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When it comes to mascaras, I only tend to use whatever I receive from beauty events or PR packages. Mascaras are always something that's at the very bottom of my beauty shopping list for two reasons: 1) Though my eyelashes are somewhat long, I have notoriously stick-straight lashes which make picking mascaras extra difficult and 2) My lids are oily AF, which means panda eyes are a common occurrence for me by the end of the day.
However, on my recent Japan trip a few months ago, I couldn't resist doing a beauty haul from their many drugstores. One of the things I got was the Heroine Make mascara, an internet-famous makeup product that beauty lovers have praised for being *truly* waterproof and smudge-proof. Read on to see if it really lives up to the hype:
What is the Heroine Make mascara?
Heroine Make is under the Japanese brand KISSME, which is most famous for its line of everything-proof mascaras. Of the many variants available, I chose the Volume Up Super Waterproof because it ticked all the boxes for me. Other than promising to give my stubborn lashes some much-needed volume, it's said to be smudge- and sweat-proof and resistant to sebum, so it's great for oily lids like mine!
According to KISSME, this mascara is made with Volume Ex powder formula that lets it easily stick to lashes with just one coat. It also has an instant curl lock formula and shape-memory polymer that keeps lashes perfectly separated and curled up all day. Best of all, it contains six serums (!!!) that nourish and care for your lashes: camellia oil, royal jelly extract, argan oil, wild rose oil, panax ginseng root extract, and almond oil.
My honest review of the Heroine Make Volume Up Super Waterproof Mascara
It's long-wearing.
I had a *full-day* cover shoot for work, and I decided that it was the perfect time to put this internet-famous mascara to the test. It was held outdoors under the harsh sun, which meant that your girl was sweating, LOL. I took a selfie towards the end of our shoot to check on my lashes, and I'm happy to report that they still looked the same as they did when I first applied in the morning!
Pro tip: Aside from the formula you choose, the way you apply your mascara matters if you *really* want it to stay all day. After curling my lashes—shoutout to the Shiseido Eyelash Curler!—I carefully applied my mascara using zig-zag motions on my lashes. One unconventional trick I did was not to apply it from the roots. This was a tip I recently learned from a Korean makeup artist—she explained that applying mascara from the roots of your lashes will only weigh down your lashes and cause them to fall throughout the day, leaving you with panda eyes.
It's waterproof and sweat-proof.
During our cover shoot, I was running around the place ordering food, checking up on our cover star, and supervising the shoot. It's safe to say that I was panting and sweating throughout, but I was surprised to see that my mascara hadn't melted or transferred down to my under-eyes, despite my lids being oily AF.
It's hard to remove—which is a good thing!
When I got home, my lashes were still going strong. By the time I was ready to remove my makeup and head to bed, I discovered that KISSME wasn't lying when they named this mascara "super waterproof." Despite oil cleansing, I still had some leftovers on my lashes, which is why I had to turn to its ~*designated*~ remover: the Heroine Make Speedy Mascara Remover. ICYDK, you apply it like you would with regular mascara and you'll see it melt on your lids. Afterward, just wipe off the residue or dissolved mascara using a tissue or wipes.
What Cosmopolitan Philippines readers think about Heroine Make mascaras
We recently asked our Cosmo readers what they think of Heroine Make mascaras over on Instagram and a lot of them raved about how long-lasting they are. One user even commented that they make them look like they're wearing falsies—something I definitely agree with when it came to my own test!
- "It keeps my lashes' curl throughout the day."
- "It doesn't give me panda eyes."
- "It makes me look like I'm wearing falsies."
- "No smudge at all!"
- "Gives [me] volume but doesn't weigh down [my] lashes!"
Heroine Make Volume Up Super Waterproof Mascara: Is it worth the hype?
I'm glad that I included this mascara in my Japanese drugstore haul—it really lived up to its claims! The only gripe I have with it is its price. In Japan, it only costs 1,320 yen (approximately P487.72), but here in the Philippines, it's being sold for P700 to P800. I regret not buying more when I was in Japan, huhu.
Seeing that I won't be going back to Japan anytime soon, I would still gladly purchase it from local resellers because it has quickly become my favorite mascara, one that I rave about to my friends and coworkers because of how damn good it is! I'll also be making sure to beg any relatives or friends going to Japan to pasabuy more stocks for me, LOL.
KISSME Heroine Make Volume Up Super Waterproof Mascara, P756, Shopee
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