I've Used the Same Mascara for 10 Years—Could This New Formula Tempt Me Away?

Skincare-infused makeup isn’t a new concept, but it’s one I still get pretty excited about. Whenever I find out a lipstick or a blusher has the benefits of skincare built-in, I’m like a moth to a flame—it’s simply impossible to resist.

I can track the early days of my addiction to when I began using It Cosmetics’ cult Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream in place of my usual cakey foundation. As well as boasting a feather-light but high-coverage finish, the cream is fortified with hydrolysed collagen, hyaluronic acid, niacin, peptides, vitamins, and antioxidants, meaning it’s packed with skin-loving goodness. Within just a couple of weeks, my skin had never looked better, and I was receiving more compliments on it than ever. And so my obsession with skincare-infused makeup was born.

Fast-forward to last month, and I was partaking in my daily Instagram trawl. I landed on the Stories of influencer Lauren-Nicole, whose makeup looks are always on-point and beauty tips consistently hit the mark. She was talking about her latest discovery, RapidLash’s new RapidGlam Lash Enhancing Mascserum, and my interest was immediately piqued.

I’d heard of RapidLash in the past. Though the brand has since branched out, its founding product was a lash serum that claimed it could lengthen, add volume, and define eyelashes in just a few short weeks. I’d initially passed it by, rationalising that I didn’t have time to add another step into my already lengthy beauty regimen—even if I’ve always been big on lashes. Mascara is the makeup product I absolutely couldn’t live without. As such, I’ve tried just about every mascara out there to help my lashes look their fluttery finest. Still, a lash serum? I just wasn’t prepared to make room in my beauty bag for one. A mascara already dosed with serum, however? That I can get on board with.

Lauren-Nicole was showcasing the results of her RapidGlam Lash Enhancing Mascserum. Lengthy with serious volume—could this product give me the lashes I’d been looking for for the best part of 20 years? I had to find out. The brand promises RapidGlam to be a “lengthening mascara and lash-enhancing serum in one, defining each hair for instant volume while promoting the look of stronger, longer, and fuller lashes over time.

“The innovative formula utilises a unique Hexatein 7 Complex of advanced polypeptides to reinforce the look of lash fibres while also protecting against breakage. An infusion of biotin, panthenol and pumpkin seed extract provides intense nourishment and seals in moisture, while kaolin clay and cellulose give the appearance of thicker, more voluminous, and fluttery lashes.” Sounds good, right?

Although I usually prefer bigger brushes, I really did love the neat RapidGlam wand—it was super effective at reaching even the finest lashes in the farthest corners of my peepers and really did give them Hollywood definition.

The tube itself is neat and takes up next to no room in my handbags, which are always notoriously small. I know it mightn’t sound like a big deal, but my regular mascara tube is much bigger, and I’ve always thought it unnecessarily so.

The mascara only comes in black, which some might find alienating. I flit between dark brown and black mascara colours and found RapidGlam struck the perfect balance of being a true black without becoming too harsh against my alabaster skin tone.

In the three weeks since I’ve been using RapidGlam Lash Enhancing Mascserum, I do genuinely feel that my lashes look longer, fuller, and more defined. In the photo taken at the start of the process, you can see that my lashes now seem to have more curl and form. This seriously impressed me.

Although I came round to the neat brush, in the end, I found the wand always had too much product on it, and the brush’s bristles were barely visible under the sludge of mascara. The box said to pump the wand into the tube two or three times to ensure a generous layer of product, but I found this to be too much when it came to the application process. I preferred to scape off the excess and apply it in thinner layers to create a more fluttery finish.

Like other volumising mascaras I’ve tried, I found the formula had a tendency of clumping individual lashes together to create a fuller effect. I had to gently tease them apart to stop this from happening, which I’m not sure would have been so easy if I’d applied the mascara any thicker.

I’m already a double-cleanser, but I still found this mascara stubborn to remove, with a dark smudge remaining after the rest of my makeup was long gone. I always follow with a sweep of micellar water, which seemed to do the trick, but for anyone who hates mascara that requires a bit of elbow grease to remove, this might not be the one for you.

While there were elements of this mascara that I really loved, I don’t think we’re necessarily a good match. I want light, feathery lashes that look natural with some added oomph. While RapidGlam Lash Enhancing Mascserum certainly delivers on the latter, I think it’s better suited to those who want their lashes to look thicker and more glamorous. I loaned my tube to a friend, and she swiftly ordered one for herself. I checked in with her, and she says it’s the best mascara she’s ever used. So I wouldn’t write it off if you like your lashes that way.

I am, however, very tempted to invest in the RapidLash serum. I genuinely think my lashes looked longer, fuller, and had more shape after using the RapidGlam Lash Enhancing Mascserum, so perhaps using the lash serum in tandem with the mascara I’ve used for a decade will prove to be a winning combination. Watch this space.