Maybelline Lash Sensational: A Roller Lash Dupe For £8?

We all love beauty bargains. That feeling of discovering a world-class product that has all the qualities of a luxury range expect the price tag is amazing. Recently, the launch of Benefit's new Roller Lash mascara generated a whole load of hype in the beauty world (most of it generated by Benefit themselves), with the magically crafted wand claiming to give you the perfectly curled and lengthened flutter. However, regardless of the quality, it goes without saying that £20 for this Benefit mascara is enough to make the average gal cry runny streams of Roller Lash. This is where Maybelline steps in with their new Lash Sensational innovation. For £8, can this do the job better than Benefit?

What first made me pick up Maybelline's Lash Sensational was the wand. It is IDENTICAL to Roller Lash; from the slight curve, to the short 'hook' type bristles on the underside (designed to latch onto the lash and give extra lift). It is a total doppelganger on face value, but on use, slight differences begin to surface.

Maybelline's Lash Sensational

Benefit's Roller Lash

Roller Lash gives a much more defined lift and curl to lashes than Lash Sensational; you could get away without curling them when using Benefit's mascara, but I would definitely recommend it with Maybelline's. Another difference was in clumping. Lash Sensational is far gloopier than Roller Lash, ultimately effecting the overall quality of the mascara; while it definitely isn't awful for clumping, it doesn't quite give the separation and definition that Roller Lash does.

Both formulas seem quite wet but dry quickly, meaning it's easy to layer up to create your perfect flutter and control the level of volume desired. When using Roller Lash, you could easily get away with one coat of mascara. However, Lash Sensational definitely needs at least a couple to compete with Roller Lash's first coat- this is where the price difference becomes most evident.

Overall, Lash Sensational isn't half bad- it does lift lashes, separates them quite well, and creates a nice, natural look. However, it takes more effort to get to this state than when using Roller Lash. Benefit has created the higher quality product of the two, and if you have the money to spare, this is where it's better invested. Yet for £8, Maybelline is worth trying out and definitely gives Roller Lash a run for it's money; a good effort at a dupe that's just lacking the perfection of Benefit's formula.

Which of the two do you prefer? What's your favourite mascara dupe?

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