The Skinny-Wand Mascara Short Lashes Swear By, and One Thing to Check the Moment It Arrives

Mascara wands have spent years getting fatter. Big fluffy heads, oversized bristles, promises of instant volume. L'Oréal Telescopic Original goes the opposite way: a slim, flexible comb with supple elastomer bristles, built to grab each lash individually and stretch the formula from root to tip. At £7.67 for the 8ml tube it has a devoted following, with 13,411 Amazon ratings averaging 4.3 stars. But spend an hour in the most recent hundred reviews and a second story emerges, about what is missing from the packaging when it lands on your doormat rather than what is inside the tube. We will get to that, because it should change how you handle this purchase.

A wand built like a toothpick, on purpose

The brush is the whole argument for this mascara. Instead of a chunky bristle head, Telescopic uses what L'Oréal calls a high-precision flexible multi-comb: rows of supple elastomer bristles with flat surfaces that glide the formula along each lash rather than dolloping it on. You work lash by lash from root to tip, then layer for more colour and volume if you want it. L'Oréal claims up to a 71% lengthening effect, from an instrumental test on 27 subjects.

Buyers notice the difference fast. Julie Summers, a four-star reviewer, wrote: "Never used a thin wand/brush before and i was surprised what a difference it makes." Catherine Ainscough loves "the thin brush as it gets every small lash", and Sarah De Biasio says the thinness of the brush makes it one of the easiest mascaras to apply. The slim head reaches the tiny inner-corner and lower lashes that fat brushes smear product all over.

It does not suit everyone. Megan Almond, who otherwise rates it highly, docked a star because the brush is "small and straight" and she would have preferred a curved one. A skinny straight comb also asks for a touch more patience than a big wand, since you are coating lashes in passes rather than one swipe per eye.

Short, fine and mature lashes: the buyers who rave hardest

The most enthusiastic reviews in the sample come from people whose lashes give other mascaras nothing to work with. Claire's five-star review is typical: "I have very short straight stubby lashes and no mascaras would help they'd just clump and flake." After pairing Telescopic with a heated lash curler she reported, "I actually have lashes!" Her one caveat from the same review: it is not massively buildable once it dries, so get your layers on while the formula is still workable.

Beth, who also has quite short lashes, said it adds noticeable length plus a touch of volume and lift, and posted a before-and-after photo with her review to prove it. Michelle finds it "adds length even on fine lashes". And it spans ages, too. Lynn Williams titled her review "Good older lady mascara" and wrote that it is "brilliant for older ladies, does not clog, works with out continual batting of eyelids!"

Then there is susie, whose review collected six helpful votes: "Best mascara I've ever used, and I've tried them all!! No clogging the wand is perfect for long and short lashes." Harriet Evans summed up the value angle: it gives her "crazy length for a small price". If your goal is defined, separated, longer-looking lashes rather than thick false-lash drama, this is the crowd you would be joining.

The clump contradiction: dry tubes, a changed formula, or just too much product?

Now the awkward part. Of the hundred most recent reviews, 56 are five-star and 25 are one-star, and the two camps describe what sound like different products. AlyAppo gets "lovely long lashes and no clumping". Another five-star buyer reports "No clumps, lashes look long". Meanwhile a one-star reviewer wrote that "it clumps so much that I end up covered in it trying to sort it out", and Cait called it "clumpy and cheap", noting that the waterproof version she owns is fine.

Three explanations surface in the reviews themselves. First, tube condition. Katrina Matthews used this mascara for years and loved it, but her last two arrived without the usual clear plastic seal and were "lumpy and stick lashes together with clumps". She openly wonders whether they had already been opened. Jools had tubes arrive with barely any product inside. Second, one buyer believes the formula itself changed, saying their former favourite is now dry and clumpy and that their own research pointed to a reformulation. Third, application style: Roseanna Beck found the brush good but felt "too much product goes onto the lashes" for her natural-look preference, and Eve.Isobel found the formula on the dry side, working better layered over another mascara.

Our reading: when long-time fans report that only their unsealed tubes turned lumpy, stock condition looks like the more likely culprit than the formula for a good chunk of these complaints. A fresh, properly sealed tube that behaves like the angriest reviews describe appears to be the exception in this sample, not the rule.

Smudge tests, panic attacks and the 36-hour claim

L'Oréal claims up to 36 hours of smudge-resistant wear, based on a consumer test with 108 subjects. Nobody needs a day and a half of mascara, but the all-day hold seems real for most. The most memorable endorsement comes from Maria: "Had a 30 minute panic attack and the mascara hasn't budged. Gorgeous, dark and layers well. Very thick mixture but not clumpy." If a mascara survives that, an office day or a wedding should be fine.

It is not unanimous. Ms. S. G. Parker dropped a star because "it smudges in the outer corners", which was exactly what she bought it to avoid. Beth noted the formula "can feel slightly sticky on the lash" until it fully dries down. And the flip side of stubborn wear is stubborn removal: Lily called the mascara amazing but "quite difficult to remove", and Maria agrees it takes a little while to come off. Budget time and a proper eye makeup remover at night.

One more practical point from the listing: L'Oréal says the formula is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and has been tested under ophthalmological control. Several reviewers in the sample are clearly daily wearers who have repurchased for years, which tracks with a formula designed for comfortable everyday use.

Seventeen warnings about the seal: read this before you order

This is the part most product reviews skip, and it matters more than any brush comparison. Seventeen of the hundred most recent reviews mention tubes arriving unsealed, already opened or visibly used. In fact, of the 25 one-star reviews in the sample, 18 describe delivery-condition problems (unsealed, opened, empty, dried out, or a broken wand) rather than anything about how the mascara performs.

The reviews are blunt. Kris wrote: "Product arrived opened, wish I would have read the reviews first... it seems I'm not the only one." H Pears loved the product itself, saying "the mascara itself is really good, especially the thin brush", but gave three stars because her tube arrived with no hygiene seal despite the listing stating it was new and sealed. A couple of buyers also said they struggled to get a return accepted afterwards.

So protect yourself. The moment your order arrives, check for an intact hygiene seal before you bin any packaging. If the seal is missing, the tube feels light, or the product looks dry, do not use it: an eye product of unknown history is not worth the risk. Start the return straight away and state the hygiene issue explicitly. Bought sealed and fresh, this mascara performs the way its fans describe. The lottery is in the fulfilment, not the formula.