I have been testing Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara for three weeks straight, applying it every single morning and taking it through London humidity, a cardio class, and more than one crying at a film session. I wanted to know whether the reputation holds up when you strip away the hype and just look at what it does to your lashes. Here is everything I found, including where to find the best current price and what to expect from wear over time. You can also check current pricing and availability for Too Faced at Lookfantastic with code LFTFNICOLAL at checkout.

The short version: this is a volume mascara that does deliver on its promises. The hourglass brush is clever in ways that took me a few applications to fully appreciate, and the formula conditions as it wears, which is something I did not expect from a product in this category. It is not perfect for every situation, and I will explain exactly why. But if you want dramatic, separated lashes without the false lash commitment, this is worth working into your routine.

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What Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Actually Is

Better Than Sex is Too Faced flagship mascara and has been one of their bestsellers for years. The formula is vegan and cruelty free, ophthalmologist tested, and designed to build volume while holding a curl throughout the day. The brush is the signature element: an hourglass shape that is wider in the middle and tapered at both ends, intended to grab lashes from root to tip and coat every single one individually.

The ingredients include film forming polymers that lock a curl in place once the mascara dries, plus Acacia Senegal extract, which is a conditioning agent that keeps lashes soft over time. There are also peptides included for lash strength, and the formula is free from parabens. The 8ml black tube is distinctive and has become widely recognised makeup mascara tubes on the market.scara category.

This is a traditional wax based mascara, not a tubing formula. That means it removes easily with an oil cleanser or micellar water, which was one of the first things I tested because I find some long wear mascaras impossible to get off without scrubbing.

The Hourglass Brush: Why the Shape Matters

Most mascara brushes are either classic spoolie shapes or more aggressively bristled designs meant for volume or length. The hourglass shape on Better Than Sex sits somewhere between those two approaches, and after using it for three weeks I think it is the real reason the mascara works as well as it does.

The wider middle section grabs the base of your lashes and deposits product where volume matters most. The tapered ends then sweep through to coat the finer outer and inner corner lashes that many brushes miss entirely. The result after one coat is a natural but noticeably enhanced look, where lashes appear thicker right from the root without looking spidery or clumped together.

It takes a couple of applications to get the technique right. I found that wiggling the brush from side to side as I bring it up through the lashes helps distribute product evenly across the whole lash line. If you just drag it straight up, you get good coverage but less of that natural fanned out effect that makes the result look intentional rather than accidental.

My Lash Profile and How I Tested

My lashes are straight, sit at medium length, and have a tendency to droop by midday if a mascara does not hold a curl well. I tested Better Than Sex on clean lashes with no primer, just to understand what the mascara does on its own merits. I also tested it with primer on days when I wanted more dramatic results, and I will explain the difference below.

Testing conditions across the three weeks included: humid London weather, air conditioned office environment, a sweaty spin class, a rainy commute, and a couple of late nights where I fell asleep in it. I assessed curl hold, smudge resistance, flake behaviour, and how my lashes felt at the end of each testing day.

Coat by Coat: What Each Layer Does

One coat gives a natural daytime enhancement. My lashes looked defined and slightly thicker, with visible separation. There was no clumping on the first pass, and the curl held for approximately six hours without any assist from a primer. By hour six, I saw a slight loss of lift at the outer corners, but nothing dramatic enough to make me want to reach for a mirror.

Two coats is where the result becomes more of a statement. Lashes fan out noticeably, the curl holds through drizzle and humidity without any assistance, and there is drama without looking like you have put on false lashes. I wore this to an evening event on two occasions and received comments about my lashes both times, which is always a good sign that the mascara is doing what it claims. There was minor flaking under the eyes by hour eight on the first of those two occasions, but nothing that would be visible to anyone who was not standing close to me.

Three coats moves into maximum volume territory. I found this to be the point where the result risks becoming a little too obvious if you do not comb through with a clean spoolie after application. Without the combing step, the lashes can start to look heavy and spider like rather than enhanced. With the combing step, three coats gives an impressive look that works well for evening wear or when you want your eye makeup to do the heavy lifting.

