Figuratively speaking everyone has a beauty item they just can’t live without or that one product they would want if they were stranded on a desert island. Ask around and we can guarantee you that mascara would be among the top answers.

Whether you like a natural no make-up look or a full-on faux lash effect, the beauty staple can be transformative to any look. Just a few lashings can have such an eye-opening effect and make eyes look bigger and brighter instantly.

The choice is endless when it comes to finding “the one”. That decision is only made even more confusing with the continuous launch of innovative new formulas and brush designs with each promising to be the next best thing. But if there’s a mascara brand you can rely on to always come-up trumps it’s Lancôme.

Lash pioneers since 1967, the French beauty brand has outdone itself time and time again, always ahead of the mascara game with next-level lash-definers. From its bestselling cult-classic hypnôse (£28.50, Lookfantastic.com) for fullness, to last year’s lash idôle (£24, Lookfantastic.com) for fanned-out lift and volume – which just so happens to be our best buy in our round-up of the best mascaras – it’s fair to say the brand knows how to beat off stiff competition when it comes to mascara making.

Therefore, it’s fair to say we got just a little bit excited when the postman arrived with a new wand from the brand ahead of its launch. And that excitement almost completely bubbled over when we realised that it’s a serum-infused formula.

Joining the rise in makeup that acts as skincare, it promises to build a full-bodied effect like the classic hypnôse (hence the name), as well as caring for the lashes with its conditioning and strengthening formula. The question is: has Lancôme outdone themselves again with this two-in-one? Read on to find out…

How we tested

Putting the new wand through its paces for seven days, we marked it on several criteria. Firstly, how easy it was to apply and build volume, as well as take off at the end of the day. Secondly, how the added serum made our lashes feel, and lastly, its staying power. This is what we made of the brand’s latest formula.

Lancôme le8 hypnôse mascara: £32,

Designed as a treatment as well as a mascara, Lancôme wanted to address two concerns in this new formulation. Firstly, the difficulty of applying mascara to hardened lashes, as well as the problem of lash loss when removing. And we’d say it has found the solution with this serum infusion that both conditions and softens the flutter, as well as strengthens each and every lash to prevent them from falling out.

It does this with the help of a concentrate of eight amino acids: tiny molecules that combine like building blocks to form keratin – the protein that makes up the structure of hair and eyelashes. In turn, rebuilding and strengthening them.

The second part of the formula is the conditioning black balm that’s wax-free. Instead, it’s enriched with shea butter that – just as it does to the skin – softens and nurtures the hairs. It also makes it easy to glide on as well as take off without any tugging at the end of the day. Plus, it’s gentle enough for sensitive eyes.

Source: independent