Chanel • Mascara Exceptionnel • Mascara

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ClarityRose on 11/9/2009 10:47:00 PM more reviews by ClarityRose

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

The brush is a novel concept--different sized bristles to catch both short and long lashes. However, it's a dud. Since the bristles are tightly packed, there's a lot more surface for the mascara to stick to, which basically creates a brush-full of mascara. And. you. can't. scrape. it. off.

The result? Lot of clumps. lots of excess, lots of wasted product. The product itself, while it has good staying power, takes a long time to dry, isn't buildable (unless you want to build your clumps), and smears everywhere when wet! t seems to be of an extremely liquidy consistency. Baaah!

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*TOP REVIEWER* ALBA on 10/28/2009 1:51:00 AM more reviews by ALBA

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

Very, very disappointed with this mascara. I usually like the results they produce for my lashes but sorry Chanel but this is a real dud.

First off, the rubber brush - I mostly hate these brushes, all they do is produce stupid looking doll like lashes that don't look real. One ends up with trashy looking lashes. After applying the mascara this morning, I ended up having to use a lash comb to remove most of the mascara from the end of my lashes because I hated how much they looked. They looked clumped and sticky.

Does it lengthen? Not much
Does it thicken? Yes, in a clumpy, applied my makeup in the dark sort of way.

The shade? I use black but I even hate the shade of black, it looks wrong with my coloring. Does it have some blue in it?

Chanel, please drop the gimmicky rubber brush, I want fluttery, long, beautiful lashes not Katie Price 'get'em out for the boys' ones.

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CazT on 10/12/2009 10:06:00 PM more reviews by CazT

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I love the cute packaging of this mascara, however the product overall was very disappointing for me. I tend to get clumpy lashes and it takes quite a while to dry! There are other great Chanel mascaras out there, so I would reccomend trying those ones!

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wawagugugaga on 9/28/2009 11:28:00 AM more reviews by wawagugugaga

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is really quite a disappointment coming from Chanel. I have used about 4 to 5 different mascaras from them and Exceptionnel is no doubt the worst. I got a sample through Allure and was excited to try it. Exceptionnel promises 'VOLUMIZING, CURLING and LASTING', but it really does none of the above for me. The uniquely-design brush is just plain awful. There are the regular long bristles and the short hard tips. It is very hard to apply the mascara evenly and I cannot get the mascara to reach the root of the lashes without poking the bristle into my eyes. It also clumps like crazy and it starts to smudge within the hour of application.
I am glad I got a sample of this and do not have to waste my money on this awful product. It is not cheap (USD 30)...ladies..just save your money.

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LoveChanel1987 on 9/23/2009 6:34:00 AM more reviews by LoveChanel1987

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Black, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I got the Chanel Exceptionnel 2 days ago and started using it. I use it together with the Chanel Intimitable mascara, this lengthens and separates the lashes and adds more volume. What I love about both mascaras is that they don't smudge and it lasts a whole day without re-applying!

Love Chanel xo xo

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dogdaze on 9/19/2009 4:16:00 PM more reviews by dogdaze

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I received the Allure sample and purchased a fullsize. I will not repurchase. Although this is a good volumizing mascara, it is not as good as Maybelline Colossal, and it does not lengthen at all. The other issue is that it seemed to dry up very quickly. I paid $30 for this and it's nothing you can't find in a drugstore mascara. I frequently find that Samples seem to be a better quality than the actual fullsize product. I am about to throw this out since it's so dry already (have had for only a month).

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Dinlove on 9/2/2009 8:03:00 PM more reviews by Dinlove

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Chanel's Inimitable mascara is one of my splurgy favorites, so I thought I'd give Exceptionnel a try (especially given the generally positive reviews I'd found on the web). What a disappointment! While I loved the super, super, SUPER black color, curl, and lift it gave, the brush was an absolute nightmare to use. I consider myself a mascara pro and no brush has even come close to being the pain in the butt that this one is. It has two kinds of bristles: the standard, brush-like ones, and the little plastic comb-like "teeth" ones. Great idea in theory. In practice? Notsomuch.

