Taiwanese Girl says…

I am not a Beauty Brain, but I like to think myself as a Beauty Brain disciple. While most of the time I laugh off ridiculous claims various marketing departments come up with, I’ve never been as irritated as I am today. Why? I’ve just stumbled upon Smashbox’s newest mascara: Lash DNA Mascara.

The Smashbox story

Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara contains a proprietary complex of proteins and amino acids that bind to lashes-creating mega-length and curl while conditioning and rebuilding former lash damage. The double-helix brush lengthens and separates every lash, no matter how small, for the ultimate fanned-out effect.

First of all, I’m surprised they didn’t throw in “peptides” in the sentence just to make the entire claim sound even more scientific. Second of all, please tell me which amino acids or proteins actually bind to eyelashes? Third, if the brush is suppose to resemble a double helix bound to a phosphate backbone like that of a DNA molecule, then a lot of other mascara brushes resemble a DNA molecule as well! They can all be called “double-helix” brushes! Anyhow, I was so upset by the claim, I actually googled and searched their entire ingredient list to find out their functions!

Just by glancing at the first 5 ingredients, I knew that none of them were amino acids or proteins. I was a poor soul who had to memorize amino acids in college, so I can recognize them. I finally see that the 15th ingredient is Triethanolamine, which contains an amine group, but sadly is not an amino acid. As a matter of fact, it acts as a pH balancer. Then finally, when you’ve reached the end of the list, you’ll find Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, which does act as a hair-conditioning agent. Yet when it’s listed as the 3rd to last ingredient, you know that there’s not much in the formula.

I’m not saying that this is a bad mascara. It’s probably a great mascara, but a typical one made up of your typical waxes, emulsifiers, preservatives, and color. What truly irritates me is how Smashbox continues to mock science in every single one of their new product releases. Do they not realize that websites such as The Beauty Brains or Cosmetics Cop is read by tons of beauty lovers? Do they think that most of us failed biology and chemistry? That’s what truly irritates me.

Although, as Right Brain pointed out to me, perhaps they’re taking DNA to stand for “Deep Nourishing Appearance.” At this point, I really hope they do!

Smashbox Lash DNA ingredients

Water (Aqua, Eau), Beeswax (Cera Alba, Cire D’Abeilles), C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., VP/VA Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cera Carnauba, Cire de Carnauba), Polyisobutene, Stearic Acid, Isododecane, Glycerin, Silica, Ethyl Trisiloxane, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Cetyl Phenyl Ether Disulfonate, Myristic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Isostearic Acid, Ethylene Brassylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Caprylohydroxamic Acid, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Trisodium EDTA, PVP, Ethoxydiglycol, Polysorbate 60, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Diglycerin, Panthenol, Black 2 (CI 77266)

What do YOU think? Do you have an opinion on Smashbox products? Leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.