Tarte Maneater Mascara Review: Is This Mascara Worth It?
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Tarte Cosmetics is a company based in New York that makes their products with what they call “high-performance naturals” that are also vegan and overall high-quality.
This is one of the many reasons why Tarte has been one of my favorite cosmetics brands. I especially use Tarte’s eye makeup products. I have sensitive eyes and lashes that get red and itchy with certain products. The Tarteist Lash Paint mascara was my previous holy grail, but the Tarte Maneater Mascara may replace that one.
The Tarte Maneater Mascara as more than just a volumizing mascara. It’s said to open up the eyes, making them look bigger and lifted. The secret lies in the brush; there are over 500 bristles that separate your lashes. The formula is also conditioning so your lashes won’t clump.
Tarte Maneater Mascara Review: Key Features
- Volumizes, curls, and lengthens (though I don’t think they curl)
- Creamy and moisturizing formula
- Won’t clump
- Makes eyes appear bigger
- Available in a smaller, TSA-approved size
- 500+ brittle soft flex brush coats and separates lashes evenly
Pros
- Doesn’t flake, clump, or smudge
- Makes lashes look thicker
- Long-wearing
Cons
- Doesn’t curl
- The wand is big and can be a little awkward for bottom-lash application
- Need at least two coats for serious results
Dress your lashes like you style your hair with this lengthening, curling and volumizing mascara. 
Why I Love Tarte Mascaras
I kind of already mentioned this in the intro, but I will go more in detail here. So many mascaras make my eyes itchy and watery. In extreme situations, some even made my eyes all red. But not Tarte maneater voluptuous mascara. No matter which one I use, my eyes are very comfortable and I can wear their products all day without itchiness or redness.
The website also states the Tarte mascara is ophthalmologist and dermatologist-tested. It’s safe for contact wearers; I don’t wear contacts so I can’t say from experience if this is true or not.
As I said, the Tarteist Lash Paint is typically my go-to Tarte mascara. I do love how the Maneater Voluptuous Mascara volumizes and lengthens, though it doesn’t curl as much. I think the Lash Paint curls better while giving your lashes plenty of length and volume.
The only Tarte mascara I didn’t like was the Surfer Curl. It does give your lashes a great curl, but it can clump and has more of a natural look.
Lash-Friendly Ingredients
I think the reason why Tarte has such good mascara is that they pack their products with ingredients that your skin and lashes will love. Here are some of the notable ingredients in the Maneater Mascara:
Carnauba Wax
This wax comes from the leaves of the carnauba palm Copernicia Prunifera, which is a plant native to northern Brazil. It’s used for a variety of purposes due to its hard and waterproof nature. It also makes a great wax for mascara! It volumizes and lengthens the lashes while offering a smooth application. This is likely why the mascara gives impressive results, lasts a long time, and doesn’t clump.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil not only has hydrating properties but can protect and strengthen your lashes. Even though it’s called jojoba “oil,” it’s more like wax. It’s extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant and is used in a variety of skincare and hair care applications.
How to Use This Mascara
What I did first was start by curling my lashes with a curling wand, which is what I always do.
Then, I start in the center of my eye and move the brush in an upward motion to coat the lashes, starting at the bottom and moving upward.
I like to move the brush in a zig-zag motion to get the best coverage. I then move to the end of the lashes, working my way to the inner corner. Tarte says to layer on for more drama. I applied three coats for a seriously intense look, though I definitely saw results with two coats.
My Experience
My first coat was okay; I could definitely see the results, but they were subtle. The second coat was more intense. I could start seeing dramatic length and volume. The third coat is where the action happens! There was extra volume especially, and my lashes lengthened. As I mentioned before, I couldn’t get my lashes to curl as much, which was disappointing but not totally bad.
I definitely think my success with this mascara is thanks to the brush. You can see the hundreds of bristles that separate the lashes with ease. There were no clumps or flakes. However, the brush is big. This wasn’t a problem on my upper lashes, but I didn’t think it worked as well on my lower lashes.
For this review, I made sure to wear light eyeshadow and eyeliner so you can see the dramatic length and volume. This mascara definitely does its job! As you can see, my lashes are perfectly separated and clump-free. I recommend this mascara alone for this reason.
It’s difficult to take pictures of mascara (more than you think) so you can’t really see the lack-of-curl here. Another qualm with the mascara is the color. Sure, it’s black. But it’s not an INTENSE black. This is a good mascara if you want something intense but not too intense. Me personally, I like my mascara looking as unnatural as possible.
Even with those slight flaws, I still recommend this mascara. I’ll definitely continue using this mascara. I would even buy it again! But it’s important to emphasize Lash Paint, which I feel curls better and has that intensely pigmented black. I’ll go over it more in the Alternatives section.
The Cost
At $23 USD, this mascara could be too expensive for some people. Me personally, I don’t mind paying extra for mascara if that means I’m buying a high-quality product. Actually, I don’t think this mascara is that expensive. Definitely cheaper than other brands like Dior.
Alternatives
Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve been hyping up this mascara throughout this review, and that’s because it’s worth it. This mascara is amazing because it gives you the all-around false lashes look. You get curl, length, and volume. The brush is similar to the Maneater Mascara where you get several bristles that separate your lashes flawlessly. The mascara also doesn’t clump or flake.
