Lancome Virtuose Precious Cells

Tried out my new Lancome Virtuose Precious Cells today as I was eager to find out if it was worth the S$49. Lancome's mascaras are widely regarded as the gold standard in the beauty industry, just like Shu Uemura's eyelash curler, but I hesitated to splurge on a mascara that would have to be discarded after 3-6 months. Virtuose Precious Cells is touted as the first smudge-resistant cream mascara that extends lashes’ life cycle to visibly regenerate lashes. It also promises "high definition curves and length" and 12-hour hold thanks to its unique 3D Prism brush and advanced lash-care formula.

Often with cheap drugstore mascaras, the volumising formulas gunk up the brushes and you have to wipe the excess product off before applying. (I just threw out three Bourjois Volume Clubbing mascaras because the mascaras were just a clumpy mess. Fortunately, these had cost just S$2.80 each as they were a magazine freebie.) The Virtuose brush is fairly large but it comes out of the tube without being caked in the mascara. This helps to facilitate the smooth application of the mascara without clumping. I also found that the curved brush is especially good in lifting the lashes and enhancing the curl.

I liked the jet black formula and the fact that it did not make my lashes hard and brittle after it dried down. Virtuose worked very well in terms of lengthening and separating my lashes without weighing it down. The volumising effect was not that significant though. Nevertheless, I felt that it added very lovely definition to my lashes. The mascara glides on smoothly and builds length effortlessly with a few quick brushes.


The two pics below were taken after 7 hours of wear. As you can see, the curl of my lashes held up beautifully! There was also zero flaking, smudging or smearing despite this not being a waterproof mascara.

Compared to the other mascaras I am currently using, I think Virtuose Cells is better than ZA Wide Eyes Mascara in terms of building length. It is also much easier to remove than the Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On mascara (which is a waterproof formula). Visee Lash Wide Impact (Curl Long) and K-Palette Real Lasting Volume Mascara produce the most similar results as Virtuose Precious Cells with K-Palette being slightly better in terms of adding volume but K-Palette contains fibres while Virtuose does not. Overall, I do like Virtuose Precious Cells very much but it is a pricey splurge for a product that has to be used up within a few months so I'd probably need another really good gift/promotion to tempt me into repurchasing it!

Lancome is releasing different "Precious Cells" mascaras in different regions. Europe got Hypnose Precious Cells, while the US will be getting Definicils Precious Cells. One of my favourite beauty bloggers, Jamilla Camel (who is based in UK), just reviewed the Hynose Precious Cells mascara on her blog, Makeup For Professional Asian Women. Do check out her review!