The Ciaté Wonderland, touted as Holly Willoughby’s go-to mascara sold out instantly after her makeup artist shared an image of Holly’s Wonderland adorned mega-lashes and caused a frenzy of sales. In fact, (now back in stock) – Wonderland accounts for twenty per cent of Ciaté London’s total sales with it being included in one of every three online orders. That’s pretty good going!
Rewind a little – for several years my most repurchased mascara ever is Bourjois Volume Glamour, mainly because it’s the closest dupe I could find to Lancôme Hypnose with a formula so similar you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference. The price tag sets them apart of course, but in terms of long-wear and performance, there’s not much else in it. This time I fancied a change.
“When I think of Ciaté as a brand, glittery nail polish springs to mind, but clearly, I need to catch up”
I hate to waste money on makeup which doesn’t live up to expectation, particularly mascara as you can’t really pass it on to a friend, daughter or mother for hygiene reasons so you’re stuck with It. Mascara is always a tricky one to get right as there are so many things to go wrong. The formula, the brush, I mean I just don’t get those spikey rubberised brushes, never have, but anyway, moving on – I’m here to talk about why I fell out of love with my Ciaté Wonderland…
“First Impressions aren’t always lasting ones”
I’m a review buff, so before making a new makeup purchase I read countless to make sure I’m clear on what I’m buying. The Ciaté Wonderland has amassed many a five-star rating and rave review so I thought I’d be safe to go ahead and make my purchase. Original price £19.99 on Look Fantastic but reduced to £13.99 (at time of purchase) – Hard to resist right?
To start with, this carbon black mascara is different. It comes in a gorgeous box which lists statistics and results found in a consumer panel survey – there’s certainly a lot to live up to. The tube is metal and decorated – also different. It’s weighty, and feels luxurious – clearly, no expense has been spared on the branding and packaging which is very appealing. The brush is odd though, its bristle as opposed to rubber with a “unique” hourglass shape. I’m not sure I understand why it’s styled this way as it doesn’t seem to improve the application; especially when you “go vertical” for the lower lashes – it’s bulky. However, It’s usable and doesn’t cause too much of a problem for me so I can live with that.
A spokesperson for the brand told the Sun…
“Unlike many a mascara on the market at the moment, Ciaté Wonderland gives four times more volume in just one coat without the use of any fibres”
There’s no denying, on initial application Wonderland mascara fulfils all of its promises which I love and there’s definitely 3D drama. However, by early evening it’s drying out and the merest absent-minded eye rub sends tiny particles tumbling down my cheeks.
“I really want to love this mascara and each morning brings renewed hope for an improvement in its performance but after using it for around ten days or so, I’m losing all hope”
I’m evidently in the minority, as according to statistics a large number of users found a long-wear result, you might love it too as results vary from person to person of course. If only the formula lived up to expectation for me, but it simply doesn’t. I’m debating giving it up completely and repurchasing my trusty Volume Glamour – a girl needs mascara she can trust – all day.
On the plus side, Ciaté Wonderland mascara removes easily with regular eye makeup remover, is paraben-free, vegan-friendly and Peta certified cruelty-free.
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Have you tried Ciaté Wonderland? What’s your take on it? Please do share your mascara go-to for full voluminous lashes, I’d love to compare notes!
