Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara with Primer Review

Hey guys! Let's round off this weekend with a review on Tarte's Lights, Camera, Flahes Statement Mascara. I grabbed this little guy during Sephora's VIB/VIB Rouge 20% Off Shopping Event as a 100 Point Perk.
After doing some research I was further impressed with Tarte's formula as it is a paraben-free and phthalate-free product. It contains no mineral oil, sodium lauryl sulfates, or gluten.

[Update Dec. 01, 2013]: Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara with primer added at the bottom.

Product Description from Official Website

Product Performance: Take your sultry, flashy lashes to the extreme with this amped up, ultra-black mascara that lengthens, curls and magnifies lashes for an intensified look proven to increase lash volume by 752% instantly! Powered by tarte’s proprietary triple black complex, this longwear, vitamin-infused formula emphasizes length and volume while conditioning lashes for a dramatic look that won’t dry out, flake or budge.

The custom-engineered, dual-molded brush boosts even the skinniest lashes for an exaggerated, voluminous look. First, the shorter, denser side of the brush delivers the optimal amount of mascara to volumize and coat each lash perfectly, then the longer, firmer side of the brush lengthens and separates for maximum volume without clumping.

Powered By: Provitamin B5: vitamin B derivative that helps treat and thicken lashes. Beeswax: a protective barrier between the skin and the environment that has been known to naturally stimulate collagen, production. Mineral pigments: soothe and soften lashes.

The product description as alway,s sounds wonderful. So, how did it turn out?

I was pretty impressed with the results. My lashes increased in volume and length but the one thing that won me over was how nicely I could sculpt my lashes. There is some clumping of the lashes but I'm willing to trade that off for the great fan shape and the combined increases in both length and volume.

The gold colored tube really speaks to me but that's strictly personal preference! The brush wand design is very effective in combing and defining your lashes. I especially liked the fan shape I was able to create for this session. The brush is made up of short to medium length, stiff bristles that are spread further apart than traditional medium to long bristles found on other mascaras. Although it doesn't hurt, I do get a little startled when I brush too close to my lash line and get pricked by the bristles.


Overall, for those who are on the hunt for cleaner makeup products with great performance or a solid mascara, this is a good one. The brush applicator itself may take some getting used to as the fiber bristles are far apart and they are pointy. I will be updating this post later after I've used Tarte's primer underneath the mascara so check back for that. :)

Results with Tarte Primer multiplEYE

I applied Tarte's multiplEYE primer on first and then Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara right after. There is a noticeable difference with increased volume and length but as always that also means more clumping for me.

There is a direct impact to how your lashes turn out as a result of how well you were able to apply and combo your lashes with the primer. If you can use the primer to comb out and shape your lashes evenly, you will retain that shape but increase the volume and length as you apply the mascara. If during primer application,  few lashes got clumped together, you won't necessarily be able to comb them out with the mascara brush because as you would expect, the mascara grabs right onto the primer. It's like coloring a picture - you use the primer to line your lashes and the mascara is used to fill within the area that was lined.

Lashes looked very voluminous on the side and the clumping isn't very noticeable. A big plus is there is no visible white primer on the lashes.

The primer wand has a thin and long brush applicator with a spiraling design. The bristles are soft and short to medium in length. See here for a picture of the brush.

I'm not quite sold on the primer because of how my lashes look from the front. Due to added clumping, it makes the lashes look sparse. I will say that the lashes look absolutely beautiful from the side. I would use the primer occasionally for added effect but for $22 a pop, it's unlikely I will be buying the full size primer after I use this one up.

I've reviewed another Tarte mascara w/ primer results for your comparison - Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara if you are interested.

Retails For $23 USD
Primer Retails For $22 USD
Where to buy: Tarte Cosmetics online or locally and at most major cosmetic stores. Full size from Sephora's Lash Stash 2013