Maybelline Lash Sensational: The Holy Grail of Mascara?
With over 105 million women using mascara in the United States alone, mascara has become part of the essential products that we use on a daily basis (Statista Research Department). As painting our lashes with a brush and a tube is so common, we often fail to acknowledge the centuries of design thinking that have led to the development of modern day mascara. Among the wide variety of mascara on the market, one of them stands out as the ultimate volume booster: The Classic Lash Sensational Mascara by Maybelline New York.
The Classic Lash Sensational Mascara has unique features that make it particularly attractive to those seeking to make a statement through their look (amazon.com):
· The unique fanning wand has 10 layers of bristles that capture every single lash from root to tip and provide a “full fan effect”
· It is infused with serum to nourish the lashes
· It is waterproof
· It has been tested by ophthalmologists and is safe for lens wearers
· It is affordable and is sold for 6.78$ on Amazon
Maybelline claims that Lash Sensational is the “Holy Grail of Mascara” as it reveals “layers upon layers of sensational lashes” (Maybelline New York). The brand has diversified its award-winning product and has launched the Lash Sensational Luscious, Curvitude and Luxurious mascaras. The difference between the different kinds of Lash Sensational mascaras seems unclear but they all offer a full fan effect. They are also available in various colours (Brownish Black, Black Pearl, Blackest Black, Very black, Intense Black) and in the Washable or Waterproof formula.
The History of Mascara
Lash Sensational’s success is no coincidence as Maybelline pioneered the development of mascara. Let us retrace the history of this magical wand that empowers women and boosts their self-confidence by highlighting their eyes.
Mascara dates way back; both men and women in Ancient Egypt 2500 BC-2500 BC darkened their lashes using Kohl and ointments (Marie Claire). However, mascara’s popularity didn’t peak until the 20th century. Each decade had its own trend (Marie Claire):
· 1920s-1930s: super curled lashes
· 1940s-1950s: waterproof lashes
· 1960s-1970s: groovy lashes (coloured formulas, spidery lashes)
· 2000s: the bigger the better, from lash hair extensions to faux fur falsies
We can trace back the invention of modern day mascara directly to Mabel Williams. This young woman burnt her brows and lashes in an accident and used coal dust and Vaseline to give a darker fuller look to her eyes. This was in 1915, over 100 years ago! Her brother, Tom Lyle, founded Maybelline (Mabel + Vaseline) and the first product Lash-Brow-Ine was born: Lash Sensational’s first ancestor. Shortly after, in 1917, the Maybelline Cake Mascara became “the first modern eye cosmetic for everyday use”.
Maybelline sold through the mail at first. Despite mascara being cheap, women were not so keen on buying the product. To boost sales, Maybelline targeted actors and actresses. This turned out to be a great advertising campaign: every girl started buying mascara to resemble their most admired actress. With this increasing success, Maybelline started selling to local variety stores in the 1930s (maybellinebook).
A key milestone in the history of mascara is the development of Maybelline’s Ultra Lash Mascara in 1960, the very first “mass market automatic mascara” that came in a tube and had a wand that would coat itself. Maybelline continued improving its mascara and launched in 1971 the Great Lash Mascara, a revolutionary water based formula that came in a signature pink and green packaging. It is one of the most sold beauty products in the world! Nowadays, Maybelline leads the mascara market with its Lash Sensational and iconic Volum’ Express lines (L’Oreal Group).
But why do we wear mascara?
For centuries, long dark lashes have been a key feature of feminine beauty and mascara is used to attain this standard of beauty. Literature and art have mirrored this perception of beauty. For example, Picasso’s paintings emphasize the subjects’ lashes. In addition, long lashes are an indicator of overall health. Mascara also makes the sclera stand out (white of the eyes), which suggests health and youth, as well as darkens the limbal ring (dark ring around the iris), which suggests fertility. In addition, studies conducted in the 20th century concluded that having large eyes, resembling those of neonates, stimulates affectionate feelings (The Cut).
Customers
This explains why mascara is a gendered product used mainly by women. Indeed, women and men have different attractiveness indicators (mouth and eyes for women, jawline among others for men). There is however hope for a more inclusive future with the creation of “manscara”. In recent years, we have witnessed the slowly growing trend of mascara for men with the Fontana Contrarini Uomo mascara or the Taxi London mascara for example. Such formulas are much lighter than those designed for women. Oscar winning Jared Leto claims that manscara opens up men’s eyes.
Will mascara bridge the divide between femine and masculine looks in the future? This seems to be Maybelline’s wish as they partnered up with the beauty guru Manny Gutierrez, recognizing male influencer talent (The List).
Another factor explaining Maybelline success is the rituals of use of mascara, especially the frequency of use. Mascara is indeed part of most women’s daily routines as they perfect their appearance to go to work for example. If not used on a day-to-day basis, mascara remains nonetheless essential on special occasions, outings, and more generally when one is seen in public. We have witnessed the growing trend of younger girls using mascara and schools have had to enforce makeup restrictions in the classroom to prevent excesses.
This trend matches the customers of Lash Sensational. While Maybelline aims to design products for all women as per its mission of “offering innovative, accessible and effortless cosmetics to every woman”, our society’s perception of makeup and age deters older women from using mascara. Indeed, makeup is associated with attractiveness and, according to societal norms, it is not considered acceptable for older women to wear makeup, let alone to have such a dramatic look as the one created by Lash Sensational. In addition, their weakened vision makes it harder to apply makeup.
All in all, Lash Sensational appeals to a young female population no matter the shape of their eyes and features of their lashes. As shown on the below before-after picture from their website, Lash Sensational seems to create a full fan effect for all eyes. This enables Maybelline to expand their customer base.
Design and Manufacturing
To better understand the product, it is essential to understand the design and manufacturing process that lead to the final product.
Lash Sensational was developed by Maybelline New York, an American based multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance and personal care company (Wikipedia). It is one of the world’s leading cosmetics brand as per the quality and range of the products it offers but also as per its longevity (founded in 1915). It aims to “empower all women all over the world to express their personal “it” factor” and has a worldwide influence through its sponsorship of 13 fashion weeks. Maybelline was acquired in 1996 by the well-known French cosmetics company L’Oreal. Regarding mascaras, Maybelline claims to produce “the best mascaras”. They offer a wide range of options: curling, lengthening, thickening and voluminizing formulas to create various looks from natural to drama or full fan effects (Maybelline New York).
As Maybelline is owned by L’Oreal, its products are manufactured worldwide in L’Oreal’s plants (USA, France, Brazil, India, Japan, China) (maybelline.knoji.com). The automation process used in the making of mascara enables a mass-market production. Maybelline manufacturing process is as following (Refinery29):
Step 1 — Mix the ingredients: wax, stiffening agents, oil for consistency, pigments for color
Step 2 — Heat and combine the mixture to obtain a dark paste
Step 3 — Quality control: the paste is tested with a spectrometer so Maybelline scientists can analyse the chemical level of the mascara
Step 4 — Bottling: the mascara is pumped into tubes and clear plugs are added at the top to prevent clumps from forming on the wand
Step 5 — Another round of testing
Step 5 — Labelling
Step 6 — Shipping to retailers: Lash Sensational is sold worldwide to both cosmetics and online stores. It is for instance available on Amazon as well as most convenience stores.
Testing is a key component of the manufacturing process, strengthening customers’ trust in the quality of Maybelline products.
Ethical Issues
Despite its “green” manufacturing process which is run with renewable energy and solar panels, Maybelline has come under attack for testing its products on animals. L’Oreal issued the following statement as a response: “L’Oreal no longer tests on animals any of its products or any of its ingredients, anywhere in the world. Nor does L’Oreal delegate this task to others. The rare exception allowed is if regulatory authorities demand it for safety or regulatory purposes.” Indeed, L’Oreal does not have a “cruelty free logo” because its products are sold to China where healthy authorities require animal testing for certain products (The List). This may deter those fighting for animal rights to buy from Maybelline.
Customers’ Response
From perfecting its mascara formula for the past decade, designing a unique brush for a full fan effect, supporting male influencers in a female driven industry, prioritizing quality through testing, Maybelline and its Lash Sensational mascara have gained wide support. This is reflected in its customer reviews. For instance, Lash Sensational has a particularly high rating of 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon with 70% of 5 star reviews. As expected, its highest rated feature is “volume”, supporting the effectiveness of Lash Sensational’s fanning brush.
Customers have shared pictures online praising Lash Sensational’s full fan effect as seen here below:
Like all products, not all feedback is positive. While most customers state that Lash Sensational’s wand is their favourite feature of the mascara, some commented on how hard it was to use (amazon.com). The product’s distinctive feature is a double-edged sword: some love it while others hate it.
As a lash sensational user myself, I resonate with those reviews: this mascara provides unmatched volume but it takes some time to become comfortable applying it.
Competitive Landscape
As stated above, Lash Sensational’s unique fanning brush makes this mascara unique compared to others mascaras, both from Maybelline and competitive brands.
Compared to Maybelline’s range of mascaras, only Lash Sensational and the Falsies (number 1 best selling mascara in the world) provide volume, definition, length and curl. The choice between the two rests upon the shape of the brush and the desired effect. Given the Falsies’ false lash look, Lash Sensational is a better option for a daily use and a more natural effect.
As Maybelline dominates the mascara market, the choice between a Maybelline mascara and another brand’s often depends on whether the customer is purchasing other specialized products from another brand as it is more convenient to purchase from a single store.
If you haven’t yet tested Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara, what are you waiting for?
Sources
Amazon. Maybelline Lash Sensational Washable Mascara, Blackest Black, 0.32 Fl. Oz., www.amazon.com/Maybelline-Sensational-Washable-Mascara-Blackest/dp/B00PFCT2R0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3UZ5T98TEH93W&dchild=1&keywords=maybelline%2Blash%2Bsensational%2Bmascara&qid=1590871743&sprefix=maybelline%2Blash%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSk5WQkRJVUxURVJXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjU5Mjc1TzAxS0c1VFBQMEI4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxMTA2OTAyUkpENTJKN0NOVUNYJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1.
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