You have to use a rolling motion so your lashes come in contact with both kinds of bristles, which is both time-consuming and doesn't get much product on the lashes. Plus it didn't really "grab" my lashes so much as it did "push them up" while leaving a little mascara on them in the process.

I expressed my frustration with the application technique to the sales lady (who had a BIG, unfriendly, unhelpful attitude), and she said "Well, it takes some practice." Practice? At THAT price? For $28, I expect a mascara that can practically jump out of the tube and apply itself . . . then give me a backrub.

Going back to my current fave, DiorShow Blackout, for now.

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barbiebien on 9/1/2009 8:46:00 AM more reviews by barbiebien

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

i loved this mascara, the effects were great, even better than YSL faux cills but i'm extremely allergic to this

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nickitraylor on 8/24/2009 5:06:00 PM more reviews by nickitraylor

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I actually reviewed this for Allure- they sent me a sample and had me report on it. I didn't like it at all. I thought the lash building capabilites were not good, it was no better than a cheap drugstore brand. Not impressed at all- and it's super expensive! I like my colossal lash much better...in fact, I like every drugstore brand I've ever tried better than this mascara for this price!!! There was nothing wow about this- except again for the price, LOL.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MissHiss on 8/21/2009 9:22:00 AM more reviews by MissHiss

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I really wanted to love this product. The formulation is ok, it doesn't run, it slightly lifts up the lashes and doesn’t cause allergy but then again neither do a lot of cheaper reputable brands. To be honest this is a very ORDINARY mascara by all counts and I would not purchase it again.


I just opened my old favourite Maybelline Full 'n Soft waterproof mascara and I have never been happier. It sometimes takes using a mediocre expensive product to make you appreciate your regular product!

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Spendydoo on 8/15/2009 4:56:00 PM more reviews by Spendydoo

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I received a sample of this yesterday whilst topping up on my favorite Chanel lipgloss. To be honest I didn't expect much from this, as from experience high end mascaras are overpriced and don't even live up to drugstore makeup. As I prefer the glam drama look to natural lashes, I am always on the lookout for a mascara to give me the falsh eyelash effect. Well............I AM IMPRESSED. 2 coats of this and lashes are DARK, long and very full. I look like I am wearing falsies! After wearing through a full day it humidity, I experienced no flaking or panda eyes. I am definitely going to go back to the Chanel counter and buy this!!!!!!!! For girls that like the drama look, go buy this seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE 16/08/09 - I went and bought this today in smoky noir - this stuff is my HG for now, it does exactly what I want. You need to make sure you turn the brush as you swipe it up your eyelashes as the brush is half comb/bristles. This seems to stop it clumping and makes them sooooooooo long!!

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varindamichelle on 7/30/2009 7:24:00 AM more reviews by varindamichelle

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this mascara, i have been using it for a while now and dont know why i didnt know about it before, it gives amazing lashes with just one swipe, although i do admit the brush is a little tricky, but its honestly well worth it!

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xyara on 7/29/2009 6:10:00 PM more reviews by xyara

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I love the mascara!
I ordered the sample but I didnt got it, so I bought the mascara (€25.80).
I used L'oreal, Rimmel and a lot of mascara's that aren't expensive, but they all made my eyes hurt. The Chanel Exceptionnel didn't hurt my eyes at all, they didn't get red or painfull. So it's very good for sensitive eyes!
It made my lashes black and very seperated. It wasn't clumpy at all!

One negative thing about it, is that it dries out fast. After a month there was hard mascara on the bottle (dont know how to call it xD), it didn't get clumpy.
But I have to buy new mascara faster then when it dont dry so fast.

But I would buy it again, it's a lovely mascara and the packaging is beautiful.

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*TOP REVIEWER* miss_mac on 7/19/2009 more reviews by miss_mac

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

The effect that this mascara gives on my lashes is AMAZING. This is by far the best mascara for a dramatic, false lash effect. Once you get the hang of the brush (you have to turn it whilst applying it), you will notice how amazing it really is. It lengthens, volumizes AND separates all at the same time. Every time I used this I always got people asking what mascara I used. I got 2 sample sizes and used both of them up. Unfortunately the only bad thing about this is that it tends to smudge on me, but then most non waterproof mascaras do. I'm waiting for them to bring it out in a waterproof formula and then I will definately buy it again!

