Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara Review

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara

Over the past few years there’s been a real pattern with Benefit releasing a new mascara – always coming with a bold new claim. It’s safe to say if you cast your eye over past reviews of They’re Real and Rollerlash I’ve not been particularly enamoured. But if there’s one thing I do like about Benefit is that they always close to a mascara release seem to release little mini samples of it as a freebie in a magazine. A month or so ago I picked up their latest addition to their mascara line up, the Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara and have been putting it to the test over the past three weeks.

This particular one left me more intrigued than most of their launches, it received a lot of backlash due to the expensive and over the top marketing campaign with influencers that accompanied it. Additionally the mascara was sent to a lot of influencers (at least ones I follow in the UK) and most of the ones I saw did not like it or had some major issues. Given I really disliked They’re Real and Rollerlash – very popular mascaras, I wondered whether this one which wasn’t working for most, would actually be the one for me.

The reason I don’t like their two other mascaras is that I already have long lashes – I want to add more volume to my lashes and I found both of the other two too lengthening without enough volume which just made my lashes look and feel spidery. Bad Gal (a mascara from yonks ago) was a mascara I really liked from Benefit when I was about 17/18 which I remember creating really volumised, fluffy lashes – so their revamped Bad Gal Bang! had to be on my cards to try as soon as I saw the magazines in with it on.

The packaging of this little mini differ to the full size version, the tube of which is more of a tapered shape and the lid has a studded effect lid – all in a matte black finish top to toe. The miniature versions you can buy (which have the same amount of mascara ml in as this freebie) are a smaller version of the bigger packaging – so this is packaging seems to have been created just for freebie inclusion in the likes of magazines, beauty boxes and promo on their own stands.

The mascara has a loose space theme – the promotion when it first launched was a little more spacey, but it really doesn’t match up with it’s more rocker looking packaging. It’s like they came up with the marketing campaign for a formula, came up with a packaging for a mascara, saw that they didn’t really tie together and went with it anyway. The blurb about this describes itself as a gravity defying mascara, which contains light aero particles derived from space technology. Just what my eyes have been missing.

The wand on this is described as a big slimpact brush which has “360 degree reach”, which is a little bit of a bizarre term for me when it comes to mascara… all have 360 degree reach in my eyes and I wouldn’t say any of their other releases wouldn’t have been not classed as that. Taking all the marketing gumpf away, it’s a slim tapered rubber wand, the bristles of which are quite short towards the middle where I tend to see most use. Rubber wands are normally my less preferred, but as rubber wands go, this one is okay and the tapered shape means that I find it really easy to work with and get into all the little areas.

Okay so onto it’s performance, as that’s what we’re really here for isn’t it. I’ll start by saying that it’s my favourite out of the Benefit Mascara’s currently on offer,  but that’s not to say that my feelings on it aren’t still a little bit mixed.

Is Benefit Bad Gal Bang Sticky?

The keyword in all the reviews I saw about this mascara was “sticky” and it definitely is. If I manage to get this on your lashes in one go and you don’t need to go into any areas and move the lash around or build up some more volume, then it’s nice, it’s a lovely dark black formula which adds a nice amount of volume to my lashes, it’s certainly not a separating lash and verges onto my preference which I’d describe as ‘good clumpy’. But a second coat of it easily and quickly takes it from good all the way to horrendous.

Through the day longevity wise I find it lasts really well, I’ve seen no evidence of it smudging, flaking or crumbling, it’s held up well in our Uk heatwave and almost has a semi waterproof type formula as even when I’ve been out in the sunshine and getting pretty shiny and sweaty it hasn’t moved a bit. Removal with this isn’t the best and I find that I’m always left with black panda eyes unless I use a cleansing oil to remove – normal cleansers don’t cut it and I have to clean up with a good layer of micellar water.

The last thing I really have to say about this is that it makes a stellar bottom lash mascara. With one coat it adds a really black coat without being too over the top.

I’ve captured a few different eye looks over the past few weeks below. the purple eye look I was experimenting with a new liner and a new eyeshadow palette and the blend on it is not the best, and the liner was one of the worst I’d ever used so please admire the mascara!

One Coat of Bad Gal Bang

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara One Coat vs 2 Coats

Whilst with one coat I like this mascara I don’t think it’s anything new or wow to me, the fact that I really really can’t go in with a second coat makes it a bit of a pain too and more hassle than what it’s worth. I would guess that the full size over time would see a change in the formula, the stickiness is bound to become drier at some point so I recommend starting with the mini size regardless to see if you like the formula first. If you would like to give this the road test for yourself you can find this on the Boots’ website here.

Have you tried the Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara yet? I’m curious to know what you’ve thought as to whether it’s a bang, fizz or bust.

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10 Comments

  1. July 13, 2018 / 6:12 am

    I haven’t been on WordPress in a while, but seeing this link in my Facebook feed, I just had to read! I’ve been very curious about this mascara. I haven’t had much luck with any mascara at all lately. I don’t know if it’s the actual mascara, or just my lashes lol. I have shorter lashes and not many. I loathe having to spend too much time trying to coat them. Then it I overdo it, it ends up a flakey clumpy mess! Lol

  2. July 13, 2018 / 8:00 am

    It looks awesome, never tried it myself

    Candice

  3. July 13, 2018 / 9:24 am

    I had one in a beauty box and I love it I wasn’t blessed with lovely lashes ,it has become one of my favourites is it worth the money probably not there must be cheaper ones out but I still yet to find it x😋

  4. rinkydinkyrhi
    July 13, 2018 / 9:04 am

    You’re definitely right about the second coat. I have to be so careful with this mascara which just puts me off using it because I don’t need that kind of hassle in the mornings! The worst thing about it is the removal though, I even feel like it makes my lashes fall out! x

    Rhi | http://www.rinkydinkyrhi.com

  5. July 13, 2018 / 11:47 am

    Maybe the formula would be less sticky/clumpy if it wasn’t a rubber wand, the bristles would help disperse the product more? I’ve heard mixed reviews about Benefit mascaras and at $45 NZD for a full size, I’m not about to run out and try one for the sake of it 😛

  6. July 13, 2018 / 2:00 pm

    I prefer lengthening mascaras and hate anything that makes my lashes get sticky so I’d probably pass on this one. Thanks for the review!

    Angela at Blush & Pearls

  7. July 13, 2018 / 3:39 pm

    I haven’t tried this one yet. I usually only do one coat, so I might try it out. It looks great with the eye look that you created.

  8. Rebecca Allatt
    July 13, 2018 / 4:47 pm

    I agree with it going from good to horrendous when adding a second coat! Great reviews sweet x

  9. Farah Gasimzade
    July 24, 2018 / 11:55 pm

    When I first tried this one, I hated it. It was a sample so it’s stayed in my drawer until I rediscovered it several month later. Now I love it! The formula dried a little and it’s so much better!

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