It’s funny how things change over the years – for years and years and YEARS I wore L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black in the waterproof formula because I thought it was basically “dumb” to wear anything but waterproof mascara. I mean, the risk of getting rained on is kind of a constant, so why bother with a non-waterproof formula? Of course, nowadays, I’ve changed my tune since there’s a heck of a lot of mascara out there that doesn’t come in a waterproof formula.

However….  if your favourite formula of mascara is Too Faced‘s Better Than Sex, you can rest easy knowing they have a waterproof formula now!

First off… the packaging is pretty damn swanky. While the original Better Than Sex mascara came in a sleek pink tube, the new Better Than Sex Waterproof comes in the same style tube, except this one is pale aqua-blue with embossed water droplets. The packaging is VERY reminiscent of Alluring Aquatics collection from MAC a few years back. Am I complaining that they copied them? Hell no, I LOVE this style of packaging, and bonus points for the simulated water droplets actually making it easier to open the tube! (Sidenote, I had never actually owned a full size tube of Better Than Sex because I always managed to have them in deluxe sized samples, so I had no idea how solid and weighty these tubes of mascara felt till now!)

The brush is identical in size and shape to the original Better Than Sex. It’s an hourglass shape that works well to build volume and length. While I personally like the effect it creates on my lashes, I need to point out that I find the brush a bit cumbersome since I’m prone to getting mascara everywhere on my lids. It’s not my favourite style of brush, however I definitely make it work because I love the formula!

So that’s how it plays out on my lashes. I’m a one coat mascara kind of woman, and the Better Than Sex Waterproof definitely delivers in one coat. At two coats, it thickens up my lashes for sure, but I don’t find it’s totally necessary (for my tastes). It doesn’t clump up and I’ve got plenty of definition to keep me happy.

Of course, this is a waterproof formula, so I had to put it through some kind of water test. So here’s my step by step test:

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara Demo

(If you notice that smudge on the lower lash line near the outer corner of my eye, that’s just my terrible mascara application. You can see the smudges are there in the Step 1 shot above!)

Alright, so Too Faced released a waterproof mascara… but how you gonna take that off?

Never fear, they’ve got an answer for that too! Their brand new Mascara Melt Off is a cleansing oil intended for waterproof mascara, but can be used on any mascara you’ve got in your stash.

It comes in a slim tube that’s basically like any other identical tube of mascara. However, this tube is filled with a cleansing oil that will break down your waterproof mascara. The wand is quite slim and has small grooves in it to help pick up the mascara from the tube and deposit it to your lashes.

The Mascara Melt Off is applied to your lashes as you would any other mascara. I coat the tops and bottoms of my lashes and let it sit about thirty seconds (maybe less). I then wipe it away with a cotton pad and… poof! Every smidge of mascara is totally gone. I’ve started using the Mascara Melt Off with both my regular mascaras and my waterproof ones just because it works so well.

Final Thoughts

Better Than Sex Waterproof – I’ve heard of people having issues with this mascara not drying down at all and transferring everywhere. I did not have these problems whatsoever as I found that it was totally dry within five minutes of application (probably less, but I wasn’t really timing it). I also found it was totally waterproof if I was running my fingers along my lashes and squeezing them between my fingers after I had doused my face in water. If you SCRUB at your eyes, then yes, you’re going to get a bit of transfer, but that’s kind of to be expected because of friction. I definitely feel it’s a waterproof formula that holds up. For daily wear I also found it to be fairly decent. I had very little flaking (which is something I’m prone to), and it was only after the 13 hour mark that I started to notice any kind of smudging. For example, I wore this to Gen Beauty this past Saturday: I applied it at 8 am, and by 11 pm I had some outer corner smudging. But you know what? That’s a LONG ASS day, so I can’t really fault a mascara for struggling after 15 hours of wear. For a normal 8-9 hour work day, I have zero issues.

Mascara Melt Off – What a neat product this one turned out to be. It does feel like an added step in my routine, but it does so well to help break down the mascara that I’m pretty happy to use it when I’m wearing a longwearing formula. It helps me avoid scrubbing around my eyes with remover, thus preserving the eye area from wear and tear. Is it necessary? Nope, totally not. Is it handy and makes it easier on me to remove tough mascara? Absolutely!

The Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof mascara can be purchased on sephora.ca for $30 CAD and on sephora.com for $23.00 USD.

Mascara Melt Off is $22 CAD on sephora.ca and $17 USD on sephora.com.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.