On oily lids specifically, I noticed smudging by hour seven on days when my skin was particularly greasy. The waterproof version would address this, and I will come back to that option at the end of this review.

How It Compares to Other Mascaras I Have Tried

I have worked through quite a few mascaras over the years, partly because I find the category genuinely interesting from a formulation perspective and partly because I am always looking for something that does what Better Than Sex does but without the smudge issue on humid days. Here is where I think it sits relative to the other products I have tested most recently.

Against Maybelline Sky High, Better Than Sex delivers significantly more volume. Sky High wins on length, and if you are looking for a lengthening mascara above all else, Sky High is worth considering. But for pure volume and curl definition, Better Than Sex is the stronger product. The conditioning formula also means your lashes feel softer after a few weeks of daily use, which is not something Sky High does.

Against Loreal Voluminous, the difference is mostly about finish quality. Voluminous can clump on the second coat in a way that Better Than Sex does not, and the fanning effect Better Than Sex produces is more natural and deliberate rather than the somewhat uneven result that Voluminous can give when you push it to a second coat.

Better Than Sex holds a curl considerably better than either of those two alternatives on my lashes. If you have the same straight lash issue I do, where most mascaras start dropping by midday, the film forming polymer system in Better Than Sex makes a real and measurable difference.

Beyond mascara, building a complete eye makeup look usually means thinking about what else goes on the lids and around the lashes. If you are exploring complementary eye makeup options, Charlotte Tilbury has a range that works well alongside quality mascaras and is worth browsing if you want to complete the look.

What to Expect from Wear Over Three Weeks

After two weeks of daily use, my lashes felt noticeably softer than they had at the start. I attribute this to the Acacia Senegal extract in the formula, which appears to have a conditioning effect when used consistently over time rather than just a one off event. This is not a claim I would make lightly, and I have checked it against how my lashes felt after the same period with other mascaras I have tested recently.

There is also something to be said for the psychological effect of using a mascara you enjoy applying. The brush feels well designed, the black tube is satisfying to hold, and the application ritual takes about ninety seconds in the morning. That is not nothing when you are doing it every day.

The only consistent issue across the full three weeks was smudging on hot, humid days with no air conditioning. If I was in a position where I knew I would be in a warm, humid environment for an extended period, I would reach for the waterproof version rather than the regular formula. More on that below.

Removing It: What Works

Because this is a traditional wax based formula, removal is straightforward. A good oil cleanser dissolves it completely without any scrubbing or tugging. Micellar water on a cotton pad also works well, though you need to hold the pad against the lashes for a few seconds before wiping to give the product time to break down. I have not experienced any lash loss during removal, which was one of my concerns going into the testing period given how much I had read about mascara causing lash damage over time.

Is the Waterproof Version Worth Switching To?

After wearing the regular Better Than Sex mascara through the full three week testing period, I bought the waterproof version to compare directly. The difference is significant for anyone with oily lids or anyone who lives in a humid climate or tends to have watery eyes in air conditioning.

The waterproof version eliminates smudging entirely on the oily lid issue I described above. Curl hold is also marginally better in humid conditions. The tradeoff is it requires a more dedicated removal routine. A bifacial cleanser or dedicated eye makeup remover is necessary rather than optional, and if you use the waterproof version daily over a long period, you may find your lashes feel drier than they do with the regular formula.

If the smudging issue on the regular formula bothers you, the waterproof version is a genuine alternative worth trying. I would suggest buying the regular version first and testing it across your normal week before committing to the waterproof version, because the removal process is more of a commitment.

If you are doing full eye makeup regularly and want to look after the skin around your eyes at the same time, Elemis has products that pair well with a thorough mascara removal routine and have become part of my regular eye care for that reason.

Frequently Asked Questions About Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Does Better Than Sex Mascara smudge?

Usually, on oily lids it can start to migrate a little after hour six or so. The waterproof version eliminates that completely though, so if you know your skin runs greasy or you are heading somewhere humid, go for that version instead.

Is Better Than Sex a tubing mascara or a traditional formula?

Traditional wax formula, not a tubing one. It comes off with a good oil cleanser or micellar water without any real elbow grease, which was one of the first things I checked when testing it. No issues on the removal front.

