When the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara released back in 2014, it rocked the beauty world not only for its shocking name, but the dramatic false-lash effect it gave lashes. But at $25 a tube, it’s a bit steep if you fall in love with the look. I’m not a fan of buying expensive mascara, especially since it’s the makeup product you should be replacing the most frequently. If I’m having serious FOMO, the brand often includes a tube in their value sets , so at least you’re getting more bang for your buck.
Luckily, there are two Better Than Sex drugstore dupes that deliver almost identical (if not better!) results for less than half the price.
L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara ($10.99)
As soon as this hit drugstore shelves, everyone already knew what was up: the packaging of the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara looked pretty dang familiar. As far as the wands go, Better Than Sex has a more pronounced hourglass shape than Lash Paradise, but they are both dense brushes that pick up and distribute a lot of product. I will say that Lash Paradise tends to pick up way more excess product than you actually need, so you’ll have to be sure to wipe off the brush before applying unless you want instant clumpage! The formulas are similar in that they are very wet and buildable— less is more, and thin layers is key to avoiding a spidery look.
The appearance of these mascaras side by side are practically indistinguishable. They both perform almost identically and deliver a ton of drama. I do feel that the Lash Paradise mascara is a bit lighter of a formula, as it holds my curl better while Better Than Sex causes my lashes to slightly droop throughout the day.
BH Cosmetics Stellar Lash Mascara ($10)
This dupe may come as a surprise, as the BH Cosmetics Stellar Lash mascara has a completely different look and hasn’t really been compared to Better Than Sex as popularly. However, as soon as I applied this for the first time, I knew. First of all, the wand is actually a much closer match to the Too Faced hourglass shape, and so you get the same great control towards the corners of the eyes.
Again, we have very similar dramatic results with both mascaras, but dare I say that I actually like how Stellar Lash looks better?? I feel like it really lifts my lashes better than the other two, and is also a thinner consistency so doesn’t clump up as easily. The brush provides good separation and a fanned out appearance that makes my eyes look bigger, too. Be advised that this mascara can be a little flaky throughout the day, but Better Than Sex is the same way.
Once again, both of these Better Than Sex mascara drugstore dupes have shown us that you don’t need to spend top dollar for great makeup!
What’s your favorite super dramatic drugstore mascara?
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