This Clean Mascara Is So Good, It Looks Like I Got A Lash Lift

April 27, 2023

For a time, clean mascaras simply missed the mark. Because these formulas skip plasticizers (which help the lashes appear soft and bendy), mineral oils (to nail that smooth glide), and PFAS (which secures a smudge-proof, long-lasting formula), they just didn’t deliver the same volume and impact as traditional tubes.

Of course, eschewing those iffy ingredients is an A+ move for lash health, especially if you’re one to swipe on a coat of mascara every day. But if you wanted to absolutely nail doe-eyed drama on special occasions? You likely sought out a traditional product—I certainly did. 

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To achieve doll-like, dramatic-looking lashes, the formula relies on a blend of beeswax and carnauba wax (similar to the brand’s previous Volumizing Mascara). “Beeswax is known to be a softer wax that gives volume, and carnauba is a harder wax that assists with lengthening and curl,” Kjaer Weis founder Kirsten Kjaer Weis once shared with mbg.

When creating the Im-Possible Mascara, they played around with a ratio of these two waxes and introduced certified organic acacia gum into the formula—an ingredient responsible for what Weis can only describe as “va-va-voom” volume. 

Then to make sure the formula stays hydrating—the mere thought of dry, crunchy lashes sends a chill up my spine—it contains raspberry water, sunflower seed oil, and marula oil. Not only do these ingredients nourish the teeny hair follicles and condition the strands, but they also boast antioxidant properties that protect the delicate wisps from environmental aggressors, thus encouraging healthy lash growth. 

Creamy texture aside, my favorite part of the mascara is the football-shaped brush. Thanks to this design, the pigment evenly distributes across the bristles without becoming goopy, so it’s endlessly buildable—you can slick it on without ever worrying about clumps. The wand also has two sides with dual benefits: a curved side meant to create volume at the base and a flat side to help separate and lift stubborn lash corners.

Some quick context about my lashes: My flutters are naturally quite long and curly—but they’re also very light, so they practically disappear without a layer of mascara. So whenever I do coat on pigment, it really transforms my look (take a quick peek at the before and after photos below, and you’ll know what I’m talking about). 

However, the Im-Possible Mascara proves especially transformative for my lashes—all I need is one coat to make them appear instantly more spiderlike. And every time I pump the wand in and out of the tube, I marvel at the creamy formula; my lashes never feel stiff, even as I apply multiple layers.

Somehow the wand also picks up just the right amount of pigment each time—I never have to wipe off excess mascara on the sides of the tube. (That’s one of Weis’ major pet peeves, she told me, as it’s a recipe for messy clumps.) 

And the flat side of the wand makes it easy to wiggle some product onto my outer lash corners, which tend to droop on their own and make me appear sleepy. Most importantly, though, the pigment lasts all day long without smudging or making my eyelashes feel brittle. So in the name of performance and eyelash health, I can’t sing enough praises.

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