A Tale of Two Mascaras: Lancôme Hypnose Drama & Maybelline Lash Stilleto Voluptuous

Lancôme’s Hypnose Drama was the first of the ’S’ shaped mascara wands to hit the market and it got a lot of immediate buzz. Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Voluptuous, which is launching in drugstores nationwide, is the closest in shape to the Hypnose Drama wand. However, I’d say the similarities likely begin and end there.

Let’s talk Hypnose Drama first. I am a  fan of this wand because I think it helps curve with your lashes and lengthen them. I find that it does create some major lashes if I take my time and build it up right. The formula is solid and doesn’t flake on me at all – and I wear my makeup for 12+ hours on most days. But there’s a downside. This a very wet mascara and it tends to clump on the wand. Maybe it’s the ‘S’ shape and the way it wiggles out of the tube? I’m not sure, but it is a slight hindrance. The way I’ve been dealing is to blot the excess off before application. There have been times I’ve also just dealt with the excess and went straight to my lashes. I’ve been able to work it out just fine and keep combing the wand through my lashes. Again, if I’m being patient this method can work and still be clump-free.

As for Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous, I find this to be a much drier formula. If I’m doing a direct comparison of the wands, I’d say this is a less dramatic ‘S’ shape and it’s thinner a little bit flimsier. It does a really great job of lengthening my lashes and it maintains a curl pretty well too. This I like, a lot.  But, it flakes. Oh, it flakes bad on me. After a few hours, I noticed a couple of random black flecks under my eye or near my nose. I’ve tested this a handful of times to make sure it wasn’t a “flaking” fluke, but each time I experienced flaking. In the words of Liz Lemon, this is a dealbreaker.

Aside from shape, I don’t see a lot of similarities in these mascaras. I think each has its pros and cons, but unfortunately for Lash Stiletto Voluptuous, I can’t handle the flaking. I’m going to stick with Hypnose Drama because I think it is a pretty innovative mascara and, excess product withstanding, it does produce great results.