Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes - Review

So now that I have used this mascara a couple times after I got it from this past Glossybox I think I have formed enough of an opinion to let you know what I do an don't like about it. This is the younger sister mascara to the Lights, Camera, Lashes which I have not tested out so I personally cannot compare the two.  

Strangely it came with this extra head which is puzzling to me. I really dont see the point of having an extra one packed into the box. Am I supposed to change it? Or am I supposed to gaze upon it and then just throw it out? It seems wasteful but if someone out there knows what I am supposed to do with it, let me know because  am just way too clueless. But as you can see there is a dense side, a side with more spaced out spikes and a couple little tiny spiky bits at the top. I do like the concept but personally all i really need is the dense side and the top for getting the small eyelashes in the inner and outer corners. 

One thing I really do like is the packaging. It's very different from what I am used to and feels a little fancy. I really am one to love a good snake stamped pleather in a bright and shiny gold color. But I don't approve of the fabric if they were used for skinny pants. Now that would be an eww moment right there. 

Now once the mascara is on the brush the helpful color coding is no longer very helpful and both sides look the same. At least to me and I refuse to squint and worry about it because its not worth getting wrinkles over. I do really love how dark and pigmented it applies but I feel it really doesn't hold the curl i just did on my lashes. It took years of practice and scouring magazines and the internet for tips and tricks to perfect the way I curl my lashes. So if I take my time curling my lashes and getting them ready for a coat of mascara that mascara better not make my lashes droop and that is what this one does, makes my lashes look like they are at half the height I curled them to. I also feel my lashes become very stiff after it dries. I don't have a problem with that but it may be a deal breaker for any of the readers out there. But I think what I disliked the most is that it does smudge and I will have a black eye by the end of the workday. If you have dry skin you might not have this issue but for us oily/combo skin gals or even gals who just love the look of dewy skin won't find this product to suit them. 

I really am not one to complain too much about getting thing from the subscription boxes that I purchase especially when the one item I get is worth more than the box its self. I spent $21 on the box and the mascara retails for $23 so I am grateful that I did get my moneys worth out of it. I really am not one to always buy mid range and high end makeup for myself and if I do it is usually a lipstick. So I do think it's nice to have something to try out that is out of my purchasing comfort zone.While I do have a problem with it getting a little smudgy towards the end of the day my luck might improve when I gets cold out and my skin dries out a little bit. 

For me this mascara would be used during the day time because I really don't need super dramatic curled lashes at 11 am and will probably just be using it up when its colder but would not purchase this on my own because I just like to swipe and go in the morning without having to think about anything. The only thing I should be worrying about is making time to make a cup of coffee before work. 

so have any of you lovelies tried this mascara yourself? If you did I sure hop you had better luck with it than I did. And I'm still scratching my head over the extra mascara wand it came with. 

Hope to see you again next time lovelies!

XOX