L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Primer/Base

L’Oreal’s Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Primer/Base is a primer that adds instant thickness to lashes, amplifying the performance of any mascara applied on top. Despite these selling points, this mascara primer has some issues and ultimately doesn’t replace what multiple coats of one great mascara can do.

Housed inside a soft metallic pink tube is a light pink-tinted, wax-based primer with a fluffy white brush that, according to L’Oreal, contains over 200 bristles. We didn’t count them all, but for certain the brush is packed with soft bristles and they work to evenly coat lashes, creating a thick base for mascara to cling to.

L’Oreal’s directions state to let this primer/base dry before applying mascara, but we found this is bad advice, as doing so causes mascara applied afterward to drag over lashes, resulting in a slightly messy-looking application.

In contrast to the directions, if you apply mascara with lashes still wet from primer the results look much better, particularly for thickness and separation.

Ultimately, what you can achieve by taking the time to do this extra makeup step isn’t so great that you can’t get the same results from successive coats of a single mascara. We’re also disappointed by the inclusion of fragrance, as this risks irritating the eyes. If you’re keen on experimenting with other lash primers, you can find our favorites here.
By the way, although L’Oreal mentions rose oil in their claims, this product contains the non-fragrant rose hip oil, listed as Rosa canina.

Pros:

Creates a good base of thickened lashes for mascara to adhere to.
Fluffy, bristle-packed brush applies primer evenly.
Cons:

Contains fragrance, which poses a risk of irritating the eyes.
Waiting for this to dry before applying mascara doesn’t produce great results.
Doesn’t replace what multiple coats of a great volumizing mascara can do.
Jar Packaging: No

Tested on animals: Yes

Content courtesy of Beautypedia & Nairobi fashion hub