40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Cult Classics
Day 22, Armani Maestro Mascara by Koneko from Koneko's "Mostly" Beauty Diary

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Armani Maestro...

Your first love. Hard to get over. Sometimes it can ruin many a future would-be love. Well, in my case, the comb mascara from Stephane Marais fits that description to perfectly. I've never been able to find a mascara that gets to the base of every single lash, separates, lengthens, and doesn't smudge. But then it was gone.

Many a worthy and admirable mascara has come my way, with perfectly wonderful attributes, but not all of the above. But when I learned that my favorite cosmetics line, Armani, was coming out with a mascara with a comb wand, hope was reborn! I predicted that Armani + comb mascara = perfection! Obviously, a lot of other people thought so as well, as it has become a cult classic. I already loved Armani Star Lash mascara. This glorious product gives my thin, puny, stick straight lashes a curvy volume I never dreamed possible. In fact, it would be my holy grail, except it smudges on me after a few hours. So I did have some anxiety about Maestro smudging..

The Maestro has 4 combs on the wand. The teeth are perfectly spaced so there aren't wide gaps to create huge goopy blobs of mascara on your lashes. They are also the right depth, so that they capture an appropriate amount of mascara from the tube. It deposits just the perfect amount on your lashes, and there is enough time between application and drying of the mascara to get the lashes the way you want them. You're not tugging through mascara that has dried too quickly. It also doesn't take forever to dry either.

My results were a lengthening and defined effect. Not too much volume for a volumizing mascara. No curl (but not touted to do so.)
The combs: I love the actual construction of each comb. As above, it's a more precise took than traditional brushes. But I am not too keen on 4 vs. 1, With a 1 comb design, I could easily get the lower lashes and the base of my lashes. I can never do that with a regular mascara wand or with the 4-comb deisgn, due to the architecture of my eyes. I have to pull my eyelid back or scrunch up my face, or twist my head a certain way-- yes, not very elegant, and that's why I like the single comb!!! And yes, it smudged. (but almost everything, even waterproof smudges on me)

I was in denial for several weeks. I tried to make this work. I really did. If anyone was going to fill the Marais void, it had to be Armani! But when the "time to replace" deadline came up, Armani went out the door.

Bottom Line:
Pluses: formula consistency, comb construction, great definition, precision, smooth application onto lash, length of time to dry, nice lengthening
Minuses: smudging factor, 4 combs vs. 1 comb, not too much oopmh

P.S. I've gotten over the Marais. But I do need to go back to Japan. I didn't realize they had a lot more single-combed mascaras there. And after all, that's where they made Marais!

Credit: Armani
Graphic: Melanie Parker
Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer.