Tried and tested: Rimmel ScandalEyes Reloaded Mascara

Mascara is my stranded-on-a-desert-island product. Admittedly, in the last few years a good brow pencil has been fighting it for the top spot, but it’s safe to say that I’m a mascara girl through-and-through. 

So you can only imagine the number of mascaras I have on rotation and my dedication to testing any new ones that come across my desk. 

I’ve long been a fan of the Rimmel London ScandalEyes Mascara for giving my lashes definition and adding oomph to my everyday look, so when the latest addition to the ScandalEyes range – Reloaded – landed on my desk promising ‘unstoppable volume’, I was keen to be Beauty Crew’s guinea pig. 

After using the mascara for just over a week, here’s what I thought about Rimmel London ScandalEyes Reloaded Mascara. 

#1 / It really gets into corners

I have quite small eyes so I like to make sure I coat every single lash in mascara to elongate the corner lashes and really open up my eyes. I found that the tapered shape of this mascara brush (which isn’t new – it’s the same shape as the original ScandalEyes) made it incredibly easy to manoeuvre the wand to get to those corner lashes without getting mascara everywhere around my eyes. The brush itself also worked a treat in coating my lashes at the centre of my eyes from root to tip, so it’s not just good for hard-to-reach lashes. 

#2 / It’s buildable without being clumpy

I like my lashes noticeable, and for me, one coat of Reloaded didn’t quite get me the wow factor I was after (it was, however, great for ‘I woke up like this’ definition), so I built the volume as needed. I was really surprised to discover that even after three or four coats (for a super bold look – on a normal day two coats is all I need), there was almost no clumping, just more pigment and volume.

When I really wanted to make an impact with my lashes, I applied two coats of the mascara, waited for the formula to completely dry, and then went over the top with another coat. It was still quite easy to comb the mascara brush through my lashes without it catching, and without creating clumps. For good measure, I recommend finishing off by brushing lashes with a clean spoolie. 

#3 / It can survive a gym session

While I’m always diligent about removing my foundation before a gym session, I’m not so fussed about removing my mascara (it’s not, after all, going to potentially clog my pores and lead to breakouts). There are times when I regret that decision and find my mascara choice for the day has left some not-so-nice smudges at the corners and under my eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Reloaded stayed exactly where it should. And this is after an intense workout in a gym whose aircon was broken. That being said, come bedtime, it was really easy to remove all of my mascara with micellar water and a cotton pad. 

The final verdict

I’m always happy to add another mascara into my beauty kit, and this is a great one to have to keep my makeup looks diverse – just one coat will have me sorted for my everyday looks, and I know I can build up the coverage for extra volume without having to worry about clumping.

If you're a mascara fiend too, then you'll want to read our top mascara tricks for amazing lashes every day.