Does the L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara Deliver on its Big Claims?

The new L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara is making big claims… The brand calls the formula washable, and endlessly buildable… as in, you won’t get clumps “no matter how much you layer.” Is this too good to be true, or a miracle mascara?

The L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara features a “cross-conic” brush that separates and evenly coats lashes for lighter, clump-free layers. It also promises a smooth look as you build up the length and volume– no spider lashes here!

Despite these promises that seemed like a dream to me, the brand actually doesn’t make any claims pertaining to the actual performance of this mascara. Nothing about smudging, flakes, or wear time… which I found odd. Because it’s only in their best interest to mention every positive characteristic about the product, right?

As far as application goes, I was extremely impressed with how this mascara layers up. Between the lightweight formula and the comb wand, it was easy to build up while keeping my lashes looking separated and lifted. I could even feel a satisfying “detangling” of my lashes with each stroke. I was able to get a lot of length and clean looking volume without my lashes sticking together and without noticeable clumps.

Since I have pretty straight lashes, I wasn’t surprised that I lost some curl after application. However, this mascara did seem to lock in the lift, at least.

Unfortunately, I experienced two pet peeves with this mascara: smudging and flaking. When built up for dramatic length, my lashes actually touched my brow bone. Tested on my bare lids, which are moderately oily, the mascara ended up transferring and smudging on my lid. During a second test paired with eye primer and eyeshadow, which helped with oil control, I didn’t have this problem.

The flaking is really what gets me, because for a mascara that’s touting an “endlessly buildable” claim, you’re actually limited on how much you can build it up if you don’t want flakes. When I’m more conservative about how much I apply, I can avoid flakes altogether… but then I lose out on one of the main unique selling points of the product.

As far as the washable claim, this mascara is incredibly easy to take off. I’ve used both cleansing balm and micellar water on a cotton pad, and it just slips off the lashes without any smearing or smudging.

L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara vs. Lash Paradise Mascara

Compared to the original L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara, the combs definitely deliver different looks. I do prefer the Big Deal wand over the original, which has an hourglass brush wand that can be difficult to use for picking up shorter lashes in the corners.

The Paradise Big Deal mascara offers a bit more of a fanned-out appearance, and a smoother lash look. The original Lash Paradise, on the other hand, gives a fluffier lash appearance. However, the original (in the non-waterproof version) flakes a lot on me regardless of how much I build it up. So overall, I would still probably opt for the Big Deal version.

Watch the video at the top of the page to see the wear test!

To put it simply: this mascara does deliver on its claims. There are still quirks to application, though, in order for it to look great all day. People with oily lids will want to avoid wearing it by itself– always pair it with eyeshadow or at least eye primer to help control oil. If you are building up your layers, you’ll also want to check in throughout the day to catch any flaking.

You can find the L’Oreal Paradise Big Deal Mascara at Target, Ulta and on Amazon.