Review of Lavera Naturkosmetik's Volume Mascara

I wear contacts and have sensitive eyes, and as a result, most mascaras out there make my eyes itch something fierce.

Since I hit 40 last year, I've been looking for something that will add a little oomph without adding a lot of itch, and I finally found it - at Target, of all places. It's Volume Mascara with organic jojoba and rose, from Lavera Naturkosmetik. It cost about $14 at Target but you can buy it online, and it makes my lashes look fantastic. And, I don't even feel its presence, itchy or otherwise.

Pros:

• Thickens lashes, but still looks natural;
• Suitable for contact wearers and those with sensitive eyes;
• Almost as hard-wearing as waterproof;
• Adds lovely color and healthy-looking shine;
• Reasonably priced, if you can find it in the stores;
• Available in black, brown and blue;
• Vegan;
• Doesn't dry out your lashes;
• I've been using it for nearly three months and haven't seen a clump yet.

Cons:

• More expensive online, and it sells so quickly the black and brown occasionally are out of stock at lavera.com;
• Doesn't add length, just volume (they do have a lengthening formula available);
• You will need a reasonably good eye makeup remover to get it off without tugging;
• If you are like me and sometimes try to stretch the useful life or your makeup, I wouldn't try it with this. Without chemical preservatives, going beyond three or four months of use is a bit more risky than with the commercial brands. For me, though, the benefits heavily outweigh having to replace it a little more often.

My lashes already are long, but I wanted a bit of thickness and color (the tips of my nearly-black lashes have always been blond for some odd reason), and Lavera gives me that. No clumps or flaking, either - the mascara has gone through a funeral, several hours of overtime at my job and 14 spinning classes without smudging.

The only thing that has managed to budge that mascara so far is when I get a giant nasty piece of dust in my eye while walking outside in the wind. I'm really bad about rubbing my eyes when that happens, though, and at least I didn't end up looking like a punch-drunk raccoon with eyelash dandruff like I usually do in those cases. It's partly due to these darn gas-permeable contacts, but my optometrist told me my eyes are so bad that if I tried to wear soft lenses, they'd have to wrap around my eyeballs and meet in the back. So, I've got to be picky about my mascara. With Lavera's Volume Mascara, that doesn't seem so difficult.

Tip: Although this mascara isn't a curling formula, it has enough holding power to add a touch of bend even if you have an aversion to lash curlers. Just do the age-old trick of wiggling the brush at the roots to thicken the coat of mascara, but keep doing it all the way up your lashes and carefully bring the wand up and around in a curl at the same time. It sounds awkward, but it only takes a couple of tries to get the knack and it really does make a difference.

For more information or to buy: http://www.lavera.com/