Anastasia Lash Genius Clear Waterproof Topcoat Review and Trials

Gift

I was not blessed with wonderfully curly eyelashes. Instead, I have eyelashes that are stereotypically Asian, stubbornly straight but very inclined to point straight down. Unfortunately, this combination means I can't wear nonwaterproof mascaras because nonwaterproof mascaras don't hold the curl in my lashes after I've taken an eyelash curler to them. This used to mean that I would have to wait for waterproof versions of mascaras to be released before I used them and while they held the curl, they never seemed to live up to the nonwaterproof versions.

Not so anymore with the Anastasia Lash Genius. This is a product that is a "topcoat" for your lashes that "protects, waterproofs, and refreshes any mascara all day without clumping". I not only wanted to see if it waterproofed my mascaras but also whether it'd be able to keep the curl in my lashes when used with a nonwaterproof mascara. Does it live up to its claims?

Where to purchase: Sephora* (affiliate link), Ulta* (affiliate link)
Price: $21.00 for 0.19 oz.
Do they test on animals? I do believe they do not test on animals. 
Packaging: The product comes in a mascara style tube, black with silver accents.
My Thoughts on the Formula/Performance: 

The product is not clear per say, the color is more of a cloudy grey. I've read a few reviews where people said that it made their mascara turn grey after application and that did happen to me but only at the tips of my lashes where some of the product had settled so be sure to brush the product fully through. 

The instructions for the product are simple, "Apply one or two coats on top of mascara to waterproof and refresh" but I wanted to try it a few different ways to see how it would work best on me. My goal was to try to find a way that lead to my eyelashes staying curled and my mascara waterproof. I also wanted to see if using a waterproof mascara would do the same thing as the Lash Genius.

(I used the Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara as the nonwaterproof and the Maybelline Lash Stiletto Volumptuous as the waterproof mascara)

Trial One: Using a waterproof mascara to "topcoat" a nonwaterproof mascara. The "Before" is immediately after I topped the nonwaterproof mascara with the waterproof mascara and the "After" is after five minutes to see if it worked to keep my curl. 

You can see that the curl is slightly deflated after a few minutes though it's some still remains.

Trial Two: Applying Lash Genius after applying a nonwaterproof mascara. The "Before" is immediately after I topped the nonwaterproof mascara with the Lash Genus and the "After" is after five minutes to see if it worked to keep my curl.

You can see that more of the curl is maintained, better than with the waterproof mascara but it's still somewhat deflated.

Trial Three: Applying Lash Genius first before applying a nonwaterproof mascara and then applying it again afterwards. The "Before" is immediately after I applied the nonwaterproof mascara and the "After" is after five minutes to see if it kept curl.

The curl is mostly maintained in my eyelashes.

Hopefully you can tell that I got the best performance for retaining my eyelash curl and keeping my eyelashes waterproof by sandwiching the Lash Genius before and after applying nonwaterproof mascara. My eyelashes aren't crunchy or dry however as a result of this but they are a little stiff. I previously tried only applying the Lash Genius as a base but my mascara wasn't as waterproof (though it was improved over wearing the nonwaterproof mascara by itself).

Not only does it keep my curl but the Lash Genius does exactly what it says it does when it comes to keeping my nonwaterproof mascara waterproof. 

In case you're wondering, I have tried many a mascara primer to try to retain the curl in my eyelashes but it's never worked out. The ones that are white never got covered well by mascara and still didn't keep the curl when used in conjunction with nonwaterproof mascara. I'm glad that there's a product that exists that makes it so I can partake in some of those awesome nonwaterproof mascaras (like the Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara)

Would I recommend/repurchase?

If you've been looking for that miracle product to use with nonwaterproof mascaras, this is it. If you're like me and want to wear those dang nonwaterproof mascaras without deflating the curl in your eyelashes, this is it. It is a little pricey but considering how many GWP items always seem to come with a nonwaterproof mascara and how touted the nonwaterproof formulas always are, it's worth it.

Disclaimer: I received this product as a gift from when I attended Generation Beauty. All opinions are my own. The links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links that give me a commission when you use the link to make a purchase. Feel free to use a nonaffiliate link.