L'Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara - Is It Really All That?

In terms of drugstore beauty launches, there's one which has ben stealing all of the hype and attention lately and that is the brand new L'Oreal 'Lash Paradise' Mascara. Or as it's bizarrely been named in the UK - Paradise Extatic. What's that all about, I really do not know, but it's basically the exact same lash offering that was released over in the US a few months back and got everyone going cray cray for so I guess it was only natural that once it made its way over here - everyone would be doing the same thing (myself included). Pretty much as soon as it made its way over to our shores, I picked myself one up (as you would have seen in this post here) and this past week, I've been giving it a go. With all the hype and love it's been getting and the fact it's also been dubbed the cheaper, more affordable alternative to the infamous Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' Mascara (which I have tried myself in the past here and really loved) - is it really all that?

As I said, not only has L'Oreal's newest drop been getting a tonne of raving reviews, many people have also been aligning it up with the Too Faced offering and pointing out the apparent similarities. In the US, even the baby pink, black lettering packaging is almost-identical. For some reason, when launching it over in the UK, the outer casing is entirely different - a rose gold tube with a shiny, copper lid - and as I mentioned, the name has been strangely changed too. While in all honesty, I much prefer how the original US version has been packaged and branded - as long as the actual mascara itself remains the same, I'll be happy. And on first look - that certainly seems to be the case. I don't have the actual 'Better Than Sex' Mascara right now to directly compare, but going from what I remember about it (and some good ol' posts round these parts) the wand looks very, very comparable. Both are big, fluffy and bristle-y and the wand on the 'Lash Paradise' definitely has that same iconic, hourglass shape that the 'Better Than Sex' is probably best known for. If anything, I'd say the wand on the 'Lash Paradise' is a little smaller, but considering how the one main 'downside' I'd always find with the 'Better The Sex' is how difficult it is not to get it everywhere - I wouldn't say that is too much of a bad thing.

But, I guess the proof of the pudding really is in the eating and so the main thing we all want to know is - what is it actually like? You know what, I have to admit - it really is similar to the 'Better Than Sex'. It's the same sort of mascara that's dry from the get-go and so really allows you to grip the lashes, get that product on and build up the length and the volume. It's got that same ability to be worn really lightly for a more subtle, fluttery effect or built up to something really thick and intense (my personal preference) and while it doesn't claim to be waterproof, it doesn't move all day long - again, like the original 'Better Than Sex'. All in all, I really like what it does to my lashes and for such an affordable mascara - I really cannot complain. If I'm being super honest, I do kinda feel like the 'Better Than Sex' trumps it just ever-so-slightly in terms of getting that instant, 'in yer face'-type lashes but if you're on a budget and fancy trying something similar - this may just be a good place to start...