I have been wanting to do a side by side review with these products for some time now. When I was doing the corporate big salary thing, my go to mascara was Too Faced Better Than Sex. It works well on my short, straight lashes. The downfall is that it cost $26. I ran out some time ago and replaced it with the so called dupe, L'Oreal Lash Paradise for $9. The price difference speaks for itself.

Did Lash Paradise live up to it's dupe status?

Yes and no. Yes because it does add length and some volume for me. No because Better Than Sex does a better job and separating individual lashes for a full fluffy lash look. Lash Paradise clumps lashes together to create thickness.

Waterproof formulas are the only mascaras that keep my lashes curled. It's important to note that because we all have different lashes and we'll get different results based on our needs, likes and dislikes.

Side by Side:

Both products come out a little clumpy, wipe the excess mascara from the tip back into the tube. Lash Paradise is a shinier formula than BTS. Better Than Sex appears to be more of a matte finish. Look at the tip of the LP wand. It's most visible there in this photo. The wand shapes also differ which may explain the fuller separated lash look with BTS. I don't experience any flaking with either of these. BUT, trial and error led me to use a spoolie between coats to minimize clumping/ flakes years ago. Which is a gripe for some if you read reviews. I also don't apply more than 3 coats. It's 2-3 coats for me. That's it.

Clean Up:

To wash these off, I use Micellar Water on a round cotton pad. I press into the eye area (closed eye), hold for 30-ish seconds and wipe with both sides of the pad. Front and back. One pad for each eye. I then double cleanse with a creamy cleanser followed by a gentle face bar. Before I move onto the rest of my skincare regime, I dip a cotton swab into this Vitamin E Cream and wipe around my eyes to remove leftover black residue. The same process works for me with both of these products. I don't notice a difference. Somedays I do a better job and getting it all off than others. I don't blame the formulas for this. It's the price I pay for using waterproof. Falsies are the real challenge for me. Send help if you know how to wear those things.

Overall: I still prefer BTS. I like the full fluffy look it does for me (might keep the wand to see if it's just the wand). The price is an issue for me though. It doesn't last as long as drugstore products for what it costs. I'll continue to search for low cost alternative.

Update: BTS dries out. I used it 7 - 8 times since posting this and it's completely dried out (1/21/21).

Xx Dee

Me wearing BTS. Zoom into that full lash. 😊

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