As I wrote last Wednesday, I wanted to love Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara. It made my lashes look large and in charge and just… beautiful. However, it was less beautiful as it began to flake and smear under my lid throughout the day. That’s a huge mascara no-no.
So when I heard that L’Oreal was coming out with what was essentially a dupe for BTS, I was excited. And when I started seeing reviews that called it the best new mascara ever, I had to run out and get some ASAP. For me, ASAP meant a couple of weeks later. I have a baby at home, y’all! I can’t run out to Walgreens all willy-nilly. I’m also on a budget and was waiting for a bit of a sale, so when I picked up my mascara at Walgreens last week it was not only BOGO 50%, it was also a dollar off each. So I spent a grand total of $13 (with tax) on two mascaras. WIN.
Of course, I had to test it against its competitor and luckily I still have a barely-used BTS at home. Now, it’s not a perfect comparison because this is a new Lash Paradise tested against an older Better Than Sex, so some might say that differences could arise based on how long the BTS has had to dry out BUT I say that it’s close enough for me. And probably you, too. And really, that packaging? Anyone who says this isn’t a direct dupe for BTS is being silly. Color, texture, everything is remarkably similar on the tubes. Comparing price: Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara retails for $23 full size and $12 for travel size. L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise retails for $9.99 but ranges from $7.99 to $9.99 depending on where you buy it.
Let’s compare the two wands, shall we? I’d watched videos on YouTube comparing the two and in person, honestly it’s hard to tell the difference. The L’Oreal (left) bristles seem to be slightly shorter. That’s about it. They both have a slight hourglass shape that fits the curve of your lashes. Both nice.
Let’s get down to business. Here are my eyes with a bit of shadow and no mascara or liner. And my face without foundation (hello, freckles!). Woof, need to work on those brows, girl.
OK, here is my scientific experiment. This was around noon, so start the timer. BTS on one eye, LP on the other. Two coats – light on the lower lashes – and no liner. I thought liner might throw off my results a bit. They look very similar. The LP makes me lashes look a bit longer and the BTS looks a little fuller but overall pretty good on both. (As a side note, I promise I don’t have uneven eyes. I was trying to get better light and I tilted my head. Oops. OR I do have uneven eyes and this is how I find out. TWIST.)
A few hours later and the BTS still looks nice, but you can see the flecks starting to collect under my lower lashes as they always do. The Lash Paradise was flake-free and I didn’t snap a photo.
Aw man, flake city. Lash Paradise still looked good. Not perfect, but fine. Also by this point, my BTS eye was getting really irritated. I think I’ve blamed my contact lenses in the past but since it was only the BTS eye, I’m pretty sure it was due to the flakes falling into and irritating my eye. (Sorry about the lighting on this one, folks. My downstairs bathroom light is super yellow and it was getting dark outside by this point.)
Here are my official results. It’s hard to tell, but the flecks below my eye are the remnants of my BTS mascara. The Lash Paradise eye was irritation-free, but I did have a bit of flaking. Not as much as the BTS, but saying it didn’t happen would be untrue. My LP eye just looks better. The length is still there, which is awesome. Overall, I give Lash Paradise a thumbs up. For me, it is not only a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex but it’s actually BETTER. Definitely worth it and I won’t be purchasing Better Than Sex again. If you haven’t tried it yet, go. Go now.
I also picked up L’Oreal’s original “Voluminous” mascara and will be testing it alongside my new love Lash Paradise soon. Which is better? We’ll find out!