Last week, after reading many great reviews about Kiehl’s new Mineral Mascara, I excitedly placed my order and it arrived a few days later. It is paraben-free, and has a pretty impressive list of natural ingredients. But when the box arrived, I was at first confused then a little disappointed. The return address was from L’Oreal. I didn’t realize that they were owned by L’Oreal now? Anyway, the disappointment soon gave way to eagerness to check out the product.

Let’s start by saying that up to this point, I had transitioned all of my makeup to minerals, except for mascara. I couldn’t find a natural mascara that I liked so I had been using regular one. I have been searching for one that I like – and that really works. So when I heard about the new Kiehl’s version, I figured I’d check it out.

Here’ my scoop. My first reaction was just kinda “OK.” But after a few more tries, I realized that it was just “OK” because I was expecting more. While not crazy expensive, the mascara is not cheap – it was $16.50 + shipping for a 0.16oz tube. So I guess I had really high hopes. But in the end – I’d say I’d give it a “B” grade. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

• It definitely thickens – that was the first thing I noticed
• It lengthens nicely, leaving your eyes notably enhanced

CONS

• It is very thick and clumpy
• It takes a bit of practice to get the results you want without it looking lumpy
• It takes a few coats to get the thickness and length (of course, this is coming from someone who has minuscule eyelashes!)

So I will definitely keep using it, since I hate to waste things! But will I buy it again? Probably not. I’ll stay on the lookout for a natural mascara that’s as good as a regular one. There has to be one out there.