Name: Exceptionnel De Chanel
Brand: Chanel
Size: 6g
Price: €28
From Chanel’s website:
Captivating volume and audacious curves give lashes the fullest advantage – with clump-free, smudge-proof separation. Innovative six-sided brush ensures dramatic results.
What I liked:
- thickens, adds volume and lenght
- doesn’t clump
- no smudging or flaking
- not hard to remove
- long lasting
- the packaging
What I didn’t like:
- it takes a while to get used to the application technique
- the price
Chanel Exceptionnel is the first high end mascara I’ve ever tried. I usually only buy drugstore mascaras because I don’t really feel like paying a lot of money for something that has a shelf life of three months, unless it is HG material. However, a while ago, the Italian Chanel website put up a form to request a sample of Exceptionnel, so I filled it in and submitted it straight away. It was delivered pretty fast as well.
Exceptionnel is available in 4 shades: black, brown, blue and purple. i have the black one and the color is very pigmented. It comes in a pretty sleek black tube.
The six-sided brush has 2 types of bristles: 3 rows of short and dense brush bristles for volume and thickness and 3 rows of comb bristles for length and definition. You’re supposed to rotate the brush as you apply the mascara from the bottom of the lashes to the tips. It actually took me a while to get the hang of this technique but once I did the results were amazing! However, this is a €28 mascara and for that amount of money I expect it to give my lashes volume and lenght with just one swipe without me having to figure out the correct way to apply it.
The formula is very rich. It thickens, and gives lots of volume and lenght. It gives a very dramatic, fake lashes effect with just one or two coats. It also separates lashes and gives then a natural curl, but it doesn’t hold it for the entire day.
This mascara is almost clump free. The only time it clumped a little is when I tried to apply more than three coats. I don’t recommend doing that though, as a couple of coats are more than enough to get dramatic lenght and volume. The mascara is not waterproof but it is smudgeproof. I haven’t experienced any flakes at all. The mascara is very longlasting and easy to remove.
The mascara contains Cera Alba (beeswax) and Stearic Acid that give it its smudgeproof properties, while Trithanolamine is added so that it can be removed easily.
Summary:
Overall, the mascara is really good and delivers what it promises: lots of volume and lenght. It separates lashes and curls them a bit. It is long-lasting, smudgeproof and clump-free. However, it is expensive and it takes a while to figure out how to apply it properly to get the promised effect.
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: a mini size of this item came with a magazine purchased by me for both personal and review purposes. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE this mascara!
Me too! It’s definitely one of the best mascaras I’ve tried.
It is awsome! I have the small one that came with TELVA, a spanish magazine.
I love it too, it’s great!! I like it when mags come with mags. I recently got a sample of Diorshow iconic mascara that way, although it’s not as good as the Chanel one.
Oh Wow! It was amazing. Definitely lengthened my lashes and let me tell you about the flirting!
This is one of my favourite mascaras, Ashly! I love that it adds both volume and lenght. It’s awesome!
I actually quite like this mascara look! But I am using now the Revitalash they make your lashes nice and full without looking too fake.
Laura, this is a great mascara, isn’t it? I’m glad Revitalash works well for you too.