How Pat McGrath's New Mascara Made Me Rethink Every Mascara I Owned

I'm no Hung Vanngo or Priscilla Ono, but I think my makeup skills have improved greatly over the years. Practice makes perfect, you know, and I've spent many hours trying to apply my foundation seamlessly and creating a highlight that finishes dewy rather than glittery. Eye makeup, however, is unchartered territory. Since I wear glasses, I always figured that it wasn't necessarily a step that I had to take. But then I found myself saving a plethora of eye makeup tutorials on Instagram, and longingly swatching every palette that crossed my desk. I wanted to add a little something to my bespectacled eyes. I just didn't know what. Now I have the answer: Pat McGrath Labs Fetisheyes Mascara.

I knew that Pat McGrath had something up her sleeve, as I admittedly check her Instagram more than my own. Over the holidays, she posted a series of inspo shots, including this one of Pattie Boyd, that were all about lashes. Turns out my guess was right. Like most of her innovations, the mother of makeup had been testing it out right underneath our noses without anyone knowing — most recently at Prada Spring/Summer 2019 late last year, and Versace's Fall/Winter 2019 mens and women’s pre-collection show in Milan days ago. Despite the product not dropping until February 14 Mother was gracious enough to give a group of beauty editors a preview of how the formula works.

Like I said, I'm not someone who wears much eye makeup. However, I've tested my fair share of mascaras enough to know what I don't like: nothing too heavy, nothing that makes my lashes clump, and a formula that's either waterproof or long-wear. (My eyes are sensitive; they water at the drop of a dime). And since my lashes are curly, I prefer a mascara that lengthens and provides a bit of volume. Fetisheyes, which will retail for $28 when it drops next month, isn't designed to be the type of mascara that gives you falsies in a tube — though I don't mind that exaggerated look every now and then. According to a release (and her Instagram), McGrath was inspired by "coquettishly feathered and editorial-inspired lash looks" that build with every swipe. Check and check.

The makeup artist who helped me try the formula on applied at least three coats to my bare lashes, showing me his progress in along the way. I was amazed at how pretty my fringes looked — again, not too extra... just like my own lashes, but better. Typically, my eyelashes begin to feel weighed down and cakey once I start to layer on product... but that didn't happen with Fetisheyes. The formula is made with conditioning peptides to strengthen the wispy hairs and protect from and defends lashes from free radical damage, while panthenol hydrates and helps keep them super soft and non-flaky. Another cool thing about this mascara is the brush. It's not graduated or cone-shaped like many of the newfangled releases, but the bristles are still strategically placed and ergonomically-designed for maximum lift.

No mascara on the left. Fetisheyes on the right.

Even though the formula technically isn't waterproof, I was amazed at how the mascara lasted throughout a particularly windy day. My eyes watered relentlessly as the wind whipped, but my Fetisheyes? Still perfect. And once I was ready to remove it, it only took a few swipes of a makeup wipe. No cleaning oil or heavy remover necessary. A Valentine's Day release is fitting for this one... I'm more than confident that you'll fall in love with the product, just as I did.