MAC • Opulash Optimum Black mascara • Mascara

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temadeamor on 3/3/2013 1:29:00 PM more reviews by temadeamor

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I will not re repurchasing this mascara. I don't know what it is about this formula but it irritated my eyes. On top of that, it dries to a brittle finish that if you don't remove it all the way at night it remains as little flakes that get into your eyes, I think that is why I reacted to it. I didn't think it was any better than drugstore mascaras therefore I do not recommend it.

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kimmi_mtlqc on 3/2/2013 10:40:00 PM more reviews by kimmi_mtlqc

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

The manager at the MAC counter recommended this mascara-I got it in the cute Archie collection packaging. The only pro I see is this mascara has good staying power and does not flake. I was looking for dramatic long, thick lashes and this mascara didn't deliver. I didn't like the large brush, I have tried large brushes in the past like Dior Show but for some reason found this one hard to use.I find I would get a black line close to my lash-almost like I applied black eyeliner-which I didn't! I did not get any thickness nor much length. I will be returning it!

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KimberlyLPruitt on 2/13/2013 2:44:00 PM more reviews by KimberlyLPruitt

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

After using Este Lauder More then Mascara for 20 years, I grew tired of it running in my eyes when my eyes "watered". I'm not sire about anyone else, but my eyes get watery in bright sun, wind, when I yawn, etc. More than mascara would run into my eyes and burn and make my eyes water even more until all of my mascara was wiped off. Enter MAC Optimum Opulash. It is fantastic. I had requested a waterproof mascara. This is what was recommended at the MAC store. It is a wonderful mascara. I have never seem any of the flaking mentioned in other reviews. And when my eyes water, it does not run or irritate my eyes. I would not consider this a waterproof mascara, but it certainly fulfilled my needs. I highly recommend this product.

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*TOP REVIEWER* aplainjane on 1/28/2013 5:32:00 AM more reviews by aplainjane

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a black mascara with a "dry" formula. It has a thick bristle wand that does not pick up too much product. It thickens lashes very well without any clumping, flaking or smudging. I took one lippie off for the fact that it does not lengthen as much as I would personally would like it to. Overall, I would repurchase. :)

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kelsielilly on 11/10/2012 7:58:00 PM more reviews by kelsielilly

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Just bought this instead of my usual False Lashes by MAC.I have to say I love it, it doesn't make my already long lashes look spider-y and it doesn't clump. A nice, dark mascara that volumizes your lashes. It is a bit of a dry formula, like others say, and the brush is a little tricky at first. But an excellent mascara I promise you

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annqay on 10/19/2012 5:47:00 AM more reviews by annqay

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Bought this one after I ran out of the usual Opulash. I find this one a bit dryer but also very nice and will definitely repurchase one of them.
Due to the noted dryness I noticed a bit more flaking. And I had a bit more trouble getting it off in the evening (but it worked fine with some micellar water or oil).
Regarding the colour I'm not sure whether it is my imagination playing tricks on me or whether it really is a tiny bit "blacker". I don't know. And it's not really important to me (I only bought this one because the regular one was out).
What I love about it is that I only need one or two coats to get real volume and colour and it doesn't clump rightaway.

Update:
I take off one lipstick since it began flaking annoyingly over the last days. I still find this a very nice mascara and it hasn't flaked for the first months as others I tried before did right from the beginning but in comparison to the usual Opulash it just ... flakes. More. Annoyingly more.

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marmar88 on 6/17/2012 11:08:00 AM more reviews by marmar88

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This was my staple mascara for a couple of years, but then I started noticing the clumps. But it is still a very good mascara. Washes off nicely.

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panda78 on 5/16/2012 11:08:00 PM more reviews by panda78

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I have to say I have tried so many mascaras and while they pretty much darken my lashes and volumize, many of them end up being smudged in a couple of hours. Welcome Opulash. I believe it is the kaolin clay that helps it from ending up under my eyes. It keeps my long lashes curled and soft without flakes. Mind you, it is a drier formulation and a volumizing one too, therefore it will dry out faster than other wet mascaras. If you have oilier lids, this is a great one for you. I have the blackest one and it isn't as dry as the original. Very good mascara.

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Raquelina on 5/1/2012 5:32:00 PM more reviews by Raquelina

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I was fairly disappointed in this mascara. I recalled liking the original Opulash (though it wasn't one of my top favorites), so I figured this version had to be even better. Despite it being called "Optimum Black", I've used plenty of mascaras that give a blacker look. It can make quite fluttery, voluminous lashes, but I found it needed more coats than I expected to get my desired look. Also, this mascara becomes dry rather quickly, so that I needed to keep placing the wand back in the tube even just to do one eye. Flaking is an issue too, not only as the day wears on, but even when first applied. While I've definitely used worse mascaras, I expected to like this one much more than I actually did.

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BettyBizarre on 2/25/2012 10:10:00 AM more reviews by BettyBizarre

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

For someone who has endless problems finding a mascara that doesn't give me panda eyes after wearing it for a couple of hours, this mascara was brilliant. It gave great volume, lovely colour and extra curl without rubbing under my eyes (unusual for a non waterproof mascara). Unfortunately, this only seems to last for about 4 weeks after opening the product. After that it seems to dry out and flake really badly, even when only putting one layer on the top lashes. The original Opulash wasn't so bad for this but still definitely flaked. It's not the most expensive mascara, but still too pricey to repurchase every month.