How many coats should I apply?

This really depends on what you want from the day. One coat is enough for a clean, natural look. Two gives you that noticeable drama without going over the top. Three works if you are going somewhere special but you need to comb through after or it gets a bit much. I mostly stuck to two on normal days and found that was the sweet spot.

Does it hold a curl on straight lashes?

Yes, significantly better than most I have tried on my own lashes. The film forming polymers lock the curl once the mascara dries, and that holds through a normal day without any trouble. In hot, humid conditions the waterproof version is the more reliable choice though.

Is the price justified?

Full price is a treat, but with a discount code applied it becomes genuinely good value for what you are getting. The volume, curl hold, and the fact that it actually conditions my lashes over time rather than just coating them means I think the price is fair, and I am fairly picky about what I spend on mascaras.

If you want to explore other options for eye makeup beyond this mascara, Sephora UK stocks a wide range of eye products that I have found useful when comparing what is available at different price points.

Can I use it with a lash primer?

Absolutely, and it makes a real difference when you want real drama. A primer underneath with two coats of the waterproof version gives a result that genuinely holds through a full evening or a long day without any corrections needed.

How I Applied It: My Step by Step Process

After testing this across three weeks and different conditions, here is the application method that gave me the best results most consistently.

First, I curl my lashes before applying any mascara. This is non negotiable for my straight lashes and makes a significant difference to how the final result looks. I use a standard eyelash curler and hold it for ten seconds at the base of the lashes before releasing.

Second, I wiggle the brush from side to side as I bring it up through the lashes from root to tip. This distributes product more evenly than a single straight stroke and helps the hourglass brush do the work it was designed for. I focus the first pass on the outer corners because that is where I want the most drama.

Third, I wait about thirty seconds for the first coat to dry slightly before applying a second coat. This prevents the second coat from reactivating the first and causing clumping. The drying time is brief and makes a meaningful difference to the separation you get on the final result.

Fourth, I use a clean spoolie to comb through the lashes after the second coat. This removes any excess product that is causing the lashes to stick together and gives the final result a much more natural and intentional quality.

Fifth, on days when I want the result to hold through a long day or an evening event, I set the under eye area with a small amount of translucent powder on a brush. This prevents any minor flaking from showing up on the skin under the eyes. I only do this on days when I need the result to hold for eight or more hours, because the powder step adds time to the routine.

Does It Deliver on the Hype?

After three weeks of testing, my honest answer is yes, with a small caveat. The hype around Better Than Sex is well founded in the sense that this mascara does what it claims to do. The volume is real, the curl hold is impressive, and the conditioning effect over time is something I did not expect to notice but did.

The caveat is that it is not the right mascara for every situation. If you have oily lids and do not want to use the waterproof version, you will get smudging in longer wear. If you are looking for a lengthening mascara above all else, there are better options. And if you want a natural everyday look without any drama, one coat is great but two coats will feel like too much.

For me and my straight, medium length lashes that want to droop by midday, Better Than Sex has become the mascara I reach for when I want to feel confident about my lashes without committing to false lashes or a more intensive eye routine. It does the job, it does it well, and the result makes a difference to how my eyes look in a way I notice and appreciate.

If you are considering it and you know that volume mascara works well for your lashes, I think it is worth trying. The three week testing period gave me enough data to feel confident about the result, and the discount options available right now make the entry point more accessible than full price would.

The Verdict After Three Weeks

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara earns its reputation. It is a volume mascara that delivers volume, holds a curl, conditions over time, and removes easily. The hourglass brush is well designed enough to justify the price difference between this and drugstore alternatives. The waterproof version is worth knowing about for anyone with specific smudge concerns.

My rating: four point eight out of five. The only thing preventing a perfect score is the smudge behaviour on oily lids in the regular formula, and that is entirely addressed by switching to the waterproof version if you know that is a concern for you. I would repurchase both versions and use them for different situations depending on what I need from the day.

Looking for another beauty essential? try my review of Shiseido Ultimune Concentrate for everyday skin health support.

Kisses ,Nicola x