Facepaint: Etude House Proof 10 Mascara

 Ever since I got interested in makeup, I have been in the search for THE perfect mascara. I've tried numerous, particularly drugstore brands. I don't really want to splurge on high end ones since mascaras have a very short shelf life once opened. You have to chuck it in the bin every three months, or else risk infecting your eye. 

 Etude House -- one of the Korean cosmetics shops that have been popping up in Manila like 'shrooms quite recently, has made this thirty-year old feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I visit their store. I love visiting their store. They offer makeup, skincare and hair products at very affordable price points. Their products' packaging are mostly aimed at tweens/teens with their whimsical princess-y motifs. 

 Back to my quest of finding the Holy Grail of cheap mascaras, I purchased Etude House's Proof 10 Mascara in Black for less than 600pesos.

 This mascara is hyped to create intense and dramatic eyelashes. I have no idea what the Korean description says at the back of the packaging. The store assistant said that this gives volume and length at the same time, and is also waterproof, budge and smudge-proof.  So yay, dropped it into the shopping basket with high hopes it will work.

 I have short and slightly curly lashes. I often use mascara to make my lashes appear thicker, lush and of course longer. I also have oily lids, which usually makes even the toughest and highly-hyped mascaras give me raccoon eyes after a few hours of wear.

Bare eye

... with 2 coats of EH Proof 10 Mascara

 The verdict: Etude House's Proof 10 mascara does make my lashes appear somewhat thicker and a bit longer. It did not flake nor budge after close to 8 hours, even in humid conditions. It takes about 30-60 seconds to set after applying as the formulation is very liquid, even after a week of constant use. You have to refrain from blinking a lot or touching it before it dries. But once it dries, it's set for the day. It also holds the curl from my Shu Uemura Lash Curler. On my first few uses of this though, I had some worries that the mascara's fibers seemed to be getting into my eye. But it has not bothered me again after several times of use. I would have reservations on recommending it to someone with ultra-sensitive eyes and those who use contact lenses due to the fibers. It is not waterproof as the SA claims. Not for teary-eyed moments and activities involving water, as it smears upon water contact. Lastly, with regards to removal -- its moderately easy to remove using an oil eye makeup remover. 

 Overall, I'm quite happy with this product and use it almost daily. It would be a perfect 10 if it were also waterproof.