PrimeLash Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara

Maybe it’s my background in advertising that’s the culprit, but again I fell for a product based on its advertising. Prime Prometics advertising for their PrimeLash Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara did two things that immediately got my attention:

• they called PrimeLash Mascara “A Mascara for Mature Women” 
• they compared PrimeLash Mascara to Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions. 

A Mascara for Mature Women

PrimeLash Mascara really is “A Mascara for Mature Women”.

• It’s designed for the lashes of women over 50 who may have short or sparse lashes. In response, they created PrimeLash Mascara with healthy ingredients that condition or moisturize lashes so they won’t break and will grow better. 
• What also amazed me is that their website and their advertising actually feature older women, age 50-80! No teen or twenty-something models for PrimeLash.
• PrimeLash comes in 4 shades: Navy Blue, Brown, Mulberry, Soft Black. The black shade is called Soft Black because it’s not a harsh or severe looking black. Definitely more flattering for mature women. 
• The mascara is water-based and hypoallergenic with a neutral pH rather than oil-based, like most mascaras, to make it easier to wear for those with sensitive eyes. It can be removed with warm water. And it’s not supposed to flake and irritate the sensitive skin around the eye.

PrimeLash Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara vs. Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

Both brands of mascara are tubing mascaras. The formulations coat the lashes with a liquidy formula that surrounds each lash. While Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is a lengthening mascara, PrimeLash Mascara both lengthens and volumizes. 

Both are made for sensitive eyes.

The shades are almost the same: PrimeLash has 4 shades, while Thrive has 5 or 6 shades including some fashion shades like pink, green and they used to have purple. 

The silicone wands look almost identical.

Although both brands contains waxes, what is different between the two brands is the “base”. PrimeLash is supposed to be water-based, and Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash is water and oil-based. Yet both can supposedly be removed with warm water. (I prefer to use BioDerma Hydrabio Micellar Water.)

PrimeLash Mascara Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Styrene/acrylates Copolymer, Synthetic Candelilla Wax, Beeswax, Polyvinyl Alcohol, CI 77499, Glycerin, Stearic acid, Glyceryl Monostearate, Cetostearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 80, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyethyl cellulose, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum.

Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions, Brynn Rich Black Ingredients: AQUA/WATER, ACRYLATES/ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER, ALCOHOL DENAT., GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, GLYCERIN, DIMETHICONE, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, CERA CARNAUBA/COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX/CIRE DE CARNAUBA, STEARIC ACID, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, TROMETHAMINE, PALMITIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, LAURETH-21, PVP, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, METHYLGLUCAMINE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, PANTHENOL, NEOFINETIA FALCATA CALLUS CULTURE EXTRACT, SODIUM HYALURONATE, LECITHIN, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499).

Both are applied the same way: apply to one eye at a time. If you want to apply more coats for more volume, do it before the mascara dries on the eye.

Both are similarly priced. PrimeLash Mascara’s regular price is $28 (but currently, you can buy 2 tubes for $50) and Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions is $26.

Frankly, it’s hard to decide which brand to buy based on their similar attributes.

Pros & Cons

PrimeLash Mascara Pros:

• the best and longest lasting curling and lifting mascara I’ve ever used with no need for a lash curler!
• the formula is easy and relatively fast to apply, especially if I am only applying one coat
• the formula contains methylparaben and propylparaben preservatives that prevent microorganisms or bacteria from growing in the mascara. Thus, a tube will last longer. I know we all often try to avoid parabens, but sometimes a preservative can be a good thing.

PrimeLash Mascara Cons:

• my major con is that when I apply more than one coat, I often end up with “raccoon eyes”, smudges beneath my eyes. Honestly, I can’t stand that
• perhaps because the formula is meant to “moisturize lashes”, I find that my lashes feel sticky if I touch them accidentally
• harder to remove with micellar water but it doesn’t make sense to use water to remove the mascara when I need to use micellar water to remove my eyeshadow and liner

I bought PrimeLash Mascara on the Shop app because I had Shop Cash to use, and the Shop app had a substantial discount if I bought 2 tubes. I did.

To be honest, I am on the fence about PrimeLash Mascara. My key “pro” and my key “con” seem to cancel each other out. I love that I don’t need to use a lash curler at all with PrimeLash and my lashes are very curled and lifted. It enhances their look.

Yet, the “con” of ending up with embarrassing smudges, and I mean big, honking smudges, is just awful. Before I bought PrimeLash Mascara, I read through about 50 customer reviews and no one reported a problem with smudging. What gives?

PrimeLash has a refund policy up to $100, supposedly. Sadly, they don’t have a customer service phone number. Instead, you have to email them at in**@************cs.com with either questions or complaints. Unfortunately, I wanted to talk to a human to ask about the smudging. I want to ask if they have application suggestions that might help prevent the smudging. Oh well, I’ll write to them tomorrow, and let you know what I hear back. 

Have you tried PrimeLash Mascara? If so, what did you think?