Last month I was lucky enough to receive Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara + Velvet Primer complimentary from Influenster in exchange for a review.  I was super excited because I’ve been wanting to try the mascara for a while and my search for a mascara primer that actually works has not been successful as of yet.

ABOUT

From the Sephora website:

Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

Experience ultimate volume and the look of thick, false lashes with Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara. The lash-maximizing, curvy brush places the most volume at the hard-to-reach center lash line, and the defining tip styles lashes for major drama. The super-concentrated black pigment delivers the greatest visual impact, and the Flash Volume Complex™ creates instant, smudge-proof length and volume in three strokes or less. Velvet Noir gives you the thickest lashes in one sweep. Apply Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara on its own, or layer with O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara (sold separately). 

Velvet Primer – Epic Lash Primer

Take your mascara further with Velvet Primer. The creamy, conditioning formula coats your lashes to maximize the benefits of your favorite mascara. Lashes feel luxuriously-soft and healthy, not brittle or dry. The soft-beige color makes it easy to apply evenly so you never miss a lash.

PRICE

• Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara – $33.00
• Velvet Primer – $33.00 CAD

PACKAGING

I don’t say this often but I truly do love the packaging here.  Both have a sleek, hexagonal design – the mascara is all black and the primer is white with a silver cap.  Both of these just look like an expensive, luxury product.

The primer has a wand with a slight hourglass shape where as the mascara has a straight brush.  Both have stubby, natural bristles.

FORMULAS + PERFORMANCE

As mentioned above, the Velvet Primer is unique because it has a beige tint.  They state they did this so you can apply it more evenly.  I suppose in comparison to black primers that logic makes sense but any other primer I’ve used has been white and I didn’t really find this made me apply it more evenly – I think that has more to do with the formula than the tint.

I do find this coats my lashes fairly evenly, although I’m noticing more clumps the older it gets.  I prefer to just apply two coats otherwise my lashes start sticking together.  I definitely noticed that it adds exceptional length and volume to my lashes so I had really high hopes for it the first few times I used it!

After applying the primer to one eye, I’d wait a few seconds and then immediately start applying the mascara.  I find the mascara is really black and builds on the length and volume of the primer.  Unfortunately it doesn’t add any thickness or fullness to my lashes so they end up looking kind of spiky and spidery, which I’m not a fan of.  That said, I didn’t hate the way they looked but what is more important to me is that this didn’t flake or smudge – something I always have problems with.

Unfortunately this did flake and smudge on me; it started happening almost immediately after I applied it.  I wore it for a few weeks straight and this never changed.  I was super disappointed but not surprised – there are only a handful of mascaras that don’t do this to me.  I’m just grateful that I was able to test this out for free rather than pay full price for it.

VERDICT

Sadly, neither of these worked for me and I can’t recommend them.  I personally feel that you can find a mascara with similar or better results from the drugstore for much less.  That said, please keep in mind that flaking/smudging is something I struggle with constantly and I don’t think that’s the norm so this could potentially work for you.

 

Have you tried any Marc Jacobs mascaras?

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for review but all opinions are my own