Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer

Hourglass was kind enough to send one of their newly released Film Noir Lash Lacquer ($28), together with a sample sized Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara (full size runs $28) to try at Cafe Makeup. Film Noir Lash Lacquer is a newly designed product that is like a top coat for nails, or gloss for a lipstick. It is used to add a wet look, together with the addition of length, volume and shine.

As you can see from the photograph, above, it comes with a brush applicator to “paint” lashes similar to the way that one would paint nail polish on your nails. Application tips:

- Film Noir Lash Lacquer works with many mascaras, and works best on lashes already coated with a good lengthening mascara (not tubing or volumizing)

- Hold the wand at a horizontal angle to your lashes and delicately paint in short strokes

- You can use all over lashes (top and bottom), or just the ones on the outer corner

Liz and I were very impressed the Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara. We liked the separation and length, and thought that it was a real contender against Guerlain’s Le 2 mascara ($36/ reviewed here). Liz said that she would definitely re-purchase it. It had great separation and curling properties. Our little sample gave us plenty of reasons to believe that this is an excellent choice at $28.

Film Noir Lash Lacquer was easy to use–the directions were clear, and we found the brush easy enough to control. For these pictures, Liz applied Lash Lacquer over the Full Spectrum Mascara. We found that it did add a deep glossy look to lashes. The volumizing properties tended to occur by adding volume. We did experience some clumps, but expected that effect from a volumizing product. Perhaps this is due to the brush configuration, which does not attempt to separate lashes.

Here is a comparison without Film Noir Lash Lacquer. Only the Full Spectrum Mascara is applied, below:

Overall, Film Noir Lash Lacquer adds drama, volume and a deep black lacquer effect. We found the product easy to use. I separately tried Film Noir Lash Lacquer, and got a very similar effect to Liz’s–it gives a very fringy, very black, with a tendency to pull the lashes together (rather than having separation). We thought that it achieved the promised effect of maximizing lashes. We actually loved the Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara by itself more, which should not be surprising given that we prefer a more natural look. However, if you are looking for drama, the Lash Lacquer certainly delivers.