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nudistcolony on 7/2/2009 5:30:00 PM more reviews by nudistcolony

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

LOVE IT. it is definitely my favourite mascara by a mile. the only downsides are that it tends to flake and that it dries up very quickly.. but that hasn't been too bad for me so i'll look past that. it gives such volume and length.. it's simply amazing.

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*TOP REVIEWER* laurore44 on 7/1/2009 10:01:00 PM more reviews by laurore44

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

PROS: This mascara made my naturally black lashes even blacker! It is a really, really dark black. I love the color.

It did not clump, and it did not smudge. I did notice a few small flakes at the end of a long day, but it still beats most mascaras as far as lasting power.

I like the brush, especially the longer comb-like bristles which really grab onto the lashes and coat them. My lashes held their curl very well with this mascara as well.

CONS: The only reason I won't repurchase: It apparently dries out very quickly.

I received my mascara as a sample in a sealed package from Chanel. It had obviously never been opened before. Yet when I opened it for the first time, it was already almost completely dry. (Consistency of peanut butter.)

I don't know if this is what it is supposed to look like, but I can't see it lasting very long if this is what it looks like when it's new.

Still, I'm impressed that it wasn't clumpy and it went on very evenly, even in this almost-dry state. I was still able to use it and it lasted all day.

I won't be purchasing this product in the full size, but I like it enough that I will probably try some other Chanel mascaras.

UPDATE: I find myself missing this mascara. I have been using a couple of other mascaras since this one, and I miss that super-black color and texture (yes, because even though it was so dry, it made my lashes look awesome.) I plan to repurchase.

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melusinafire on 6/21/2009 8:28:00 PM more reviews by melusinafire

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

I recommend this especially for a special event due to its rich, luxurious color.

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jjacm8 on 6/21/2009 12:08:00 AM more reviews by jjacm8

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I love this mascara. After messing with Dior Blackout, Diorshow, amongst others. A friend gave this to me as a gift and I have repurchased three times since. The brush takes a bit of getting used to, but this product curls, lengthens and thickens amazingly- all in one! I love dramatic eyes, and the extra smoky noir color is great for ladies with dark hair. I rated overall at a 4, because I am torn between this and Chanel initimable. They both give amazing, but different results.

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rysskayaprincess on 6/9/2009 4:58:00 PM more reviews by rysskayaprincess

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

First of all I would like to say that I found it very hard to get a sample of this mascara on the Chanel Counter in Selfridges. The make up sales woman only seemed interested if I actually have bought the mascara rather than tried it first. It only seems like they care about your money and not the customer service they offer. When I managed to get a sample, I went home and tried it straight away. At first I must say that I wasent impressed with the product, it seemed hard to apply and the results weren't that great so I was left disapointed. The next morning I decided to give it another go and see if it will be the same. I took time applying this mascara and made sure I started from the roots..dragging the brush fully to the top in the side to side action. In seconds I started to see some amazing results, my lashes started to become thick and long. Very false lash effect which is a plus for me as I love dramatic eyes. I also realised that with this mascara you have to practice a few times to get the best out of it. As the brush is new to most buyers, we all feel abit clueless on how to apply it and in most cases that puts women off but if you get the hang of it, you will start to see great results ( usually after a few times ). The mascara doesnt flake on me but I have noticed tiny smudges on the top of the brow bone ( probably to having oily skin ) I dont find that a problem as many people started to notice my eyes more and also compliment me on my falsies..as they think im wearing some :) The best thing is that my eyelashes are not very long and a quiet fair in colour so this mascara really does make them stand out. In the past I have tried many branded mascaras ( diorshow, diorshow blackout, ysl, mac zoom lash+plush lash etc) and I would have to say that this mascara beats them straight away. It achieves a more natural but yet dramatic look but also makes the eyes pop without having to apply many layers of mascara to achieve that result for me. Great mascara for everyday and plus nights out..as it layers well.

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*TOP REVIEWER* spaflam on 6/9/2009 12:03:00 PM more reviews by spaflam

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Flake City. No way would I spend this super High price for flakie-flakes. Try DiorShow instead.

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