Perricone MD No Makeup Mascara

I chose this mascara because I was looking for a nourishing mascara to condition my lashes. I've used this mascara for 2 months now and waited to review until I was sure how I really felt about it. Here are my thoughts in order of importance to me. How it looks - I am part Asian and have brown hair/eyes and dark eyelashes. I have always worn the blackest black mascaras so was worried about this color but it just looks less harsh without lacking in oomph. My lashes are long-ish but fine and I'm not looking for a 'glam' look, just lush pretty lashes to open up my eyes and this does that. I do not curl my lashes. This mascara lifts and fans them and is a very lengthening formula on me. It's buildable - 1 coat is enough for daytime and I've never needed more than 2 to feel pretty in the evening. My definition of 1 coat is applying it with multiple passes through my eyelashes until they look 'right' and letting it dry. It will continue to thicken lashes with each pass so this is the art of knowing when to stop for each 'coat' before I make a mess. More on application lower down. Wear/smudging/flakiness - This mascara wears beautifully and holds my lashes up all day, I have even slept in it (bad bad bad I know) and woke up with minimal mess under/around my eyes. I do sleep on my face at times and it doesn't mess up my pillowcase either. The key is to apply it in a way that doesn't require me to comb or brush my lashes afterward - if I brush or comb it out after application, it will flake - everywhere. If I put it on correctly and let it dry before touching them, I have gorgeous long lashes that will not flake or smudge. I can touch them after they dry and haven't had any issues. I have oily eyelids and most brands smudge onto my lower lids in a few hours - but not this one. It also removes easily with regular cleanser and water and leaves my lashes feeling soft and conditioned. Ease of application - I had lash extensions for over 5 years and did not wear any eye makeup all that time so I had to practice using eye makeup again like I was 15 years old lol. My initial foray back into mascara was a mess regardless of brand, and the brush/technique for this mascara required me to eventually watch some videos for advice. Initially, going with my 'instincts', I made a big clumpy mess of my eyelashes every time I tried to use it - but once I learned how to use the brush it has been much easier and worth the effort for the results. I learned in one of the videos I watched the trick of applying eye makeup first before foundation, etc so that if you mess up or don't like your look it's easier to just remove and start over. Life changing! I put on mascara first so that I can clean up any stray spots on my upper eyelids where I got careless or too aggressive with the wand (I have a mostly monolid), give it a few minutes to completely dry and then do eyeshadow/eyeliner and this works well for me. Hope this helps!