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RCA Review

Why Ilia's Limitless Lash Mascara Has Me Thinking Twice About Clean Beauty Products

A dual-sided, clean mascara that lengthens and adds volume to lashes.
Image may contain Cosmetics and Mascara
Readers' Choice
  • Readers' Choice
  • 2023, 2022, 2020

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TL;DR:

  • What It Is: A clean, opaque black mascara with a dual-sided wand
  • What It Does: Thickens, defines, and lengthens lashes
  • Who It's For: Anyone who wants longer, more defined lashes but prefers a cleaner formula

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Let me start by saying there's nothing wrong with clean, green, or natural makeup products. But "natural" and "clean" are the last words I'd use to describe my beauty routine. I'm just a full-glam girl who's found that too often, products made with "better-for-you" ingredients can lack pigment or have extremely sheer application. So when I decided to give the Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara a try, I wasn't expecting much.

Like skin care, mascara is very personal. I prefer formulas that give me a small amount of clump. I want volume and length that's noticeable without looking too thick and spidery. To get those results, a mascara has to have the right brush and formula. I'm so serious about my lashes, that I'll even layer two to three different mascaras to get my desired look. With Ilia's brush, I don't have to go through all those extra steps.

Plastic brushes and I haven't always gotten along, but I think they're essential for beautiful, fluttery lashes. This mascara has a dual-sided brush (one side is shaped like an hourglass, the other like a straight comb) to build volume and separate lashes. The opaque black formula holds a curl through a full day’s wear and layers beautifully so you can create either soft definition or full-on, in-your-face lashes. After two to three coats, it clumps in just the right way, but if that’s not your style, you can comb your lashes out with the flat side of the brush.

I'm not saying that I'm a complete clean beauty convert, but there are products on the market that perform to my personal standard. The Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara gets bonus points for being cruelty-free. I should have known better than to doubt this mascara since it was a 2019 Best of Beauty winner. Needless to say, I've already added it to my makeup routine — and hey, it's even opened the door for me to trying other new clean beauty products.