It doesn't take long for something to go viral on TikTok, and it doesn't take long for us at Shop TODAY to want to try it out. We've seen everything from peeling lip tints that provide bold, long-lasting color to an eye cream that seemingly makes under-eye bags vanish in seconds. The latest viral beauty product to catch our attention? A metal mascara by Neogen.
In a video with over 254K likes, we watched one TikTok user pull out a mascara wand that looked much different than a typical tube; there weren't any bristles immediately visible to the eye. It was, instead, a metal wand featuring tiny spirals and grooves that grab the mascara pigment and, according to the brand, distribute evenly across all lashes.
Dermalogy by Neogenlab Extra Volumecurl Metal Mascara
The unique mascara, hails from beauty brand Neogen — which also created the viral pore peeling mousse that was all over social media a few years ago — and is designed to coat and build volume and length from even the stubbiest lashes. Since there are no bristles, the brand says the mascara wand can get closer to your eye than a typical wand and "catch every lash."
The formula, which comes in both black and brown colors, will coat lashes from the bottom up and do it all without smudging or clumping, says the brand. It also promises that the formula lasts for up to 33 hours and is sweat-resistant. (Several reviewers backed-up this claim, writing that the mascara was difficult to get off, and definitely stayed put all day.)
The brand adds that the metal wand is easier to clean than traditional mascaras, which may make it more sanitary to use (you're supposed to switch your mascaras every three months, according to experts we've spoken to).
What makeup artists think
Before trying the product for ourselves, we tapped celebrity makeup artists Andrew Sotomayor and Kat Sketch to see if the benefits were as promising as they sounded, or if it was just a gimmick. Turns out, the pair were split on the efficacy of the mascara.
Sotomayor, who hasn't tried the product, tells us he's not a fan of no bristles on a brush and would instead opt for smaller "teeth" on the wand to avoid clumping; he says bristle-free brushes like this have bared this result.
"I love a mascara with fine silicone teeth to comb through and separate lashes and prevent clumps," Sotomayor tells us via email.
Sketch, however, says that a mascara of this kind might have been designed for those with lashes on the shorter side.
"I could actually see this benefiting anyone who has short lashes with mono lids, so it’s easier to grab the lashes for volume," she shares with Shop TODAY in an email.
Here's what I think
With their opinions in mind, I tried the mascara in black to see if it lives up to the hype.
Taking it out of the box, I noticed that the packaging looks nicer than any mascara I've seen before, with its shiny black tubing (as it should, for the price). The wand itself still held novelty for me — I haven't seen a metal brush like this before and I was intrigued even as I held it.
Since it looks a bit abstract, I started to question whether something like this could actually work on my individual lashes. I didn't use an eyelash curler or any other type of tool before or after applying, so my lashes didn't have a crazy amount of lift after one coat, but I could definitely see a difference in the volume and "pop" of my lashes.
I moved from my right eye to my left and then went in for a second coat on my right eye, but it looked like the mascara was starting to clump a little bit. I am not an expert at applying mascara, but I gave it another swipe to try to separate my lashes as much as possible — and it helped! Overall, it actually felt a bit easier to use than my normal mascara because the bristles weren't poking me in the eye.
I'm impressed with how something as unique as this could work; my lashes definitely came to life with a few coats of this metal mascara. Even after a few hours of wear, the mascara didn't flake or make my eyes itch, which I sometimes experience with drugstore mascaras.
But, while I'm glad I tried it and loved the results (and that the refills for the mascara are only $28 as opposed to the $38 it costs for the new bottle) I think I'll reach for a cheaper drugstore mascara just because of the price. Though, if cost isn't a concern for you, I think people who have shorter lashes, or just like the novelty of metal mascara would really enjoy this product. It's definitely easier to use than other mascaras I've tried in the past and the ability to sanitize between uses is a plus.
