Monthly Mascara: Lorac PRO Mascara

In 2013, my beauty-related New Years' Resolution was to hold onto all of my empties and figure out just how much stuff one woman can possibly use and adjust my spending accordingly.  I did a great job of collecting containers, but my spending hasn't exactly slowed down.  Oops.  I mention this because of 2014's beauty resolutions: take care of my eyes by swapping mascaras once a month.

We're all aware that changing mascaras every three months is critical.  The FDA suggests replacing mascaras every 2-4 months, because a mascara tube is conducive to bacteria growth.  This 2008 study put the odds of having bacteria in a random tube of mascara within 3 months around 34%.  Ick.  The University of Rochester Medical Center explains what's going best- our eyelashes have naturally occurring bacteria. As soon as your mascara wand touches your eyelashes, you've contaminated the wand.  What do you do with that wand? Shove it back into a vial of liquid- the perfect medium for bacteria growth.  Add in the exposure to the air, and you're just asking for trouble.  There have been other studies that suggest that the right time to change mascaras could be more like one month.

Buyers of high-end mascara may bristle at the idea of tossing a mascara after 30 days, but think of it this way: you have one set of eyes. Is your vision for the rest of your life worth quibbling over $20-30?  I didn't think so.  I also have come to embrace the idea of the one-month rule because it makes it easier to remember.  On the 1st of every month, I open a new mascara. Luckily, I have quite a few tubes to get through.

Today I present the first of my Monthly Mascara posts.  In January, I used a mascara that I've previously used- and  (unfortunately) have a second tube to get through at a later time. I'll review it once I'm finally rid of it!

February's mascara was Lorac PRO mascara, which I got in this holiday 2013 kit.  This was my first experience with the mascara, and with any of Lorac's mascaras.

First, the particulars.  Lorac PRO mascara retails for $23, and touts itself as a "thickening and lengthening black mascara."  It's available via Lorac's website and at Ulta; the brand recently exited Sephora.

I'm a little sorry that I picked this for the shortest month of the year, because I really enjoyed it!  I needed a palette-cleanser following January's known disaster.

The older I get, the more I realize that there's two critical components to a mascara's success: formula and wand.  Lorac PRO has both.

The wand is thick but tapered, which is the perfect shape for the natural eye. Ideally, outer lashes will be longer than the ones closest to your tear ducts.  This wand helps to promote that.

Although this isn't a waterproof mascara, I experienced no problems when I teared up watching the Olympics (yeah, I know), and had no problems maneuvering the wand.  Of note: it doesn't come bent like you see, but I learned to bend my wands by a professional MUA a long time ago.  I generally used 2 or 3 coats on any given day, and never needed a touch-up.  I had no problems with clumping or spider lashes with Lorac PRO.  Overall, this is one of the better mascaras I've tried in this pricepoint ($20-25).

Bottom Line: This was a successful experiment with a new formula.  I'll consider buying it in the future, especially if I can nab it on sale.  It's not the "-est" mascara I've tried in my life, but it does a great job overall.