MAC Extended Play Mascara

I never thought I would be a person who uses two separate mascaras – one for the top lashes and one for the bottom.  For the record, I too think the idea, in itself, is ridiculous.  But nevertheless, this is where I find myself.  

Makeup - Mascara

Mac’s Extended Play Mascara is a narrow, skinny, water resistant wand that is perfect – read perfect – for coating bottom lashes.  This is the polar opposite to Lancome’s Monsieur Big. If, like me, you are used to having to wipe away mascara residue from underneath your eyes come lunchtime, this is one for you.  I don’t know if its using concealer, or having long lashes but mascara always transfers to my undereye leaving me looking tired and dark.  Half the time you don’t realise it’s happened until you catch yourself in a reflection and there’s a panda staring back at you.  I had actually conceded and stopped wearing mascara on my bottom lashes entirely – until I tried this.  

The Extended Play wand is really skinny and long, which makes it so easy to coat your lower lashes without ending up with mascara on the skin beneath the lashes.  Leave your cotton buds behind, girls.  You can get right into the corners, without smudging mascara across your cheek bone, and the colour is a great intense black.  The best part – no transfer come lunchtime.  The downside is that it isn’t particularly volumising.  It’s definitely lengthening, and separates the lashes really well, but I prefer to use a more thickening, fluttery-effect mascara on my top lashes, and reserve this solely for the lower lash line.

If you like a really natural, separating mascara then this may work for you both top and bottom but some will find it spidery. For events or full glam evenings, I’ll use my preferred mascara on the top lashes, followed by Extended Play as a sort of top-coat to seal the first mascara and ensure absolutely no transfer down to my undereye. 

I know some of you just won’t be up for using two different products for your eyelashes and would expect a mascara to be able to do both – and in a perfect world they would.  But in my world, my top and bottom lashes have different needs, and Mac’s Extended Play is the ultimate for the lower lash line.

Find at MAC

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