I also love Lash Paint because it stays on all day. It does wash off with water and just about any eye makeup remover (I use a combination of a wipe with Ponds Cold Cleanser). The only problem is it does smudge, but only a tiny bit. I didn’t notice any smudging from Maneater, which is a major plus over Lash Paint.
Keep in mind, this mascara is out of stock on both the Sephora and Ulta Beauty websites. I am SO UPSET and I hope they didn’t discontinue it! Sephora does have the travel size in stock. I may order some soon.
No lash left behind. Fanned bristles at the top of the brush reach every single lash, even the teeniest. It’s like 2 brushes in one—and we love that kind of versatility at ipsy. 
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes
If you want volume but want a natural mascara, I suggest trying Lights, Camera, Lashes. It adds a decent amount of volume, but also has a natural finish. My big issue with this mascara is it clumps more than other Tarte mascaras. This also comes in a waterproof option if you struggle with smudging.
Tarte lights, camera, lashes is a 4-in-1 mascara that gives your lashes the ultimate makeover. A high-performance formula is proven to increase the appearance of lash volume by 330 percent creating strikingly thickness in lashes. The overall impact is sexy lashes.
Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
I’ve never tried this mascara, but I have friends who swear by it. Customer reviews also say the mascara makes the lashes stand out.
The Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is a volumizing mascara that also defines, lengthens, and curls the lashes. The mascara uses plant stem cell technology to support the lashes and make them healthier. Like Tarte, Thrive Causemetics is also vegan and cruelty-free. And with every product you purchase, the company donates to women in need.
The one thing I notice with this mascara, watching Jenna Catherine’s video, is the mascara looks good but her lashes aren’t really volumized. But the length and curl on her lashes are beautiful. Her lashes stand out, but don’t look too dramatic. I have been wanting to buy products from this brand, maybe I’ll try this mascara when I run out of Lash Paint.
Instantly create the look of lash extensions with this award-winning, best-selling mascara that won't clump, flake or smudge. Available in 3 shades!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara
I have never tried this mascara but I pretty much only use Anastasia products on my eyebrows, so I’m sure this mascara is amazing. Reading reviews, the Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara creates serious volume and you don’t need a lot of coats. Some reviewers complained about smudging, so keep this in mind.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara lets you achieve maximum lash volume and fullness you can’t stop bragging about.
Maybelline Volum’ Express the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara
I will say, for a drugstore brand, I was impressed with the Volum’ Express the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara. It’s extremely affordable and has impressive volume, curl, and length.
The color is also very black and as long as you buy the washable version, it’s easy to remove. Surprisingly, it also doesn’t smudge too bad. My complaint is it does clump and flake, so you have to be careful. That and it did make my eyes itch, but not as badly as other mascaras.
Colossal mascara gets a feline edge with Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eyes. The formula and brush plump and spike out lashes at the corners for a wild cat-eye look.
FAQs
Question: Which Is the Best Tarte Mascara?
Answer: Hmmm, what is my answer? Lash Paint! Duh! But seriously, if you’re sick of me talking about Lash Paint, you can also try Lights, Camera, Lashes (which I mentioned earlier) and the Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara. Other people recommend Big Ego mascara but that one didn’t do anything for me. I didn’t notice a difference in my lashes and the formula was very dry.
Question: Does Tarte Maneater Mascara Come in a Waterproof Formula?
Answer: The Maneater Mascara is waterproof but is still easy to remove.
Question: Is Tarte the Only Brand That Sells Healthy Mascara?
Answer: I personally love Tarte mascara, since I have sensitive eyes, but they’re not the only brand that makes mascara that your lashes will love. Here are other great brands that make healthy mascara.
W3LL People
100% Pure
Juice Beauty
ILIA
Erin’s Faces
Kosas
Lily Lolo
Beautycounter
Josie Maran
Question: What Mascara Does Kim Kardashian Use?
Answer:Â This answer actually surprised me. I expected her to use a super expensive high-end mascara. In reality, Kim K uses a drugstore mascara. The L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara is Kim Kardashian’s mascara of choice. But she specifically uses the mascara in shade “carbon black.” I will say this mascara used to be my holy grail back in the day. I can’t remember why I stopped using it.
The Final Verdict
I really like the Maneater Mascara for many reasons. It’s a long-lasting mascara that offers impressive volume and length. It doesn’t smudge, clump, or flake. However, it doesn’t curl as much as I’d prefer.
The mascara didn’t irritate my eyes, which is also a plus. Lash Paint is my go-to mascara, but it looks like the mascara is out of stock and even the travel size is running low. I may use Maneater unless I can find a new mascara.
Overall, I definitely recommend this mascara. But if curl is what you’re looking for, I suggest looking at the Thrive Causemetics mascara or try the Maybelline Volum’ Express Colossal Lash mascara.
You need the best eyeshadow to complement those amazing lashes! Have you been looking at the Urban Decay Wild West palette? Read my review!
Dress your lashes like you style your hair with this lengthening, curling and volumizing mascara.
