TheBalm's What's Your Type? Body Builder Mascara

TheBalm's The Body Builder mascara certainly has a lot to live up to. Supposedly formulated with Vitamin E and Bamboo, this is supposed to strengthen and condition your lashes. 

The real question is, does this mascara live up to its claims?
The formula itself is a thick, wet cream-like consistency. Working with mascaras that have a wetter formula can be difficult, especially for those who might be newer to makeup or who may be looking for something effortless to apply before scrambling out the door to work in the morning. This mascara is no exception. For the sake of this review, I decided to not use a lash comb in between coats of mascara in order to show the true nature of the product:

Left: Bare lashes; Right: One coat of product.

With great care, I was able to make the mascara work in my favor. While I don't need much length, I do like having polished-looking lashes. I wasn't too fond of this look, however. The product clumped up my lashes something awul, and made them feel thick, heavy, and rubbery.

The brush has an interesting shape, but that and the shorter bristles don't seem conducive to applying product. Oftentimes, when I take the brush out of the bottle, there is a pile of product sitting directly on top of it. I usually wipe most of the product off on the inside of the bottle before attempting to apply it to my face.

Cleaned off, to see the shape of the brush.

Clumped up.

All in all, this is a pretty good mascara for adding length. It leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to its application and wear, though. I wouldn't pay full price for it. Buy it on Hautelook when it's on sale for a deep discount and spend your money elsewhere.

More mascara? Here you go.