We put the new Gucci mascara to the test

First, we lost our minds over the Gucci lipsticks and its irreverent campaign shots of red-lipsticked, gap-toothed models. Now Gucci designer Alessandro Michele has ripped up the rule book again with the launch of a new Gucci mascara.

Gucci Mascara L'Obscur, £30, Harrods

Buy it now

Rewind to Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2020 show a week ago and models with streaks of dark make-up running down their cheeks 'wept' their way down the catwalk.

Whether you realised it or not, this was your first introduction to the new Gucci mascara. Albeit mixed with water to create a tear effect and applied sparingly on lashes for definition.

A photo posted by on

Housed in a retro powder pink tube, the mascara drops today. And with it, another tongue-in-cheek campaign featuring leftover mascara imprinted on pillows.

All you need to know is that the formula is the inkiest of black shades and near impossible to smudge/flake/feather once dry.

But for me the magic lies in the brush. Spherical in shape and made of flexible elastomer, it has been designed so you can sweep it through lashes for lift and curl but also apply mascara vertically (yes really!) for a bold, punk feel.

Another bonus: the slender tip is one of the best I've come across for grabbing even the tiniest bottom lashes.

'I designed Mascara L’Obscur for an authentic person who uses make-up to tell their story of freedom, in their way. When we asked the talents to do the campaign, we looked for somewhat eccentric personalities who really wear their make-up in this way,' explained Gucci's Alessandro Michele in a press release. 'We called it L’Obscur because this word balances charm and mystery.'

Don’t expect a pretty, fanned-out false-lash effect with this mascara. It’s a grittier, filthier beast than that. Imagine your mascara at 3am after dancing all night in a sweaty nightclub.

That’s the perfectly imperfect genius of the Gucci mascara.

Fiona Embleton has been a beauty editor for over 10 years, writing and editing beauty copy and testing over 10,000 products. She has previously worked for magazines like Marie Claire, Stylist, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health. Beauty journalism allowed her to marry up her first class degree in English Literature and Language (she’s a stickler for grammar and a self-confessed ingredients geek) with a passion for make-up and skincare, photography and catwalk trends.