The alley grew darker the deeper she went, but she knew he came this way, the cat with the tabby fur.
She sped around a corner and almost tripped on something metal and loud, a trash can maybe. She didn’t stop. It was dark, so dark. Out of breath, her heart racing, she barely made out the silhouettes of two dogs playing cards under a fire escape before she passed them.
“Which way’d he go?” she barked, pivoting on three-inch heels.
No answer. Damn scamps. She didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, just kept running, arms flailing wildly in the dark.
“Hello!” she cried out, to nowhere, to everywhere, to him. “Please, wait!”
Still nothing. So she kept running, deeper into the night. He was here. She knew it, somewhere, the cat with the tabby fur…
At $28 the new Hourglass Film Noir Mascara is priced more like a big budget Hollywood blockbuster than art house film noir.
Available in a single shade, Onyx, a deep, dark jet black, it borrows a page (or two) from Chanel’s new $30 Inimitable Intense Mascara — sleek, sophisticated packaging, similar lash lengthening prowess and volume plumping powers; all that, and it lifts curls, keeps them lifted all day long and resists smudging, too.
What Hourglass says about Film Noir…
- That it conditions and hydrates lashes with pro-vitamin B5
- That polymers in the formula help it adhere to lashes while also resisting smudging and fading
- The triple-cut, hourglass-shaped brush distributes the product across lashes while creating volume, lift and length
- It’s free of parabens, sulfates and pthalates
While similar, Inimitable’s spiky lash look limits its flexibility. It’s also not the easiest product to layer (gets clumpy and messy after one layer).
Film Noir has the smoother formula (how smooth is it?). It’s smoother than that sweet talking ex-boyfriend who kept making excuses for not returning your Notorious B.I.G. CDs…
I’m not bitter. 🙂
And it doesn’t clump at all, not even after three (or more!) layers, delivering beautiful definition.
Before
Hourglass Film Noir after one coat
Hourglass after two coats
Chanel Inimitable after one coat
Film Noir also feels great when it’s worn. Lashes wearing it remain soft and feather light. Plus, removal’s a snap.
It seems like a lot of ladies like Film Noir. It’s been getting raves in early reviews on sephora.com, earning it four-and-a-half out of five stars… I like it too, but I do wish it delivered a little more volume, particularly around the lash base (and didn’t cost an arm and a leg!). Then again, I like my lashes drag queen-caliber, but you probably already knew that about me. 🙂 Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
You might like Hourglass Film Noir Mascara if…
- You don’t mind mascaras in the $30 range
- You value definition more than volume
- You like being able to build up your mascara using multiple layers
Dental dread…
Happy hump day, ladies! I’m en route to the dentist, aka one of my least favorite places in the world (no offense to dentists worldwide). As much as I don’t look forward to dental visits, can you imagine what dentistry used to be like? In Medieval times? Yeah, I wouldn’t have been able to hang. I hope I don’t have any cavities… Wish me luck! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Christy O says
September 1st, 2010 at 4:17 pmI guess I can’t claim you as a soul mate. I could never, ever justify paying so much for a mascara, and I looove going to the dentist.
Your lashes do look lovely, though.
Karen says
September 1st, 2010 at 4:51 pmLOL…we can stil be soul mates despite our lash differences. My dentist is currently working with me to chill out and be less nervous! Who knows, maybe someday I will love going to the dentist!
Tracy says
September 1st, 2010 at 4:57 pmYou know I love my Drugstore mascaras-Rimmel, LashBlasts but this one sounds intriguing.I keep hearing a lot of good things about Hourglass lately. It’s just so darn expensive!
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Beatrice says
September 1st, 2010 at 5:23 pmThis mascara looks great even though I’m usually a volume girl and never pay more then $12 for a mascara. This one may change me ( I know Bad Gal Lash did, it’s my new fave at the moment and I’m so glad I got that free sample because now I’m in love)
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Megan says
September 1st, 2010 at 5:28 pmYou know, I actually own this mascara. I like it, but it makes some of my lashes stick together, even when using a lash comb! Also…. it doesn’t really seem to be too too much more special than a drugstore mascara….. but am I not reaping the full benefits of this mascara by using the unique wand incorrectly? Suggestions?
Amber says
September 1st, 2010 at 5:30 pmI’m a drag queen lash aspirant as well! But what’s up with all the $25+ mascaras these days?
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Vixxan says
September 1st, 2010 at 5:53 pmI don’t think that I would buy this mascara because my eyelashes are so thin it would be crime to spend so much on them. I have tried so many mascaras from high end to low end and almost all of them look alike on my lashes.
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Myr says
September 1st, 2010 at 5:56 pmI loved reading this! 🙂
Nina says
September 1st, 2010 at 6:45 pmOooohhh Film Noir – one of my favorite movie genres. That mascara is beyond amazing! I want… 🙂
Aparnaa says
September 1st, 2010 at 9:59 pmI’m trying to curb mascara spending… gah! NO. BAD. This looks so good! I too am in favor of drag queen worthy lashes. Basically, I want to look like Mr. Snuffleupagus.
Also hear you on the dentistry fail. Sometimes I feel that modern dentists – while clearly better than their historical counterparts – just exist to upsell you and invent cavities that don’t exist. GOOD LUCK!
amy says
September 1st, 2010 at 11:09 pmBoth mascaras look wonderful on your lashes. It looks like they both are pretty good lengthening and thickening mascaras. I would have to try these one day.
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Trisha says
September 1st, 2010 at 11:24 pmThe cat with the tabby fur! Watch out!
As for the mascara, it does look better than the Chanel stuff, though still not as great as I expected.
Kim says
September 2nd, 2010 at 6:12 amYou know I’m 100% on board with drag queen lashes! I’m definitely valuing volume more too since my lashes are already pretty long… just not super-thick. The search continues! 🙂
I’m sorry about your dentist – I hope it went well. I’ve never had a cavity in my 39 years but my lifelong dentist just retired and I saw his replacement last week. He said I had 2 areas that I needed to be on top of for the flossing. Very upsetting! On a side note, I’ve always loved the dentist because my mom would take my sister and me out to eat after our visits. It was just to Pizza Hut, but we never ate out when we were kids and it was the biggest treat to do that. Now we do the same with our kids and they love the dentist too. Maybe you could get yourself an extra-special make-up treat after every visit. It might make you look forward to going too. 🙂
Kristen says
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:31 amI think these both look great on your lashes, but I prefer Inimitable. If you’re spending that much dough, might as well go with Chanel!
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BeckBeck says
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:17 pmYou know, I *loved* Hourglass Superficial Lash but never re-bought it because it was soooo expensive. This one looks equally awesome, but I’ve had such good luck with cheaper mascaras (Clinique, believe it or not, in several varieties!) that I feel guilty spending twice as much. I wish the mascara price ceiling were closer to $20 than $30.
Liz says
September 4th, 2010 at 9:45 amIf it gave me drag queen lashes, I would happily pay the $30. Oh well.
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Ellen Lange says
September 8th, 2010 at 12:22 pmI’m so glad you finally reviewed this mascara! I received a sample of it from when I purchased an order online at Sephora and haven’t been in a rush to test it out yet. I actually really like the way it looks on your lashes in the picture where you have 2 coats of it on. It looks like you’re wearing falsies on the outer lashes!