My Friend Noticed My Lashes From Across the Room Thanks to This Internet-Viral Mascara

When it comes to mascara, I have a very simple test: Will one coat make my lashes hit my glasses? I have to admit I was blessed with pretty good lashes. If I’m being honest, I don’t feel like I necessarily need mascara — my lashes are full, thick, and curled without it. Regardless, I’m obsessed with mascara anyway, especially because I want my lashes to pop behind said glasses. It’s been that way since my early teens, when tubes of CoverGirl and Maybelline littered my bathroom vanity. 

These days, I’ve graduated to mascara after mascara by Benefit — Roller Lash, They’re Real! and BadGal all have places in my stash — and the brand’s latest release, Benefit Fan Fest Fanning & Volumizing Mascara, has definitely taken my lashes by storm. I’ll skip every other step in a makeup routine and still make time for mascara, especially when it’s as good as this one. 

This new mascara features the same type of curved brush as Roller Lash, which I love because it really grabs every single lash, no matter how tiny or hidden in the corners they might be. The fanning formula also promises to last for 24 hours, and it’s smudge-proof, water-resistant, humidity-proof, and sweat-proof. Not to mention it’s formulated with provitamin B5, cranberry extract, and rice wax to condition, nourish, and separate lashes. 

I first discovered this Benefit mascara on TikTok — I kept seeing video after video of people applying a single coat and watching their lashes grow before their eyes. (At last count, the hashtag #fanfestmascara had over 770 million views.) When I tell you my fingers typed the name in the search bar and purchased it faster than I could say “long lashes,” I’m not kidding. I had to try it out for myself.

So I bet you’re wondering, how well does this Benefit mascara actually work? For me, it’s an astonishing 10 out of 10. I first applied it when I had a friend over — she sat across the room while I removed the brush and swiped the mascara onto my lashes, starting at the inner corners and working my way outward with one coat. I looked up at her, said, “Are my lashes noticeable?” and she literally yelled out, “They’re SO LONG!” For the real test, I put my glasses on, and she could still see them from across the room. 

I’m also exceedingly impressed by this mascara’s staying power. I’ve (ashamedly) slept in my makeup more than once, and this mascara does not budge; it remains flake-, smudge-, and streak-free, even if I’m crying through a sad movie or trekking through a windy day. It leaves no clumps on my cheeks or my pillowcase. Best of all, I don’t even need to comb through with an eyelash comb after applying; I just swipe it on and go. Removal is shockingly easy considering how well it lasts; I’ve washed it off with gel and milk cleansers, and both remove every stitch of it effortlessly.

In addition to those hundreds of millions of views on TikTok (and my rave review, of course), tons of shoppers are singing Benefit Fan Fest’s praises, too. It’s racked up thousands of five-star ratings at Nordstrom, with fans saying it makes lashes “look so long and thick” and that it lengthens and defines “like no other mascara.” Many shoppers also love that this mascara gives the effect of wearing falsies. “Makes my lashes look like I'm wearing lash extensions,” raved one shopper. Others said it gives a “false lash effect without the false lashes” thanks to the length and volume it provides.

I could wax poetic for hours on end about how much I love the Benefit Fan Fest Fanning & Volumizing Mascara. Instead, I’ll just keep admiring how long and full my lashes are, while I urge you to try it for yourself.