Benefit's Bad Gal Bounce Mascara Gave Me Full, Fluffy Lashes Without the Crunch

For as long as I can remember, I've always been obsessed with huge eyelashes. I loved dolls with dramatic lashes and blinking eyes as a little girl, and wore fluttery falsies for all of my dance recitals. And once I learned about Twiggy in middle school, it cemented the fact that dramatic lashes and glamour would always be synonymous for me.

Sadly, I was not blessed in the lashes department—mine are short, sparse, and blonde. I wish I was the kind of girl who could commit to daily strip lashes or monthly extensions, but I'm a little lazy, so I've had to turn to mascara for the fluttery lashes of my dreams. However, when it comes to mascara, drama usually means crunch, and I'm left with lashes that are, yes, long, defined, and voluminous— but also crunchy and stiff.

Recently, I've been in search of something a little softer, and Benefit's latest launch arrives right on time: the Bad Gal Bounce Mascara. Ahead, everything you need to know, and my honest review.

The Mascara

Bad Gal Bounce is the latest launch in Benefit's Bad Gal family, which is all about "full blast" volume. As the name suggests, Bad Gal Bounce does deliver major volume, but paired with a weightless feel and lifted look. Whereas Bag Gal Bang has a sculpted plastic brush, Bad Gal Bounce features a  custom-engineered dual-sided brush. One side features densely-packed flexible fiber bristles to grab each lash, and the other has a fine-tooth plastic comb to separates and define—you can use them in whatever order you'd like.

The buildable formula includes rice wax to help separate and define lashes for a full, fanned-out look—the brand is claiming 242% more volume. It also includes nourishing ingredients like linden bud extract, provitamin B5, and castor seed oil. Per the brand, it's smudge-proof, flake-proof, clump-proof, and transfer proof for 24 hours of volume and lift.

My Review

As mentioned, I love the drama of full, fluffy lashes, but am hoping to leave some of the crunch behind. Bad Gal Bounce's weightless claim sounded like just what I was looking for, and I was right! Just a few coats of the whipped formula gives me dramatic volume—while I can't measure the brand's 242% claim, it is very impressive—and a nice curl, without any crispiness or heaviness. Big fluffy brushes usually just overwhelm my little lashes, so I like that this one also has a smaller comb on one side to help grab every lash and curb any clumping. Like the name suggests, my lashes stay curled and bouncy all day long, with no flaking or smudging. Thanks to this mascara, I'm about to enter my soft (lashes) era.