Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: Product featured was provided for review.

One of the biggest problems I have with mascaras is that they don't hold my curls. I have straight lashes that point slightly downwards so I don't like mascaras that weigh down the lashes shortly after application. However, the new Roller Lash Mascara ($29 CAD) from Benefit promises to solve that problem. Made with a 12-hour curl-setting formula, this mascara is equipped with a specially designed wand that hooks and lifts the lashes for a no lash curler required look. So how did it work? Read on to find out.......

Benefit Roller Lash

Packaging:
Always leave it to Benefit to come up with the cutest packaging designs. The Roller Lash Mascara comes in a black tube with a wand that mimics the design of an old-fashioned hair roller. The mascara wand is made of a stiff silicone, with a slightly curved angle. One side has long bristles and the other has shorter, criss-crossing bristles that help capture each individual lash.

Benefit Roller Lash

Benefit Roller Lash

Formulation & Effectiveness:
This is a nice clump-less mascara that helped define my lashes. It gave some nice volume and length as well. However, the mascara really didn't do much to curl my straight lashes. I'd say that the wand made no visible difference compared to the majority of mascara wands on the market. It separates the lashes nicely, but it didn't really lift or curl more than the rest. Additionally, the formulation did not hold my curls. Even when I curled my lashes with an eyelash curler prior to application, the curls fell flat within the hour. The wear is decent, there was minimal smudging at the end of the day and it removes easily with warm water and cleanser.
Below are my swatches of the mascara. The middle image is me wearing the mascara alone without curling the lashes. As you can see, the mascara only gave a tiny bit of lift, and I really tried to use the wand to lift and spread my lashes. On the left is me wearing the mascara after curling my lashes. The curls fell flat about an hour after application.

Left: No mascara; Middle: Roller Lash Alone;
Right: Roller Lash applied after curling lashes with an eyelash curler

Overall:

The Roller Lash Mascara didn't work well for me. This is by no means a bad mascara; it's lengthening and volumizing with a great wear. However, the wand didn't really curl my straight lashes much and the small curls it did create fell flat shortly after. My conclusion is that if you have naturally curled lashes, this mascara will really help define and spread them. However, if you have straight lashes like mine, there won't be a major difference.

Availability:

Benefit is available online and in stores at Sephora.