Welcome to Internet Famous, a monthly series in which we ask our Instagram followers to vote on a viral beauty product that's taken social media by storm. Then the beauty team will take the winning pick for a spin and share their reviews—pictures included.
I have mixed feelings about overachievers—mostly because they make me feel bad about myself. But when it comes to my makeup, it's a completely different story. I want any product I use to go above and beyond its claims. I want to be surprised, even delighted, by the end result, and the L'Oréal Telescopic Lash Lift Mascara ($15) delivered. To be frank, I was rendered speechless by its powers.
I'm not totally sure what I was expecting to happen. When a product causes this much of a commotion on TikTok (it has a whopping 1.3 billion views), I know I'll either love the damn thing or be completely underwhelmed. I've been in this business long enough to know that hype isn't always warranted. I also know that not all mascaras are created equally, and this one has a wand that puts all others to shame. It has double-hooked bristles that allow for closer application to the eyelash line. The front-hook bristles lift and load lashes from root to tip, and the side-hook bristles help comb and separate lashes. All this means is that if you want to trick people into thinking you're wearing faux lashes, this mascara will do the trick. Keep scrolling for some solid picture proof of that and more honest reviews of one of this year's most controversial mascaras.
Aniyah Morinia, Editor
"This mascara has been causing a stir online and IRL now that I've told everyone I know how much I love it. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm pretty picky about mascara and very few impress me, but this wand alone got brownie points. It's flat and double-sided with a curved edge, so it gives an intense lift, volume, and length. My manager asked me if I curled my lashes (I didn't) because the before-and-after photos had such a stark difference. While I'm in love with the falsies effect that this gave me, I'm even more in love with how easy it was to take off at the end of the day. I haven't been this impressed with a drugstore mascara in years!"
Erin Jahns, Beauty Director
"If brow-grazing length, lift, and separation are what you're after, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better mascara, especially at this price point. My natural lashes are long but straight, and while I used to want lots of clumpy volume (hey, it's a look), I'm after the fluttery, doe-eyed look now. I love that this mascara kills two birds with one stone. You use the front to 'load' your lashes with product and then the sides, which have longer bristles, to comb out and separate your lashes. (This is important. Follow the directions, people!) I've always kept a lash comb in my makeup bag for this exact reason, so I love that I don't need that extra step with this mascara. I think there are lots of mascaras doing the 'long and lifted' thing really well, and while this isn't my favorite mascara of all time, and although it didn't perform complete witchcraft on my lashes, they did look a lot longer than they do sans mascara and kept their fluttery lift all day. (So many curling and lifting formulas inevitably begin to sag, which is always sad!) Also, as a disclaimer, I did curl my lashes beforehand, which I highly recommend for true 'to infinity and beyond' results."
Katie Berohn, Beauty Editor
"My eyelashes quite literally look three times longer. I often find that when formulas give tons of length, they're also more likely to clump or make it look like I have a few super lashes, but this one kept tons of definition and was easy to build. I'm always an advocate for drugstore mascara (often it's just as good, if not better, than high-end formulas), and this one proves there's nothing a drugstore mascara can't do."
Maya Thomas, Assistant Beauty Editor
"Since I've always had long but curly lashes, finding the right mascara to give them volume and definition has been somewhat of a challenge. After seeing nonstop reviews of this mascara and the amazing before-and-after shots on TikTok, I was more than excited to finally get my hands on it. I'm so happy to say this drugstore mascara truly lived up to the hype! My eyelashes definitely look longer (without the annoying 'spider lashes' look that so many other products give me), and there was never any clumping or smudging despite my applying more than one layer of mascara."
Caitie Schlisserman, Sr. Beauty Director, Branded Content
"Holy shit! I feel like my lashes haven't truly lived until now. I have an irrational fear of eyelash curlers but love the curled effect they give, so I'm excited to use a mascara that gives me that same look without actually having to use a curler. The wand definitely took me a minute to get used to, but the result was worth the initial trial and error. Formulas that claim to offer extreme length tend to clump and dry my lashes more easily, but I was able to add multiple coats of this without any clumps in sight. Any time I use this, my lashes easily look four times longer!"
Kaitlyn McLintock, Associate Beauty Editor
"I used to use volumizing mascara since my lashes are naturally long yet sparse. But recently, I've had a change of heart. Instead of focusing on what I lack, I decided to focus on what I have, so I've been playing up the length of my lashes with new formulas. This one blew me away. It made my lashes look insanely long and more fluttery in just two coats. In fact, my lashes were so long they were hitting the lenses of my glasses. (That's a great problem to have.) If you wear multiple coats of mascara like I do, I recommend working quickly without letting the mascara dry in between coats. Otherwise, it can make the lashes look a little spidery. That's great if that's your vibe, but I like something a little more natural-looking for everyday wear."
Emma Walsh, Associate Beauty Editor
"I consider myself a mascara connoisseur, and in my opinion, drugstore mascaras are just as good (if not better) than some of the more prestige options. I always curl my lashes before applying mascara, so I did that and then followed the directions for the best way to use the wand. I used the flat side to distribute the product onto my lashes and the bristle side to comb them out, but I felt it was giving me spider lashes, so for the other eye, I opted to just use the bristle side of the brush. It still gave me full, fluttery lashes but without the extra clumps. I even wore it to an intense cardio sculpt class, and by the end of it, I only had some minimal streaks of mascara on my lids and minor decrease in curl. Aside from that, my lashes stayed put for the rest of the day! This mascara certainly delivers volume and length, and it's perfect to wear for a night out because of its intensity and staying power."
Up next: NGL, This Foundation Altered My Brain Chemistry—Now My Co-Workers Are Hooked
