I’ve Never Liked False Lashes, so I’ve Used This Mascara for 12 Years Instead
Growing up, I had an obsession with beauty and fashion magazines. I would read every glossy word from start to finish and back again, and I dedicated my weekly babysitting and retail job earnings to trying all of the most enticing and award-winning formulas inhabiting every write-up. Year after year, Dior’s forever-iconic mascara, Diorshow, was front and center, and obviously, I got my hands on the stuff as soon as I could scrimp enough money together. Diorshow quickly became one of my mom’s all-time favorite mascaras, but as someone who had very long, albeit stick-straight, lashes, it was just too heavy for me. I’ve always prioritized curl and length, and I found the bushy brush too big and imprecise for the highly defined, separated, and false lash–effect lift I was after. So after doing a little more research, I landed on a different, slightly less well-known Dior formula, the Diorshow Iconic Mascara ($30), and it quickly became my ride-or-die wand for creating the lifted, super-curled doe-eyed lashes of my dreams. (To this day, people mistake my Dior-lacquered lashes for falsies.)
Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara review - va-va-voom lashes that last
Dior didn’t mess about when they named Diorshow Iconic Overcurl. Is it a touch hubristic to call a mascara iconic before it’s even hit the shelves? Perhaps, but they weren’t wrong. Call it supreme confidence, call it nominative determinism, whatever happened in the years since this glamorous baby was brought into the world, there’s no denying it’s become a modern makeup icon.
The overcurl bit came to pass as well. This formula will stretch your lashes into perfect wide-awake flutter and then keep them up there all day. Obviously, there’s a price to be paid for pure luxury and don’t expect to get away with pretending you haven’t made an effort - natural look this ‘aint. But if your idea of the best mascara is high-impact volume, curl that won’t quit and a nice little surprise when it comes to removal, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl more than delivers.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s hard to imagine many mascaras making a better impression than Diorshow Iconic Overcurl. Just look at it - the dazzling silver tube, elegant lettering and tactile textured branding all add up to a seriously classy customer. It even feels great just to hold the tube in your hands - something about the high-gloss finish I suspect.
Essentially, having this tube on your dressing table offers a similar bump of aesthetic satisfaction to a fancy new pen on your desk or a bottle of champagne in the fridge. It’s a promising start.
FORMULA AND INGREDIENTS
Specifications Shades: Black, blue, brown
Waterproof version available: No
Added extras: Conditioning Jojoba and seed oils
Diorshow Iconic Overcurl makes a few promises with its formula, which are 24 hours of volume and curl plus lash fortifying care. Starting with volume and curl, the ingredients list certainly ticks all the boxes you’d hope for to deliver the intended effect - various waxes, stretchy polymers and inky black pigment.
The 24 hours part I’ll turn a blind eye to, much like I do with all makeup that promises days worth of wear. Really, who needs their lashes standing at full attention for that long? Are you not sleeping or are you desecrating your pillowcase with gunky black smudges every night? Either way, I’m concerned.
Care-wise, we get some nice softening ingredients like natural seed oils and jojoba, a reassuring prospect if you worry about the long-term effects of the load-it-on then scrub-it-off cycle we get tend to into with mascara.
The formulation feels volumising, which is to say it loads onto the lashes heartily and bulks them out substantially so you’ll know it’s there. Not in a bad way - in a “why can I feel my lashes batting against my brow bone?” way. There’s no doubt this is one of the best lengthening mascaras if you also want a curl effect that really lasts.
(Image credit: Dior)
EASE OF APPLICATION
Plenty of mascaras are easy enough to apply, but far fewer can be described as enjoyable like Diorshow Iconic Overcurl. The feeling of pulling the bushy curved brush and stretchy formula upwards through your lashes is genuinely gratifying. As is the fact that even one coat gives an impressive degree of volume and lift. Many will find a single coat is enough for their requirements, certainly If I was planning to wear this during the day or to work I’d probably stop at one.
I went into my second layer feeling nervous. Often, impressive first coats lead to overly bulked, spidery or clumpy second ones. Brushing it through definitely took a bit more graft this time around but my lashes remained reasonably separated and, with some wigging, steadfastly unstuck. If you’re a three coat girl you might want to keep a lash comb handy.
The formula dries quickly, which helps keep application neat and clean, although the relatively chunky brush did cause a few little smudges when applying to the lower lashes. That’s standard stuff for brushes this shape and easily sorted with a damp cotton bud.
What’s it like to wear?
This is a mascara you wear when you want to get noticed and in turn you will notice that you’re wearing it. Even an accidental glance on the reflective side of my kettle had me thinking, hello lashes! Friends may ask what mascara you’re wearing, your partner will probably venture a tentative “you look… nice?” while praying they haven’t forgotten some important occasion that warrants the extra effort. It’s that kind of mascara.
About six hours after applying I was still resolutely flake free and none of the formula had transferred - a solid achievement with my hooded lids. Four hours after that one tiny smear had besmirched my upper lid, which is about six smudges fewer than your average formula and very impressive indeed.
Surprisingly for such a dramatic and hard-wearing formula, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl promises to ‘rinse away easily with lukewarm water, no makeup remover required.’ Such easy, chemical free removal is usually limited to tubing formulas like Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara, which tend to sacrifice lash-bulking powers for easy wear and removal. But sure enough a reusable pad doused in warm water was enough to sweep away the mascara without much scrubbing required on my part. I’m not quite sure how Dior managed to pull that one off, but hey, why question it.
From high society looks to high drama lashes, there is plenty to recommend this mascara. Particularly so if you like beauty products that make a real impact. If you are more of a barely-there type, or prefer to pick from the best cheap mascaras on the high street this may not be right for you. That aside, this is a glamorous lash-lifter that feels and lasts just like the special treat it appears to be.
