If carefully applied, Tarte Lights Camera LASHES 4-in-1 Mascara gives a Zooey Deschanel-twice-the-size-of-a-normal-eye kind of look. The lashes are defined, even from a few feet away. Clumping is minimal, but the tube dries out quickly, perhaps due to the cute but problematic leatherette packaging making it difficult to complete close the cap tightly. But it’s a solid mascara for a special event to have dramatic yet natural lashes. Here are our best tips and tricks for getting the most out of this cult-favorite mascara.

 

Tarte lights camera LASHES mascara has been around a few years, but I didn’t try it until recently as I was satisfied with my then-current-but-now-discontinued-mascara.

BEST USED FOR:

Natural, clump-free, highly defined lashes that create a big doe-eyed look.

This mascara, if applied carefully, gives long, defined lashes that stay clump-free and give a big-eyed look. It lasts the day with minimal fallout. It is not the biggest and lushest look when compared to mascaras like DiorShow or Benefit BadGal, but it does look the most natural yet defined lashes can look, in my opinion, making it suitable for daytime wear with light touchups for a more dramatic evening look. Good for a beguiling, defined eye that doesn’t look fake or like you are trying too hard, especially if you only apply one or two thin coats.

Features:

• It is not sticky or itchy.
• Look of a very wet mascara, but it dries rapidly
• Didn’t clump, no smears or smudges on my eyelids
• Vegan with conditioning ingredients like Olive Oil.
• Paraben free.

APPLICATION TIPS & Tricks

• Using a disposable wand and a lash comb gave a very defined look. Using a mascara fan brush and lash comb out afterward with a disposable wand gave a long, soft, wispy look. Two coats with a disposable wand, top lashes only, had a nice bombshell lash but not tacky or trashy look.
• Lights Camera LASHES was a bit more difficult to apply to my bottom lashes with the brush that came in the tube, so I recommend disposable or lash comb for bottom lashes.
• TIP: Some neutral to negative reviews I see of this Mascara are reviewers have piled it on pretty thick in multiple coats. I did a very basic one coat, I attempted to coat from lash to tip on each lash and only doing the second coat if I missed a lash or a lash pointed in a weird direction and needed to be set straight. This gives all the length without the clumping I see some people having with this mascara.
• If you have experienced clumping with this mascara when applying several coats, or one thicker multi-coat, I’ve found that one thin coat gives the dark rich black color and the length without the clumping of multi-coats.

RESULTS

The mascara is very dark and applies relatively thinly almost always without clumps, but they still need a combing.

I like this mascara. As long as it is applied carefully, it looks great. It gives a Zooey Deschanel/New Girl/Jessica Daye twice the size of a normal eye kind of look. The lashes seem very defined even from a few feet away, yet the mascara is not so obvious as makeup, making the lashes noticeable, not the makeup.

FALLOUT & WEAR

There is very light fall out, after a few hours I saw two or three black grains on my undereye area, my lashes didn’t have apparent flakes or areas the mascara wore off. Carry a q-tip to flick those away.

CAVEATS

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is not necessarily a good mascara for a quick daytime touch up unless you carry a lash comb with you, which I do. But I found it didn’t need to be touched up if done properly in the first application. I did have an issue with 4-5 lower outer lashes tend to stick together and they always need a thorough combing with a lash comb.

The mascara is not waterproof, but I found it to be long-wearing like a waterproof. The waterproof version is Tarte Lights Camera SPLASHES, which loses some of the consistency in my opinion, and seems to be to be not as rich black, but pretty close.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT Tarte’s Lights, Camera, LASHES

It dries out insanely fast, requiring a near constant re-purchase of mascara. It dries out within a few weeks, when plenty is left in the tube. I wouldn’t mind if I even got a good two months out of it, knowing I should replace my mascara every three, but at $23 for the full size, $10 for the mini, that is too expensive as effectively costs the same as a very high-end mascara such as Hourglass.

TIPS:

• MAKE SURE THE CAP IS FULLY CLOSED. The tube comes in a leather-like, thicker snakeskin patterned packaging; this makes it harder to completely close the tube cap. Make sure to twist the cap on tightly, so your mascara does not dry out. When it is dry, it gets very flaky.
• I keep this mascara in a zip lock baggie to keep it as airtight as possible.
• I have resorted to cutting off the adorable packaging with a scissors or knife to get a better seal on the cap being closed. Underneath the pretty tube packaging is just a plain black tube.
• After the first few uses, I put the mascara tube in a cup of hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to keep it smoother and less dried out before application
• I always apply it with a disposable mascara wand or mascara fan brush

WHERE TO BUY Tarte Lights Camera LASHES MASCARA

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES Mascara is available at TarteCosmetics, Ulta, and Sephora for $23, $10 for the mini, and the best deal is the Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler Duo, containing a Tarte eyelash curler and a mini Tarte Lights Camera LASHES for $18 (our recommended pick).

 

What do you think of Tarte Lights Camera LASHES? Do you have a favorite mascara? Tell us in the comment section