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*TOP REVIEWER* verybecca on 1/2/2012 11:00:00 PM more reviews by verybecca

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I thought Opulash was my HG until I tried this. This is 2x more dramatic than regular Opulash, but same amazing no-smudge formula. Great volume, perfect for every day. I really hope mac has the sense not to DC this. LOVE IT.

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mona09 on 12/8/2011 10:22:00 PM more reviews by mona09

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I've tried many mascaras from different price points ( dior, lancome, maybeline, ysl and loreal) I bought this mascara because a youtube guru recommended, however im very disappointed. When i first bought it, I loved it, my lashes were so long and black but as i kept using it after 8 hours of work it flaked and the application became messy. Ive had it for 6 weeks now and the wand collects so much product that its messy and it clumps.

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wround525 on 11/21/2011 6:45:00 AM more reviews by wround525

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Now I've only had this mascara for a day, and rarely to they wow me the way this one has. My lashes plumped, separated, and fanned out nicely. I work in banking and I don't think its too much. However, an extra coat would probably take it to the night look. Like everyone else, I've tried the expensive ones to the cheapies. At $15, this one is right in between and manageable. I'll update after a couple weeks.

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jay4jazz on 11/21/2011 12:57:00 AM more reviews by jay4jazz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have never tried a tubing mascara before but I am happy to say that I am converted! I have never had a mascara last through the day and not smudge into a terrible mess under my eyes until now.

It can however flake a bit but this can be avoided by coating the top and underside of the lashes as the mascara adheres to itself better than to the lashes.

I think this is HG material!

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glamerpuss on 10/21/2011 6:48:00 PM more reviews by glamerpuss

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

If you are after the darkest, longest, thickest and fullest lashes possible - BUY IT! It is an awesome mascara.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

apmac on 9/30/2011 2:29:00 PM more reviews by apmac

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

One of my HG (holy grail) mascaras! The brush is very large which fully coats each lash, and the formula is the perfect consistency from the moment you open the new tube! Made my lashes look like false lashes and held my curl all day! (I have stubborn lashes) Also, no flaking, smudging, or raccoon eyes! Will absolutely repurchase!

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olia041983 on 9/15/2011 11:38:00 AM more reviews by olia041983

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Great mascara overall. Excelent staying power and does everything it promises, but it dries up like crazy! I've had it for less than a month and already the brush barely gets any product on it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* abfabjeanius on 9/4/2011 8:52:00 PM more reviews by abfabjeanius

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I did quite like the original Opulash, so I was intrigued by the Optimum Black version. For reference, I have short, stubby lashes that are quite sparse, so I need something that can do it all. My usual go-to's are DiorShow, YSL Faux Cils, and Chanel Inimitable Intense, but the high price of those does not make it possible to always repurchase every 2-3 months.

Anyway, as the first reviewer mentioned, the color is a rich, deep black--really intense. It lengthened and "fanned" out my lashes quite well, but did not give great volume. The brush is rather large (like BeneFit Bad Gal or DiorShow), so you have to be careful not to get the mascara on your eyelids. The formula did hold my curl all day, which was great, but I did notice a little flaking at the end of the day, which I wasn't too happy about. It was fairly easy to remove at the end of the day.

Overall, a good mascara -- definitely one of MAC's better ones. I would most likely repurchase, especially since the container can be used for Back2MAC, and the price isn't too high ($15USD.)

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* CarlaN on 9/2/2011 6:50:00 PM more reviews by CarlaN

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I was uncertain about trying Optimum Black, given the lukewarm reviews for Opulash, but I wanted to try a "tubing" mascara, so I bought it.

There's a lot to like about this mascara; true to its name, it *is* very black. It lengthens nicely, doesn't look or feel heavy, it doesn't clump, and it stays on well.On the flip side, Optimum Black doesn't impart much volume, and I find the large brush awkward.

Oddly, the first time I gave it a "trial run" at home, just to see how it would wear, and if I was allergic to it, etc., it flaked some, making my eyes a little itchy. This was without primer.

I wore it first in public, over MAC Prep + Prime Lash, on a very hot, humid day, during which I took a nap, and Optimum Black didn't give me the dreaded "panda eyes." I even wore my contacts that day(removed them to take a nap!), and experienced no irritation, and only a few little black flecks under my eyes, at the very end of the day. I'm not sure if the primer made the mascara adhere to my lashes better, reducing flaking, but I was pleased to not have the itchy eyes syndrome.

I think I like Optimum Black enough to buy it again (not sure if it's LE), though I wouldn't mind a smaller brush, or a smaller price tag ($15.00).
GOOD NEWS: An online MAC artist informed me that Optimum Black is permanent! If I can learn to love the brush, this may be my HG.
P.S. I never seemed to get used to the huge brush, so I bought some disposable mascara wands to use with my Optimum Black. This works really well, so I may be in HG territory, here, and I'm *very* picky about mascara.
SAD NOTE: As of March 2012, all Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estee Lauder, MAC, and Prescriptives items are “will not repurchase” for me, no matter how much I like them. This regrettable situation is the result of the Estee Lauder company’s decision to abandon its ban on animal tests, and contract for such tests in China. As an animal lover/respecter, I will no longer do business with this company’s brands, no matter how otherwise appealing their products are to me.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No