I’ve tried hundreds of mascaras and this one *actually* delivers on its promise to lengthen, curl and define

In a sea of what seems like endless mascara, it's our job as beauty editors to sift through them to find you the best mascara —no matter your preference. Because it's part of my job to test make-up on a daily basis, it's not very often that I'm blown away by a product's performance. In a mascara, I'm looking for lift and volume whilst still being natural-looking enough to almost pass off as my own lashes. 

Whilst many mascaras tick a few of those boxes, every once in a while I'll find one that truly ticks them all. Enter: Chanel's Noir Allure Mascara. Now, I'm a little late to the party given that it launched in 2022, but I'm incredibly impressed. Claiming to be the latest all-in-one mascara, but does it live up to its bold promises? In short: yes. It turns out that this mascara is brilliant at lengthening and volumising. 

Here's exactly why it's going to stay a firm staple in my everyday make-up bag. 

The formula 

Promised by the brand as an all-in-one mascara, I can honestly say that Noir Allure delivers on volume, length, curl and definition.

Immediately, I noticed that the formula is drier than many others out there, but this is by no means a bad thing. When a mascara formula is incredibly wet, it can make it difficult to keep that natural, fluffy-looking finish. This gives just enough to coat each lash, holding and lifting whilst keeping eyelashes natural. 

The pigment is jet black, with an undetectable amount of red pigment too, which gives impressive definition without needing layers and layers of formula. It's not particularly buildable but it doesn't really need to be. Since it's natural-looking, it's not the kind of mascara you want to layer up.

The wand and bristles are shorter than others meaning I could grab the lashes I wanted to without clumping up the others. The slight tapered end meant I could get into the outer corners easily giving its promised fanned-out effect.  

The formula contains three types of naturally-derived waxes: carnauba, rice and beeswax, which is what allows both that curl and volume. Plus, your lashes also benefit from the inclusion of provitamin B5, which helps to protect and strengthen. 

The packaging 

Aside from the beautifully embossed lid being as chic as you'd expect, there's a reason for the clever click mechanism. This patented design of the lid means the formula stays airtight, which in turn means that it won't dry out as fast. Because if you're spending £38 on mascara, you want to get every last drop out before it dries out. 

Aside from being a bit of a novelty to use, the click mechanism and squared tube actually makes the mascara packaging far more accessibly than cylinder screw cap ones that are difficult to grip. 

The results 

The result? Fluffy, lengthened and lifted lashes. They look natural but enhanced—all without a clump on sight. 

The wear is equally impressive, it's flake- and smudge-free. I was a little worried that the jet black pigment might smudge under my eyes a little, but even wearing an ultra creamy concealer didn't cause that to happen. 

The main thing I was impressed with by this mascara was its ability to give the perfect balance between natural-looking whilst still delivering on the drama. It's not no make-up, make-up but it's also not false lash effect levels of drama. For me, it gives that jet-black definition, gravity defying length and lash lift curl.

Has Chanel nailed it on being an all-in-one formula? There's no doubt about it.  

Other Chanel mascaras