On My Top Shelf: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
Smudge-less, flake-less, actually good mascara DOES exist—and buying it helps a woman in need
“You’re telling me there’s a mascara that’ll give me length and volume without any smudging, flaking, and shrinking? Lol.” – Me, not too long ago.
Through the years, I tried them all: IT Cosmetics Superhero, Too Faced Man Eater, Loreal Voluminous—which actually used to be my “favorite,” only I would have to jump through every hoop possible to minimize (but never completely prevent) the mob of little black smudges that would collect around my eyes as the day went on. A few years ago, I watched a video by Carli Bybel where she would bake with powder just before applying her mascara to avoid those little black dots on her under eyes. Genius, and definitely helped, although I’d still end up rubbing away a few smudges and reapplying my powder halfway through the day.
Benefit Roller Lash? Made my lashes look fluttery and beautiful at first. But on me, the formula would shrink once it dried and make my lashes look 25% shorter than they actually were. So, like, what’s the point of mascara if it only looks good when it’s wet?
Other cult-favorite mascaras, like Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, looked amazing when I first applied, but I found to be very dry on my lashes. After just a few hours, my cheeks would be peppered with little black mascara flakes. Not exactly the vibe I was going for.
I had accepted that this was just the way of life. “You can’t have it all,” I’d whisper to myself as I dust the unwelcomed black sprinkles off my face.
Fast forward to late 2020. We all were just getting accustomed to wearing face masks on a daily basis and having to adjust our makeup routines as a result—goodbye beautiful, creamy lipsticks. I also found that any mascara that tended to smudge on my eyes did so even more, and I can only assume it’s because of how my breath escaped from the top of my mask and warmed up the area around my eyes (the same reason our glasses fog up when we’re masked up). On-point eye makeup has always been a priority for us makeup lovers. But once our eyes became the only part of our face visible to the outside world, nailing down some bulletproof eye makeup products was even more critical.
So, I was on the hunt, and this time, I meant business. One of my all-time favorite beauty influencers, Kathleen Lights, first mentioned the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in 2018. After a few years of hearing her rave about it, and nearly 15 years of dealing with flakes and smudges, I finally decided it was time to give it a shot with the hope that I might just find the one. Spoiler alert: I did.
My first application was life changing, and I’m not even being dramatic this time.
Length? Check. Volume? Check. Super black in color. Check. But most importantly, I could finally say farewell to smudges, flakes, and shrinkage.
The Liquid Lash Extensions is a tubing mascara, which means that instead of giving you racoon eyes when you take your makeup off, the mascara slides off your lashes in tiny little tubes when you apply warm water and gentle pressure. Removing your makeup after a late night out (when removing your makeup at all can be considered a victory in itself) is 10 times easier, and you don’t leave any mascara stains on your pretty white washcloths.
Now, everything I’ve mentioned about the Thrive mascara is great, and I’m super thankful to finally be able to go a whole day without worrying about how my eye makeup is faring. But probably the most amazing thing about the Thrive Causemetics brand is their commitment to giving to women in need. Philanthropy is so important to Thrive’s founder Karissa that the word “cause” is even in the brand’s name. Their “buy one, give back” initiative donates a beauty product every time one is purchased on their site. They also give generously to scholarship funds, nonprofits that help women in their journey out of homelessness, and other charitable organizations. Buying from Thrive Causemetics isn’t just about filling up your makeup bag. It aids their mission to support more-than-worthy causes every day. And that’s pretty cool.
I wish I could admit to any amount of smoke-blowing with my praises about the Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara, but it’s really just that good. And that’s why it has earned itself a permanent spot in my top shelf. I don’t know how any mascara could replace this one … and yes, that’s a challenge to any mascara willing to accept.
All I can say is, try it for yourself or forever be looking for your mascara love in all the wrong places.
xx,
Whitley
