Mascaras are having somewhat of a moment. Within the last few months, there has been a long list of mascara launches. There was Huda Beauty’s dual-ended lengthening mascara, Hourglass’ latest release that became an instant bestseller and Charlotte Tilbury’s dramatic Pillow Talk option.

Now, a new offering from NARS Cosmetics is the latest eyelash product to cause excitement in the beauty world. NARS Climax Extreme Mascara, £22, is a more dramatic version of the brand’s Climax Mascara, £22, which came out in 2018.

So what’s the difference between the two mascaras? Climax Extreme contains micro-pigments, which deliver a deeper black finish. These darker pigments, which are infused with conditioning oils, make your lashes look fuller, which helps to make them stand out.

When I took the wand out of the black ribbed tube, I was pleased to see a thick, wide brush. Recent launches have all featured skinnier wands, which are great for lengthening, but I’ve always thought that a thicker wand lets you create more volume. The wand is covered in thick bristles – which almost resemble little spikes – all of which are the same length, except for the very tip.

On the first swipe through my lashes, I was impressed by how they were instantly darkened but the formula did clump my lashes together very slightly. The formula itself is quite wet, so it was easy to fix by wiggling the wand through your lashes a few times. However, I recommend scraping the wand along the top of the tube to avoid overloading them.

My favourite thing about the mascara is how easy it was to swoop them into an upwards curl, thanks to the fat wand. For extra lift, NARS recommends holding the wand on your lashes for five seconds, which I do think has helped to keep the curl in my usually straighter-than-straight lashes. Once my top lashes were coated in mascara, the thickness and dark finish of the formula made it look like I was wearing eyeliner. A major plus.

The bottom lashes were slightly trickier to coat with mascara because of the thick wand. I used the tapered edge to catch each lower lash but again, make sure you remove excess on the side of the tube first. Once I started zig-zagging the tip of the wand through my lashes, though, they were immediately stretched out and looked so long and dark.

While it isn’t the most dramatic mascara finish I’ve come across recently, the finish was actually my ideal everyday look. My lashes didn’t droop once and despite the wetter formula, it doesn’t leave lashes looking crispy. In fact, when the formula dried down completely, my lashes still managed to look wispy and fluttery. It’s basically a lash lift in a tube and for that, I’m sure I’ll be reaching for this daily.

NARS Climax Extreme Mascara, £22, is available on spacenk.com

Main image: NARS Cosmetics