The Definitive Mascara Power Rankings, According to Celebrity Makeup Artists
One of the most transformative beauty moments in the makeup application process takes place when mascara is applied. A good mascara can be the beautifying catalyst to finalize a look: giving sensuality, power, and femininity all at once. Incidentally enough, February 19 has been named National Lash Day—and to celebrate, we’re taking a look back at some of the greatest mascaras of all time; as well as sampling the newest releases that have come out in the past few months and are worthy of recognition.
The All-Time Greats
Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Overcurl
No eyelash curler required after applying this one. Reintroduced last year, the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl will give a polished, ultra-feminine look while strengthening lashes with its unique cotton nectar formulation. A favorite go-to for iconic celebrity makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani (Gal Gadot, Margot Robbie and Sandra Bullock are clients) who loves buildable, volumizing attributes of the mascara. “What makes the mascara stand out for me is, because of the formula and the curled brush, it’s one of the few mascaras that has beneficial ingredients for your lashes and makes them look both longer and thicker,” Bedrani says. “Another important factor for me as a makeup artist is that we often have to take our clients for a day of press to red carpet or evening events, so it’s important to be able to go from a daytime makeup look to nighttime, and the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara is perfect for that, as it’s buildable. I can start the day with one coat to open up the eyes and add a few more for a more dramatic evening look.”
Armani Beauty’s Eyes That Kill
This is quite possibly one of the best lengthening mascaras ever created, as it lengthens each lash while also separating and avoiding any messy clumping. Even when applying several layers of the cult favorite formulation, there’s no flake-off and it lasts from early morning well into the late evening, sans any heaviness. Mélanie Inglessis, the renowned celebrity makeup artist, says the mascara’s no fuss, user-friendly application is the ultimate boon. “In just a few sweeps, this mascara coats lashes in an impactful dark black,” she adds. “As an artist, I love the full brush—I can get into the lash line easily with just a flick. I also love that it adds volume and lengthens for that lush lash look. The texture is creamy and doesn’t clump or look fake. I keep a few in my kit, and one in my own makeup bag at all times.”
Maybelline’s Great Lash
Can homage be paid to mascara without mentioning this lash-resurrecting gem? We think not. Since its creation in 1971, this product has not veered from its promise to deliver strong, bold lashes. On the makeup tray of every beauty junkie around the world, the formulation glides on and gives a strong, painted lash with undeniable wow factor.
Jones Road Beauty’s The Mascara
One our favorites to launch in 2020, The Mascara delivers a striking look without having to apply and reapply layers. The applicator wand’s curved shape also makes it super easy to paint the corner lashes and give them life. Also noteworthy is that the formulation has a conscience—it’s cruelty-free, paraben-free and vegan.
Too Faced’s Better Than Sex Mascara
If you’re a true mascara buff, this one is worth stocking your makeup shelves with—there’s a reason why it’s the #1 selling prestige mascara in America and the UK. Simply put, this mascara delivers bold, beautiful, and dramatic lashes in one coat (really, one coat) without over-drying or clumping.
L’Oréal Paris’s Air Volume Mega Mascara
This transformative volumizing mascara launched in November 2020 by L’Oréal Paris was created with a unique air-whipped formula, which provides a weightless, perfected application each time. Prominent makeup artist Sir John (who has worked on the faces of Beyoncé, Chrissy Teigen and Ashley Graham) is a longtime fan of the mascara, using it to give an unforgettable, defining look. “This is my go-to affordable mascara,” he tells W. “The short bristles catch and load lashes deep at the roots, while the long bristles dispense the intense black formula evenly for fully blown out lashes. The formula is also super lightweight and doesn’t weigh down the lashes, which is a game-changer.”
The New Players
Lancôme’s Lash Idôle
Released this past December with a worldwide launch in January, Lash Idôle is the newest mascara to be released form Lancôme. The instant eye-opener has a 360 micro bristle curved applicator that grabs onto every lash from root to tip, producing clump-free lashes. Thanks to the unique gel formulation, the mascara glides on and feels feathery-soft, not weighed down or flaky.
Sisley’s So Stretch Mascara
Launching in March, the latest release from Sisley extends lashes while nourishing—using Damask rose extract, castor oil, arginine, and synthetic ceramides for a dramatic, fanned-out effect. Celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker who is responsible for the red-carpet makeup looks of Lucy Boynton, Salma Hayek, and Natalie Portman relies on the mascara. She particularly likes the uplift effect the mascara provides. “I love the design of the So Stretch mascara brush, it contours the eye shape so well and gives me another way to dazzle my clients lashes and bring a different kind of pulled up attitude to their last looks,” she says.
Kevyn Aucoin’s Indecent Mascara
Launched earlier this month, this mascara fortifies lashes, promoting growth with mung bean and red clover extracts. The formulation glided on nicely without any signs of clumping and was easily buildable when layering for different eye looks. A favorite lash go-to for celebrity makeup artist Megan Lanoux, (Sienna Miller and Bailee Madison are clients). “It’s truly great in that it thickens and lengthens lashes and I never have to worry about fallout or transfer during the day,” Lanoux says.
They’re Real! Magnet Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics
Armed with distinctive technology, this newest mascara by Benefit, which dropped on February 18th, uses a magnetically charged extender brush that pulls the lashes out with a magnetically fortified, mineral-rich formulation to give a strong, impressively defined lash look. Zig-zag bristles that penetrate through the lash lines give an elegant, open-eye look that is smudge-proof, waterproof, and humidity proof. This magnetic formulation promises to make lashes 40 percent longer and lasts for a total 36 hours.
Related: The Runway-Ready Products Celebrity Makeup Artists Keep in Their Kits