We tried Dior’s ‘iconic’ overcurl mascara and it lives up to its name

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts

Sign up for our free IndyBest email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

There’s no shortage of mascaras to choose from. From endless brush shapes to volumising formulas, and all the new innovations cropping up, you can pretty much have any and every look imaginable. However, it’s only more recently that we’ve started to think beyond the result itself and look at ways we can actually take care of our lashes in the long run.

Whether it’s caused by lockdown and forgoing mascaras for months on end (just us?), or wanting to get more out of our make-up going forward, lots of us are choosing lash-care formulas as a way to help protect, lengthen and strengthen lashes over time. Now that our foundations and blushers now come loaded with skin-boosting ingredients – we want our mascara to work just as hard.

While in the past getting volume and lash care might have been a near-impossible feat, these days looking after your lashes doesn’t mean having to sacrifice the overall look – thanks to a new wave of formulas that claims to deliver the best of both worlds.

Despite relaunching back in 2020, Dior’s “iconic overcurl” mascara has been gaining momentum thanks to a new newly perfected formula (and shiny-new packaging) that does just that. Available in the iconic black, essential blue and must-have brown, the formula has been enriched with nourishing ingredients and curl-promoting technology, promising high-impact definition and fortifying lash-care all at once.

Thinking about taking the plunge? We put it through its paces to see if it lives up to the hype.

Read more:

We swapped our current mascara and added the Diorshow iconic overcurl formula (in the iconic black) to our line-up, using the product every day for three weeks. We wanted to see how it fared after full days running around in London and, more importantly, whether it could actually strengthen delicate lashes over time.

As with most Dior beauty creations, first impressions are good. The sleek silver tube emblazoned with the word “iconic” and embossed with the Dior logo would make for an aesthetic upgrade to any make-up bag. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?

And the newly perfected formula is what’s been causing a stir among Diorshow devotees. For starters, it now claims to offer 24-hour volume (we’re not 100 per cent sure why you’d need so many hours, though...) along with all-important lash fortification. After years of rubbing, rinsing, pulling and tugging at lashes, lash care is essential to keep them looking and feeling strong and minimise fallouts. The secret to shinier lashes? The formula harnesses the power of cotton nectar, which is known to help protect and soften lashes over time.

Now for the brush. The incurved shape is said to add serious curl, volume and lash definition and, according to the brand, will fan out every kind of lash. Better yet, the brush has actually been modelled after a professional eyelash curler to deliver extreme curl – and cut out the often painful and excessive eyelash curling step.

Mascara isn’t always an enjoyable product or process. It can require too much time (and too many smudges) when you’re rushing out the door in the morning; and even more time to remove it in the evening. Most will agree that ease is everything when it comes to a great formula.

On first application, the arched brush took the natural curl of our lashes – stretching them to the max and mimicking the effect of an eyelash curler. Despite a couple of minor smudges along the lash line, the curved wand moved seamlessly from the root to the tip, stroking and coating every single lash in a matter of seconds. And we mean seconds. The shape of the brush was ideal whenever we wanted speedy volume, as it gave us perfectly defined, lengthened lashes without any of the clumps and flakiness you so often get with volumising formulas.

It’s definitely a buildable mascara, too. The formula dried instantly between strokes but we were still able to dial up the look for extra volume. Applying two coats gives natural-looking, perfectly curled lashes; a couple more strokes of the brush creates intense, jet-black, falsie-style lashes – with no flaking or clumps in sight.

We were very pleased that the formula didn’t transfer when put to the ultimate test in central London. A full day of tubes, meetings, and even one evening run, and the mascara looked almost identical to how it started. Genius.

It does mean that removal is slightly longer than the average tube, though. While it’s not a waterproof mascara, the long-lasting result does require a little more care when removing at night. With the help of CeraVe’s hydrating cream-to-foam cleanser (£9.35, Feelunique.com), we were able to gently remove the mascara quickly and efficiently without pulling our lashes.

With so many mascaras cropping up, it’s hard to find a formula that stands out from the crowd. We will go right out and say it: this Dior offering really is a one-of-a-kind formula and finish, and ideal if you’re searching for a mascara that will give you both volume and lash care.

At £29, it’s not cheap but given its instant lash-enhancing impact it’s definitely worth the splurge. As for lash care, it’s tricky to say at three weeks whether our lashes feel stronger, but we definitely noticed fewer fall-outs and shinier lashes, indicating that all those hardworking ingredients might be working their magic already.

All in all, if you want perfectly lengthened lashes without having to spend half an hour separating, shaping and curling them yourself, this clever arched brush and lash-loving formula do all the hard work for you.