Hey lovelies,
If you're active on any social media, it's very likely you've heard of Younique. More and more accounts have been popping up on Instagram and Facebook, my social media of choice, pushing their 3D Fiber Lash mascara amongst other products. Some of the reps can be quite pushy and spammy and I know I'm not the first person to find it a little invasive. But when I was contacted by a Younique rep and asked if I wanted to review the 3D Fiber Lash, I wanted to go in with an open mind and give you guys an in-depth, honest review so you can decide for yourself whether this product is worth trying. I've had some really great feedback on the honesty and thoroughness of my reviews from you guys which means the world to me - it's always been my priority with blogging. If you'd like to know more about my PR policy please on over to my Contact Me/PR tab.
The Younique rep who contacted me about the 3D Fiber Lashes, Stacey Sanderson-Dick, was super lovely to work with. She was helpful and friendly and made it clear she was looking for honest feedback. If you've been interested in trying Younique products but have been put off by some of the pushier reps, I'd recommend Stacey. You can find her Younique page here, her Facebook group here and her Instagram account here.
Now onto the review!!
The 3D Fiber Lash set arrived shrinkwrapped in this rather nice and very sturdy case.
The kit comes with two tubes; the larger one is the transplanting gel and the fibers are in the smaller tube.
A closer look at the transplanting gel. 'Gel' is quite accurate, it comes out of the tube with an almost viscous texture, but glides onto the lashes easily.
And the fibers - one thing I really appreciate is that the fibers are black! I had the ModelCo Brush On Extensions years ago and was far from impressed. The fibers on that one are white, and my lashes got so clumpy and stiff trying to cover the white that they resembled twigs. It was gross. But you don't have to worry about this with the Younique version.
A better look at the fibers.
This handy information sheet was included with the set. I was a bit put off by how clumpy the model's lashes look, however (enlarge to see). In fact, I've noticed that many of the promotional images used by Younique reps show extremely clumpy lashes, which doesn't strike me as the best way to advertise the product.
***
I tested the 3D Fiber Lashes several different ways so that I could get a good feel for the product. My first go was using the 3D Fiber Lashes alone, without a mascara underneath, which is how Stacey said she liked to use it. For this test I applied the 3D Fiber Lashes on top and bottom lashes.
Bare lashes
One coat of transplanting gel
Transplanting gel + fibers + sealed with more transplanting gel
Transplanting gel + fibers + transplanting gel + fibers + sealed with more transplanting gel
This test gave me quite a bit of length, but the transplanting gel doesn't provide the volume I'd like at the base of my lashes although the info sheet says the fibers are designed to add volume as well as length. I had a lot of fall out from the fibers over the course of the day, although I was sure I'd used enough transplanting gel to coat them all evenly (without clumping, which is a bit of a compromise, it's hard to do both). The fibers were fairly easy to brush away, but you have to be ever vigilant, much like Batman, and constantly whipping out a mirror to check for strays felt like Carly Simon's You're So Vain was about to start playing everywhere I went. I also felt a lot of the fibers getting into my eyes, which fortunately did not irritate them, though it felt quite tickly and annoying.
***
For my second test I decided to try layering the 3D Fiber Lashes over one of my current favourite mascaras, Collection Does It All mascara. I started by applying a coat of the Collection mascara and letting it fully dry before starting on the 3D Fiber Lashes as the instructions stated. I stuck to just the top lashes this time as I didn't notice much of an effect on my lower lashes in the first test, other than increased fiber fall out. I also concentrated my application of the fibers on the tips and outer corners of my lashes instead of all over (again in line with the instructions).
And yes, I now realise my brows were wonky on this day :D
Left: Collection Does It All, transplanting gel, fibers, transplanting gel, fibers, transplanting gel.
Right: Bare lashes.
Left: Collection Does It All, transplanting gel, fibers, transplanting gel, fibers, transplanting gel.
Right: Collection Does It All.
This test was more successful. I felt the fibers adhered better when concentrated on the tips and outer corners and used in conjunction with the mascara. I think this is because the volume and definition had already been provided by the mascara, so I was spending less time fiddling with the gel and fibers trying to separate and define. I did still have fiber fall out during the day, but significantly less.
***
For my third test, I opted to skip waiting for my base mascara to dry and switched to Bourjois 1001 Lashes, which is less volumizing than Collection Does It All. Working quickly on one eye at a time, I applied a coat of Bourjois 1001 Lashes, then the transplanting gel, then alternated two coats each of the fibers and the gel. Here are the results, compared with my regular mascara and similar eye 'poses' so that you can see the difference:
Bourjois 1001 Lashes + Younique 3D Fiber Lash
Bourjois 1001 Lashes alone (FOTD)
Bourjois 1001 Lashes + 3D Fiber Lashes
Bourjois 1001 Lashes alone (FOTD)
And some extra shots for kicks :)
I felt like I was wearing false lashes, they felt so lovely and fluttery. There were a few clumps, as you can see, but you could likely sort these out with a lash comb - I don't own one, unfortunately (though I'm eyeing up a metal one on Beautybay now)! I really liked how much length and curl I got too; I didn't use a lash curler in any of the photos in this post.
This third test was the winning combo for me and really won me over. Because my method requires me to work quickly, it only adds a minute max to my makeup routine so it's quicker than applying false lashes.
Some further thoughts:
- What you layer it over matters. Experiment with different mascara underneath (if you have more than one tube on the go) until you get the effect you want.
- Go easy on the fibers - don't apply too much in one step, it's easier to go back and build up layers than to whack on a bunch at once. You'll just experience fall out city that way!
- Sometimes I felt like a lot of the fibers were getting caught in the transplanting gel brush, rather than attaching to the lashes. Try rotating the transplanting gel brush as you comb it through your lashes to distribute them back through your lashes.
- It can be difficult to replicate a uniform look every time you apply. If this is important to you, taking an extra minute or two to apply false eyelashes, or stumping up for lash extensions may suit you better.
- Work as quickly as you can doing one eye at a time.
- If you like to wash your makeup off in the shower or in warm water, this comes off like tubing mascara. It's easy to remove with regular remover or makeup wipes too.
- If you're guilty of touching your eyes and lashes quite a bit during the day, be careful! The fibers can get bent out of shape or fall off if you touch them too much. The good thing about this though is that if you have an oddly placed fiber, it's easy to gently remove it.
- I didn't feel my results were as dramatic as some of the promo images being used by reps, but my eyelashes aren't terribly full. If you already have a lot of lashes, I imagine the overall result will be more dramatic.
What I liked:
- Provides a lot of length and curl.
- Doesn't flake or smudge.
- Buildable for the results you want.
What I didn't like:
- Getting the right application for you can be finicky, you need to experiment a bit.
- Annoying fiber fallout if you're not careful.
- Some clumping.
Where to buy:
- Younique
- Stacey's Younique page (the rep who provided this for review)
Have you tried 3D Fiber Lashes, or a similar product? What did you think?
X
Lani
TBH, I'm just a little bit in love with the case! I love pretty packaging :D
ReplyDeleteIt is very pretty!
DeleteThis was really helpful! It's nice to hear an unbiased review xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Elese, I'm glad it was useful! :)
Delete