Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara Review

 Bare, curled lashes

 1 coat

2 coats 

Finished look!

I think everyone has heard of Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara. Because it's advertised to be the darkest, blackest mascara on the market, Voluminous is a cult-favorite. I have to admit, I've tried Loreal's Voluminous mascara with the curvy wand, but I didn't really like it because it clumped a lot. :( So honestly when I heard so much about the original, I wasn't too interested. But after hearing the countless amount of recommendations and rave reviews, I was finally persuaded, and bought the original Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara.

Pros-
*Geez. This mascara is BLACK. It's really intense, and quite nice especially for a night out on the town.
*Because Loreal is a drugstore brand, their prices are, in my opinion, quite good. I like how their products don't clean out my wallet.
*Voluminous is, indeed, voluminous. This mascara gives a lot of volume without giving me that unattractive "spider lashes" look. I love it!
*The wand is quite nice. You know when you look at it your lashes are going to be coated really thickly because there is a lot of product on the wand. The bristles are compacted tightly together, and the bristles are also quite stubby, not long and fanned-out like some of my other favorite mascaras. Because there's so much product on the wand, the excess mascara transfers to your lashes and makes them really intense-looking. Loooovvveee itttt!
*With my Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, this mascara is a breeze to take off. I don't have to rub really hard on my eyes. :)

Cons-
*Personally, I think Loreal could have done a better job on the packaging. A smokey gray tube with a yellow top and lettering is kind of boring to me. Needless to say, if this mascara was next to a YSL mascara in my mascara drawer, I would completely overlook this product.
*Although this mascara doesn't give me nasty spider-lashes, if I apply too many coats it will clump at my roots. Some may argue it's "definition," but all I see are gross, black, unappealing balls of clump in my lashes. Mmm. Attractive.
*Also, it flakes.... really bad.




Although I may not like the packaging, the flaking, or the tiny clumps, I'd say Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara is a nice find. Bottom line: would I recommend it? Yes. Would I use this every day? No. I think it's nice if you're gone to wear it for only a couple of hours, but definitely not the whole entire day due to the flaking problem. Overall, I'd give this mascara a solid 8/10. It is by far the blackest mascara I have in my collection, which is why I think I like it so much. I'd say the next time you're in your local CVS, pick up the Loreal Voluminous mascara. Who knows? It might surprise you.