When I read their company overview on their website, I couldn't help thinking that blinc were setting themselves up for a fall because they make some pretty impressive claims. They proudly explain : "Continuously ranked on the Inc. 5000 list as one of America's fastest growing private companies, blinc's mission is to introduce safe and exceptional beauty products that redefine how they should be made, applied and perform. blinc products are unique because their concepts offer a dramatic leap from solutions that existed before, placing them among the best in the world in their respective categories. Even though some of the product claims are extraordinary, blinc prides itself on the fact that they deliver what they promise." Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, so time to find out if they can live up to the hype !
Blinc UK kindly sent me three products to review, the first of which is their Lash Primer. This was a new concept for me so I was keen to see how it worked.
In their description of the Lash Primer, blinc say : "blinc lash primer was developed with two objectives in mind, lash/eyebrow treatment and eyelash enhancement. Whether your lashes are tiny and require a larger base to work with, in need of conditioning or you are simply looking for incredible volume & length, blinc lash primer delivers. Developed by blinc to complement blinc mascara, it provides a greater base of volume & length for your lashes, prior to applying your mascara." This makes really good sense because most of the time, to get the volume and length that I want, I apply two or sometimes even three coats of mascara. The result is frequently less than satisfactory because the mascara inevitably forms clumps or lashes stick together. This primer goes on really easily, just like mascara, and within seconds, you do have a much more impressive base to work on so just one coat of mascara is enough. That means you get a more natural and clean but still impressive result.
I also love the fact that the lash primer doesn't just make your lashes look better; it actually does them good because it contains vitamin E to nourish them. You can use it before applying mascara for a more impressive look, or just put some on your lashes (or eyebrows) before bed, like a hair mask for lashes ! It makes perfect sense so I'll definitely keep on using this.
Next up was the mascara. Now I said this the last time I reviewed a new mascara but I've got to the point where I think that anything that can possibly be done to mascara must have been done by now, surely ! Well, no. blinc have come up with a mascara that doesn't paint your lashes like normal mascara, it covers them in tiny tubes ! It sounds weird but it works really well, because this is the first mascara that genuinely is totally waterproof. At one point, I actually forgot I was wearing it and rubbed my eyes, then said to Sophie, "Oops, look under my eyes, is it all black ?". With the cutting honesty of a 9-year-old, she chirpily said "no, no black, just wrinkles" !! Thanks for that !
Unlike some mascaras, particularly the waterproof ones, it's actually really easy to remove at the end of the day. You don't even have to use makeup remover, just lots of warm water on cotton wool, or your fingers, and you won't pull half of your eye lashes out either ! You can even see the tiny tubes on the cotton wool ! I tried the mascara in black but it comes in eight shades, including a very funky purple or green.
Once again, I have to admit, they really have come up with a totally new and different concept, which is amazing enough in itself, with the number of new make-up launches each month. But not only that - it actually works. Really really well.
The final product to review in my eye make-up trio was eyeliner. Now I have never tried liquid eyeliner because I always thought it looked really complicated to put on and worried it would smudge everywhere. I did give this a go though and have to admit it wasn't as hard as I expected. blinc give you some handy advice, if you're a total novice - "Gently pull the upper eye lid towards your ear and start at the inner part of the lid. Draw a thin line evenly along the upper lid as close to the lashes as possible." The great news is, if you do go a bit wobbly, a little water and some light pressure on a cotton bud are all you need to rectify the problem.
As with the blinc mascara, you don't need make-up remover at the end of the day, just warm water and your fingers, some cotton wool or a facecloth. If you do opt for a makeup remover, make sure it's water-based and not oil-based or it won't work. Nevertheless, the eyeliner is waterproof and won't budge throughout the day, even if you cry or rub it.
I do have one tiny gripe - the packaging. Each product comes in a stylish metal tube which looks very funky, but I can't help thinking it's excess packaging and is not good for the environment. Secondly, each product looks identical so if you have several blinc products, it's not easy to find the one you want without scrutinising each tube to read the label. As a busy working mum, every second counts in the morning so this is a frustrating waste of time.
But you can't judge a book by its cover and I have to say that I'm very impressed with the products themselves, both for the innovative design (I almost said creative genius but thought that sounded a bit too gushy !) and also for how well they work.
I thought I was going to be able to say that pride comes before a fall and that they didn't live up to the hype, but I can't. They really are as good as they claim !
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £12.80 for the lash primer, £15.40 for the mascara, £15.40 for the eyeliner
for more information : http://www.blincuk.co.uk/index.php
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