Mascara Review: In2it Lash Xtra Mascara

I love Fiber Mascaras!

I think they are heaven sent to those that got short, sparse, hard-to-curl lashes like mine... as what most would describe it...'asian lashes'. That's why i love asian brands for they really address the needs of asian women. That's why Fiberwig + Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel is L-O-V-E!

As what i said before, i love Fiberwig... it is my HG mascara... but it's almost December 28, on which i would have to ditch it. It's already my 2nd tube & i don't really know if i'm going to buy it at Cosme-de.com again (which would take forever in shipping & i might be charge a big amount in PO again) or buy it locally (which is waaaaaayyyyyyyyy overpriced!) or just look for an alternative. Naturally the last choice would be the best since i am always on the look out for cheap products that work as good as expensive products.

I only knew 3 brands here that have cheap fiber mascaras, which would be In2it, James Cooper & Elianto. I first went to Elianto but the SA said that it's already sold out, went to James Cooper & for some reason, fibers as primer doesn't hold that much of an appeal to me so i purchased the In2it one since it's the only option left.hehe

I have been using this for a couple of weeks now so i guess i can write a review already. Actually i have a love & hate relationship with this mascara. *sigh* I'll tell you all about it later. Let's get to know the product first.

It's in a pretty box that looks like so. I like the packaging for it looks chic!

This is the description at the back & also the price.

Good thing that i take a pic of this with the tag on or else i won't be able to remember it again. I have a poor memory.

Hmmm....
builds volume & extends lashes? ... Yep, yep, yep!
waterproof & long wearing? ... *nods head*
easy to remove? ... uh huh...
no smudging or panda eyes? *smirk*

I like how it is packaged. For some reason i love mascaras that are in a black tube. It makes them look chic..i guess..i prefer the classic look for mascara rather than colorful ones.

This doesn't look cheap for if you notice it the main container is encased in a clear plastic tube. So classy!

See those cute gold curlicue design with  butterflies & flowers?
Kirei da ne?
Pretty,isn't it?
Black & Gold is one of the color combination that i adore the most!

But of course, we will not judge the mascara based on it's packaging,ne?

Continuing on, this is how the wand looks like...

Fiberwig's wand is a lot bigger, but the fiber of this mascara is a lot longer than Fiberwig! I can achieve the look of naturally long lashes with just 1 coat (3 swipes at the most) of this mascara. 2 for that false lashes look!

Fiber mascaras would tend to eventually bring your curled lashes down when worn alone. Adding those fibers would eventually take a toll on your lashes, plus of course we can blame gravity for that too. You can take a look at this pic..

My lashes look fuller when curled but when i put this mascara, seconds after applying it, my lashes would go down. It would be long of course, but the curl will be gone by then that you won't appreciate the beauty of your long lashes anymore.

What i do is that i use a waterproof mascara underneath to keep my curl intact... that even if i layer fibers on it, the curl will stay.

See the difference from the pic above? I applied 2 coats of mascara here too.

I applied 1 coat of Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel prior to applying this mascara just to keep my curl intact. I find that the only thing that works for me in keeping my curls stay curled is to use a waterproof mascara underneath.

I mean i know that most people use heated curler or even use clear mascara to act as a gel in keeping the curls. I think they work pretty fine if you use ordinary mascaras, but not when you use fiber mascaras. The more fiber you add on your lashes, the more your curls tend to go down down, so it's better to bring in the big guns when you deal with fiber mascaras.

See how much difference fiber mascaras can make to your eyes?

It will definitely make your eyes stand out!

If you remember what i said before, i have a love-hate relationship with this because it's so hard to apply it! I mean it's hard because it dries sooooooooooo slow. I have a semi-monolid so when i blink/look up while this mascara is still drying it would leave that ugly smudge mark on my lids.

Ugh!

I remember one time when i met with bf, he said that i got a dirt on my lids. He keep on wiping it but it won't come off. At that time i don't have my kit with me because i was in a hurry so i decided to just bring my wallet. I had to stop & look at the window of a tinted car because i want to know what it is. Imagine my horror when i saw those smudge marks at my eyelid!

Since this is waterproof, wiping with a kerchief will just lead to bigger disaster since it will leave a horrible mascara streak on which would just stay on your lids until you buy an oil-based make-up remover to remove the blasted & offending mark! I had to buy a bottle of make-up remover & Q tips at that time just to remove the smudge mark on that day. Talk about unnecessary purchase! Tsk!

I'm basically a patient person but not when it comes to mascara. I want my mascara to dry fast. I don't have the time to fiddle with my lashes all because my mascara is still wet. I have been born with a semi-monolid so i make the best out of it by using a fast-drying mascara that won't make me look at my mirror every now & then to check it.

This is the only mascara that i tried that would require me to have a Q tip soaked in make-up remover near me for i have never had a time that i used it without leaving me smudge marks! Definitely not good for those on the go ladies... Well, if you got the time to lounge around & keep your eyes close while drying it for fear of smudging then why not!

This is the only reason why i don't like it. Basically this is pretty nifty mascara especially if you are after lengthening your lashes, but i can't abide the drying time. This has the formula like those western mascara brand that dries forever. 1 In2it SA said to me that this is actually a Japanese cosmetic brand... if so then i think its a shame. I love Japanese mascaras!

On the other hand when it dries it stays there. No smudging, flaking, panda eyes, whatsoever IF YOU MANAGE TO DRY IT WITHOUT SMUDGING IT FIRST then it will stay that way, yes! It is easy to remove if you use it alone, on which as i said fiber mascaras won't give you a full look unless you manage to do something about making sure that your curls will stay.

So, let's do a summary after all the hullabaloo..

PROS:

• cheap
• locally available
• easy to remove (using oil-based remover,ok?)
• "volumizes" & really lengthen the lashes
• no flaking
• packaging is sleek
  

CONS:

• Dries a long time - not for those in a hurry!
• might not be available in other countries
• can weigh lashes down if used alone

Will i buy again?
Well, there are still the Elianto & James Cooper mascaras waiting to be tried... So if you are going to ask me now if i will buy it the answer is NO! It has a good potential to be a HG mascara but the drying time is just horrendous for me that it is coloring my judgment even if this mascara is good.

I will put this on my "products-most-likely-to-buy" list. If i won't be able to find a good fiber mascara this will do, but if i'm going to compare this to Fiberwig i'll still choose Fiberwig in a heartbeat even if the fibers of this mascara is longer. I'd rather go for something that dries up faster.

Hope y'all have a good weekend~!
Jaa ne~!
^_^

ps:
if i'm not mistaken in2it gives discount on their products every now & then. i suggest that you just wait for their discount period if you want to get this at a lesser price.