It’s well documented that I’m a fan of Mario Dedivanovic’s make-up. At the end of last year, while working on Marie Claire’s guide to the best Makeup by Mario products, I wrote: “It’s hard to pinpoint what might come next; an obvious one might be mascara, which I’ve no doubt Mario would spend a long time perfecting before releasing.” Fast forward four or five months, and we’re here with the launch of Makeup By Mario Master Mascara.
According to the brand, Master Mascara is "The universal mascara that Mario has always wanted in his kit for all lash types [with a] first-to-market brush with custom-shaped bristles that evenly coats lashes for clean and buildable volume." It claims not to clump or smudge and have a long-wearing, sweat and humidity-proof formula.
Since his brand launched in 2020, Mario has continuously smashed it out of the park with buys like SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum, so I was very hopeful that Master Mascara would be a brilliant formula. I also consider the best mascara to be one of the make-up categories people are most fussy about. Here’s a full guide to its performance and how I got on with it.
Though the packaging is still monochromatic, the script has been flipped somewhat by being all black with white writing instead of the reverse. The tube is fairly chunky, while the brush is fairly long but not too large and fluffy; it’s tapered, and the narrow end fits into the roots of the lashes nicely and easily. It’s also not saturated with product when you first pull it from the tube—I found you could go right in with no need to wipe off any excess, save for the tip of the brush.
So, how did it apply? Some mascaras are a case of “a few swipes and you’re done”, but this is one that you gradually build until you’re happy with the results. The first couple of swipes will give you a very natural-looking finish, but you can carry on layering from there. I always take “no clump” claims with a pinch of salt, but applying this mascara really did feel like I could just layer it and layer it for ages. It becomes clear after several swipes that you aren’t going to be able to add loads of length, but you can build a nice touch of natural-looking volume with no clumps.
It didn’t give my lashes a ton of lasting lift, even after I’d used my eyelash curler, but where it really excelled was in the wear and longevity departments. On one day of testing, I wore it to the gym and there wasn’t a smudge in sight after my workout, which, given I already have oily skin, is pretty unheard of.
OK, final thoughts. This is a bit reductive, but I think a lot of mascaras fall into one of two categories in terms of the look they create. There are those that are mega enhancers, which really build volume and/or length and which tend to be favoured by those who might self-describe their natural lashes as “not that great”. Then there are those that work with your natural lashes; they add a touch of length and volume but largely define what you’ve got with pigment. In my experience, these are often loved by those with thicker and/or longer lashes. It’s not that clear cut, of course, but there are some mascaras I don’t get on that well with that others love, and vice versa.
For me, Makeup by Mario’s Master Mascara falls slightly off-centre towards the second camp. It makes sense that this was designed to be more of a universal mascara with make-up artistry in mind, as it’s a good all-rounder. Because I generally prefer lengthening mascaras that fan out and enhance my sparse and fine natural lashes, I think Master Mascara is good, though it isn’t my new all-time favourite. But I can think of several people who would fall head over heels in love with it. Give it a try if you want something that’ll elevate your lashes as a great finishing touch and that'll last well through the day.
