This New £13 Mascara Has Friends Asking If I'm Wearing Lash Extensions

I consider myself to be a bit of a mascara snob. I’m a beauty editor with a penchant for luxury makeup and the same goes for the best mascaras in my collection. However, it’s no secret that drugstore mascaras are elite—many beauty journalists would argue that they’re the very best kind—and one brand that has often converted me is L’Oréal Paris. I became obsessed with the Panorama mascara when it launched last year, but I would argue that the brand’s latest launch, the Paradise Big Deal Mascara (£13), is even better.

I got a sneak preview of the mascara before it launched late last year and since using it, I’ve had friends ask if I’m wearing lash extensions or if I’ve been for a lash lift—it’s that good. If you want to know what all the hype is about, scroll on for my honest review of L’Oréal Paris’s Paradise Big Deal Mascara and why I think it is about to become a drugstore makeup icon for 2025.

L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Mascara Review

L’Oreal Paris

Paradise Big Deal Mascara

The Brush and Formula

L'Oreal Big Deal Mascara wand

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

The Big Deal mascara features a flexible wand with tapering combs that are longer at the end and shorter towards the tip.

L’Oréal Paris claim that this mascara is endlessly buildable without clumping lashes to achieve amazing length and volume. You can apply a few strokes for a fluttery, wide-eyed look or layer up the coats for a false-lash effect without your lashes taking on a spidery look. I layered up three coats below to see how it performs.

Before

Before using L'Oreal Paris Big Deal Mascara

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

After One Coat

After one coat of L'Oreal Paris big deal mascara

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

After Two Coats

After two coats of L'Oreal Paris big deal mascara

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

After Three Coats

After three coats of L'Oreal Paris big deal mascara

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

The Verdict

Eleanor wearing L'Oreal paris big deal mascara

(Image credit: @eleanorvousden for Who What Wear UK)

This has easily become my favourite mascara I’ve tried for a long time, and the £14 price tag makes it even more of a bonus.

I like that one coat gives my fluttery long lashes, and it really holds a curl throughout the day (as someone with stubbornly straight lashes, this is a dealbreaker for me). It also feels really weightless on. I would say this is more lengthening and separating than volumising, however.

Two coats gives a little more drama without clumping and three coats is enough for a full false lash look and volume. I will say that you want to layer up the coats while your lashes are still wet from the previous layer, as letting them dry in between can cause some clumping. But when I layered them after each other, I didn’t experience any clumping whatsoever.

I did notice a tiny bit of transfer on my eyelids (if you have hooded eyes like me, you’ll likely experience this too) but it was only minor.It was also easy enough to remove with my usual cleansing oil, so I’ll be keeping this mascara will most definitely be joining the ranks of the luxury mascaras in my makeup bag.