Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara - Black

I received this sample sized mascara from a friend who said she had enough mascaras open at the time but didn't want it to go to waste. I was looking forward to trying it but I have to say, I was kind of disappointed.

This mascara claims to give bold volume and lift lashes which I do agree with to a point. Whilst it does volumise lashes a little, I found that this was mostly due to the fact that it was quite clumpy and stuck several of my lashes together. This was not at all a defining mascara, in fact I spent a lot of time combing through my lashes with another brush in order to separate them.

The formula was very wet, and it was impossible to apply it without getting mascara all over my lids. No matter how hard I tried not to blink or make any eye movements, I still seemed to get mascara everywhere. It takes a remarkably long time to dry, and once it has dried it makes my lashes so crunchy. They were rock hard and seemed to be very brittle - I was cautious of touching my lashes too much in case they happened to snap off!

Despite these negatives, this mascara does have some good things to offer. I was amazed at just how dark it really was - my lashes were black as black and incredibly bold and dramatic. The effect it gave did border on spidery, so I did not want to use it on my lower lashes, but it was okay for the top ones. I wouldn't want to apply multiple coats - it gets incredibly crunchy and clumpy.

The brush I found to be okay, although I did seem to knock it all over my face. I don't know whether it was because I was particularly clumsy every time I applied it or whether it really was just an awkward brush.

I am a fan of the packaging - it looks classy and expensive in comparison to the mascaras by brands like Maybelline or Essence. The shiny gold lid in particular paired with the white makes it look just that extra bit special.

All up I was not a fan of this at all, and would not spend my money on it. I give it 4 out of 10.