I’ve Tried A Lot Of Mascaras, But This Is My Forever Favorite

I am not a full-face-of-makeup-every-day kind of gal. I never have been, but as a mom of three who works full-time from home and has a packed schedule every day, I’m really not that girl. But one thing I will put on every single morning, right after my moisturizer (with SPF, we are not letting the sun we love damage our skin!), is mascara.

It’s the one piece of makeup I wear absolutely every single day, without fail. Going to the gym? Swipe on mascara. Running to the grocery store? Mascara. Hopping on a Zoom call? Mascara. It has always been the one cosmetic item that makes me feel put together. I feel like I can let highlighter and eyeshadow and even my brows go — as long as I have on mascara. That means in the roughly 25 years of consistently trying and wearing makeup, I’ve had a lot of mascara brands in my drawer. I’ve never really been a brand loyalist when it comes to my eyelashes, but that’s all changed now.

Because Grande Cosmetics Conditioning Peptides Mascara is the only one I’ll ever use again.

You know that “clean girl” aesthetic that’s everywhere on social media? (To me, it just looks like normal, neutral makeup, but whatever Gen Z, we’ll give it a label.) That’s what this mascara does. I swipe it on and instantly, my whole face seems glowier and brighter. In the past, I would wear mascara without any eyeshadow, but knew it would look better with some color on my lids — even a neutral one — but with Grande Cosmetics? I don’t feel that way at all.

The brush is so good, so there’s never a single clump, and I’m guessing it’s the conditioning peptides inside, but literally, this stuff glides on. It spreads out my eye lashes so they look bigger and fuller, and as I layer it on, it never seems to stick in a weird way or look like too much. It’s just the perfect amount and changes my whole face.

Oh, and let me tell you — it lasts and it doesn’t smear! I’ve tried so many mascaras that leave that black line underneath my eye or on the top of my eyelid, and this one absolutely does not. I ran three miles on an 80-degree Georgia day and when I got done, sweat pouring off of my body, my mascara still looked perfect.

This mascara is a girl’s girl. That’s all I know.

Stats

• Price: $25
• Options available: Black, brown, and waterproof
• Who it’s for: Anyone with eyelashes, but it also specifically works well for those wearing contacts or eyelash extensions!

The Ingredients

I never really understand ingredients in makeup, but one thing I have looked up? Peptides. And this mascara’s got ‘em. You may have heard of peptides in skincare and in other cosmetics, and their primary use is to increase collagen and elastin — key proteins to keep your skin looking fresh, youthful, and to hopefully keep some wrinkles, thin skin, and dryness away. (Things that are all normal, by the way!)

In the Grande Cosmetics conditioning peptide mascara, the peptide included is called Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, and it’s meant to help strengthen and fortify your lashes. Also included in the ingredients list is a natural wax blend — a softer beeswax helps promote volume while a harder carnauba wax helps to lengthen — and Vitamin B5 for strengthening and nourishing your eyelashes.

The way this stuff glides on, I have no doubt that the conditioning peptides are doing exactly what they are meant to do.

The Packaging

It looks as nondescript as any mascara could, but I am totally obsessed with the brush. In the past, I’ve had mascara brushes actually hurt, but this one seems to have slightly more spaced apart bristles than other popular brands, and I think that’s why it goes on so well without clumping. Plus the gold tube is easy to spot in my makeup drawer when I’m in a rush.

How I Use The GrandeMASCARA Conditioning Peptide Mascara

I don’t have any eyelash extensions, I don’t use any eyelash serum, and I have nothing else truly going on with my face — so I just swipe this baby on. I do reapply in the afternoons sometimes just to freshen it up, but it honestly looks great all day, from start to finish. I take it off in the evenings with my normal face-washing routine, and I find that all of the mascara comes off well with whatever cleanser I’m using, plus warm water.

Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• It stays on forever and lasts through an entire day of #momlife, work, and exercise.
• As a non-makeup girl, it keeps me looking fresh and *alive* all day.
• No clumps, glides right on, and can be layered easily for a fuller vibe if you want.
• Grande Cosmetics is cruelty-free, and they have a 90-day money back guarantee if you don’t like their products.

Cons:

• It’s a little pricier than any other mascara I’ve ever bought and I would normally scoff at $25 for one piece of makeup.

Final Verdict

Trust me: I’m not a makeup person. But this is one product I will stand by forever and ever. I just can’t get over how much of a difference it makes in my face, even with nothing else on but moisturizer. I’ve loved other Grande Cosmetics items too, but this mascara will always be my ride or die.

The TL;DR

This is the only mascara I will ever use again, the end.

Had To Share highlights the products and finds that Scary Mommy editors and contributors love so much, we just had to share in the group chat.