended up with this:

To be honest I really would love to just open them all up and test them out, but I’m restraining myself to only having a couple open at a time. The Burberry mascara that I picked up during Nordstrom’s Mascara Madness event is a few months old by this point, so I’ve given myself permission to move on to the new hotness. That, of course, means Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara in Black Satin. This one actually wasn’t a freebie, but Sephora had it in the ‘travel size’ bins near the checkout, and for $15 I couldn’t pass it up.

Packaging

This may be a mini, but it’s the same packaging as the full size, only shorter. The black tube with silver running up the sides mimics the Givenchy Le Rouge lipstick casing but without the leather – which admittedly would be overkill for a mascara that you’re supposed to be tossing after a few months. Overall, it looks very classy with a bit of a rocker-esque vibe.

Wand

The wand is a little bit… unusual. The bristle length varies, making it look like the wand is three balls stacked on top of each other. As odd-looking as it is, it works really well. The variation keeps the rows of bristles from smashing every few lashes together. It’s also a lot easier to avoid smearing mascara on my eyelids, which is a problem I frequently have. It does come out of the tube with a little glob on the end that I have to knock off, though, which can make the top of the tube a little messy.

Application, texture & wear

This is definitely a thicker formula, but not to the point of being goopy. It adds quite a bit of volume, along with some length and curl. It layers beautifully, too. Best of all, once it dries my lashes don’t feel crispy. I’ve had a bit of minor flaking after 10 hours or so, and it doesn’t happen every time I wear it.

In Short: This mascara adds a bit of drama and application is a breeze. What’s not to like?

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara ($32 for the full size, $15 for the mini) is available at sephora.com