I’ve Officially Ditched My Favorite Mascara For This Electric Blue Formula

In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, our beauty writer is testing out the ITEM Beauty Boost Juice Mascara.

In August I finally made my way across the pond all the way from London, England to the city they say never sleeps — New York. As well as having a list of touristy things on my itinerary, I knew a lot of my time would be spent hunting down the very best beauty stores in NYC and stocking up on products that aren’t available in England. I found myself frequenting C.O. Bigelow, Ulta Beauty, and Sephora, with the latter being where I made one of my favorite purchases, ITEM Beauty’s Boost Juice, which is a dual-ended lash primer and two color mascara.

If you’re yet to be acquainted with ITEM Beauty, it was co-founded by TikTok star turned entrepreneur Addison Rae with MadeBy Collective, and includes a range of makeup from creamy blushes and eye shadow to highly pigmented eyeliners, as well as skin care. If it wasn’t already obvious from the standout electric blue shade and ethereal lilac hue of the mascara, the brand gives off really fun and expressive energy which instantly caught my attention.

It’s not often that I steer away from my beloved black mascara, but as someone who loves to experiment with colorful makeup, I thought I’d put this one to the test. Keep reading for my honest review.

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Fast Facts

• Price: $18
• Size: 2 x 5ml
• Clean/Cruelty-Free? Yes
• Best for: Adding a pop of color to the eyes and volumizing and lengthening eyelashes
• Ingredient highlights: Nourishing bamboo extract, olive, and sunflower wax to condition lashes
• What we like: The blue and lilac shades are pigmented, the mascara can be used in a number of different ways and it goes well with eyeliner
• What we don’t like: The lilac and blue might not be to everyone’s liking and ITEM Beauty hasn’t created more shades for the people that love it (aka me)
• Your rating: 5/5

My Everyday Mascara Routine

Despite wishing for long curly eyelashes when I was younger, my natural lashes are pretty straight and short, blending in with my dark brown eyes. To achieve my favorite natural-looking, fluttery lashes, I usually start off by using an eyelash curler to give them a bit of a lift and then go in with two different types of mascara — one for volume and one for length. I’ve yet to find a black mascara that gives me both volume and length, which is why I always opt for using different formulas for each. In terms of a mascara wand, I find myself drawn to straight wands that coat each lash individually without much clumping.

The ITEM Beauty Boost Juice Mascara

This mascara is super innovative and can be used in a number of ways, with the brand hailing it as “a green juice for your lashes,” and having 3-in-1 conditioning benefits. As mentioned before, it is dual-ended, with the lilac-shaded formula designed for maximum volume, and the blue-colored end being all about lengthening. Both formulas are infused with nourishing ingredients from bamboo to olive oil to keep your eyelashes conditioned and strong, while imparting a bold pop of color.

What’s really genius about this mascara is that you can use both sides as a primer for either volume or length and then top it with a more traditional black or brown formula if you prefer something subtle. But don’t worry — when applying a different mascara on top, the lilac and blue shades disappear underneath, so there’s no worrying about mascaras mixing together. So you’re essentially getting a lash primer and two mascaras all in one product.

If you’re interested in trying a colored mascara but aren’t too sure about the best way to remove it, make-up artist Chanel Temple suggests, “Double cleansing with an oil cleanser and micellar water is necessary when you go bolder with your look.”

I can really attest to an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm being best for removal as they both easily break down no-budge makeup. Temple adds that, “Saturating a cotton round with micellar water and holding it to the eye for at least 10 seconds, gives it enough time to work. Then gently massage the eyes to remove the product, and follow up with a gentle cleanser for extra removal.”

Testing The ITEM Beauty Boost Juice Mascara

I’ve been wearing the ITEM Beauty mascara non-stop since I got back from New York and I just can’t get over how pigmented the blue shade is on my lashes. I’ve tried a few different colored mascaras in the past but always found the hue didn’t pop as much as I’d hoped. Surprisingly, the mascara stayed on my lashes all day without even a hint of flaking or transfer. I was sure this wouldn’t be the case as even some of my favorite black mascaras transfer — but, I was proven wrong.

The curl to my lashes lasted from morning to night which I was really impressed with, as I often attend beauty events in the evening after a full day of work, meaning whatever makeup I apply half asleep in the morning has to see me through the next 12 hours. Despite the conditioning benefits of the mascara, I didn’t find my lashes particularly stronger or healthier. When it comes to lash health and growth, I prefer to reach for something like a lash serum that I can apply before bed, so that I’m not just relying on an everyday mascara.

Recently I’ve found myself reaching for the blue side of the boost juice mascara and pairing it with 19/99 Beauty’s Precision Color Pencil in the shade Notte as both shades are almost identical and make for a standout eye look. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at just how many compliments my blue mascara has gotten me. I recently went backstage at Paul Costelloe’s S/S 23 London Fashion Week show and the makeup artists praised my colorful look. Spring/summer 2023 seems to be gearing up to be full of vibrant makeup looks, and I for one am glad that I’ve got the Boost Juice Mascara to help me embrace the trend.

Is The ITEM Beauty Boost Juice Mascara Worth It?

Absolutely! While there are still a few months left until the end of the year, I think I can confidently say that this mascara has been my favorite makeup purchase of the year. At $18, plus all the nourishing ingredients and a variety of ways to use it, what’s not to love?

As someone who loves to incorporate color into her makeup looks, people often say, “I wish I could wear colorful makeup,” which everyone can — it’s just about finding the right products to get you more comfortable with bold shades, and I think ITEM Beauty has done just that. The mascara works really well whether worn alone or underneath black/brown mascara as a primer to achieve plenty of length and curl. Now I’m just ready for ITEM Beauty to grace the beauty world with more shades.

BDG product reviews and recommendations are written and conducted by writers and editors with expertise in their fields. Testers often have specific experience with the situation or product at hand, and/or their review or recommendation is provided in consultation with experts. You can learn more about our standards here.