Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara Review

Troublemaker is the latest mascara from Urban Decay. It gets that name because, "This mascara is so good it should be illegal." With just a couple of coats, this mascara claims to deliver, "...thicker, impossibly long, perfectly fanned-out lashes" and are also ""sexy, fluttery, intensely black."

That all sounds perfect to me so when I had a chance to snap a free sample of this product, I went for it. Since receiving this mascara a couple of weeks ago, I've been testing out Urban Decay's promise of "13.7x the lash volume" and "an intensity that’s blacker than your darkest thoughts" thanks to "two different types of black pigments."

As my before and after photo shows, Troublemaker definitely added visible length and volume to my lashes though not so much that my lashes were ever weighed down or stiff. It also made them a bit blacker though my lashes are naturally dark to start with. While I wasn't blown away by the results, I wasn't disappointed either. The length, volume and colour provided by this product is perfectly acceptable for everyday use.

This mascara's brush is "designed it to comb and separate lashes to make it look like you have more of them." Explains Urban Decay, "The brush actually fans out lashes as it coats them, separating and curling each lash while laying down the perfect amount of mascara." As my picture shows, the comb didn't get every one of my lashes but it did a reasonable job at separating most of them and did give them a bit of a curl though again, the results in this area aren't as dramatic as I was expecting.

Urban Decay claims that this mascara is also sex- (among other things) proof. It contains "...a combination of polymers helps the mascara adhere to your lashes for lasting wear—no flaking, smearing or smudging." While I didn't experience any flaking I did end up with some smudging while engaging in everyday activities. Okay, I do have a tendency to touch my eyes a lot but still, a mascara that supposedly "lasted through saunas and snowboarding" should be able to hold up to the occasional eye rub.

But that wasn't my biggest problem with this product. That honour goes to the price. If this mascara came in at say, $15, I would seriously consider buying. At that number, the results would have been completely inline with the price. But it retails for $30 over at Sephora. For $30 I expect a mascara that wows and that includes not smudging. While this mascara does deliver some results, it just doesn't do it at a level that justifies a $30 price tag.

Would I buy this product: Not for $30.

Should you buy this product: See above. It's a perfectly good mascara, it's just over-priced