Like a lot of people, I spend my fair share of time scrolling through gorgeous images on Instagram. Over the past few months, I happened to notice that a lot of bloggers I know were posting on their feeds about products they had been sent to review from Influenster.com. I'd never heard of the site before, but when I checked it out, I discovered that it's a product review site that anyone can sign up for. I decided I might as well create an account, and then promptly forgot all about it. Imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks later, I received an email from them to tell me I'd been selected to review Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara*. Not bad, eh?!

I've lusted after quite a few Marc Jacobs beauty bits for some time now, so I was thrilled to receive this. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous, simple but effective, and I'm a big fan of the hexagonal shape. I like the brush too - it has natural bristles and is thin and quite long, so it does an amazing job of grabbing and coating every lash.


According to Marc Jacobs, the formula is designed to give a false lash effect with just three strokes of the wand, or even less. The pigment is an intense black, and promises to deliver both length and "1800% more volume".

I can confess to being pretty fickle when it comes to mascara. Every time I write a monthly favourites post, I seem to have a new one to add to the list. And I have to say, Velvet Noir is no exception. The formula is a little wet on first application, but it doesn't bother me too much - it just means I need to be a bit careful when putting it on. The claim that you don't need many coats is definitely one I have found to be true - you get a pretty much instant impact with this. As for the results, to me this is a "best of both worlds" mascara. Usually, you have to choose between length and volume, but Velvet Noir delivers both very effectively.
 

Apparently, Marc Jacobs was inspired to create this mascara by memories of watching his mother getting ready to go out. She would shave fibres from a piece of black velvet and stick them to her lashes between layers of mascara in order to create a more dramatic look. As much as I admire the woman for her dedication, ain't nobody got time for that, so I'm very pleased that her son came up with a mascara that would deliver the goods on its own! I should also point out that it achieves this incredible volume without clumping - it just beautifully thickens each lash.





Velvet Noir isn't cheap, but if you're after a mascara that gives you a dramatic false lash effect and don't want to compromise on either volume or length, I think you will love it.

Have you tried this mascara?
Kate x