Beauty L'Oreal Volume Showdown: Original vs Waterproof Mascara
The Voluminous Original and its waterproof sibling share the same famous brush. The difference comes down to wear and removal. Here is the side-by-side breakdown.
| Factor | L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascar | L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Check price | Check price |
| Key feature | Curved brush, 5X volume, washable | Same brush, waterproof wear |
| Best for | Daily wear, sensitive eyes | Humidity, tears, long days |
| Ease of use | Removes with soap and water | Needs oil-based remover |
| Smudge resistance | Strong for washable | Maximum |
Our Verdict
The Voluminous Original wins for everyday use. It delivers the same 5X volume claim with far easier removal. Soap and water is all you need at night. The waterproof version wins only for specific days like weddings, workouts, or humid summers. Most buyers should start with the Original and add waterproof later if needed. For sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, the washable formula is the safer daily driver. Keep it simple and pick the Original first. Voluminous Original earns its recommendation through bold clump-free volume and dependable Voluminous performance. Few options combine beautiful black color with bold clump-free volume as effortlessly as Voluminous Original.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Mascara loyalists who want the darkest shade at the best value.
L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara 2-Pack, Carbon Black
- Two tubes of the iconic volume-building mascara
- Intense carbon black pigment
- Clump-free, smudge-free application
- Washable formula with panthenol
Pros
- Better value per tube
- Deepest black shade available
- Stock up for months
Cons
- Two tubes may dry out before use
- Bulk buy suits heavy users only
Mascara Hygiene: The Rules Nobody Follows
The 2-pack of Voluminous Original in the comparison above is a value win, but two tubes demand a hygiene plan, because the second tube's clock starts when it is opened, not when it is bought. Keep the sealed backup in a cool drawer, away from bathroom humidity and heat, and do not open it until the first tube is finished or hits three months. An opened tube older than three months is not a bargain being stretched, it is a bacterial culture being applied to the eyes, and the infection risk climbs steeply after that point.
The daily habits matter as much as the calendar. Never pump the wand: the plunging motion forces air into the tube, drying the formula and feeding bacteria, while a single swirl coats the brush just as well. Never share mascara, even with family, since eye infections transfer through a shared wand with alarming efficiency. Watch for the turn signals: a sour or chemical smell, a formula that suddenly goes clumpy, or any eye irritation that coincides with a tube change all mean the tube goes in the trash immediately. And any eye infection means discarding the current tube the same day, not after recovery, because the wand is contaminated. At for two tubes, replacing on schedule costs less than a single urgent-care visit.
Removing Voluminous Formulas Without the Fallout
Voluminous Original builds its volume with waxes and polymers that do not surrender to water alone, so the removal method decides how many lashes survive the routine. The gentlest effective approach is the press-and-hold: saturate a cotton pad with dual-phase remover, press against the closed eye for 20 to 30 seconds to let the formula dissolve the mascara, then sweep downward in a single motion. The waiting replaces the rubbing, and rubbing is what breaks lashes. For the waterproof sibling, step up to an oil or balm cleanser massaged for a full minute, since waterproof polymers need the oil phase to release.
Two mistakes cause most lash loss. The first is scrubbing back and forth with a half-saturated pad, which snaps lashes at the base while leaving mascara behind. The second is pulling at partially dissolved mascara instead of applying more remover and waiting longer; the lash always loses that contest. Morning-after residue, the faint raccoon shadow, means the previous night's removal was incomplete, and the fix is longer saturation time, not more pressure. Our L'Oreal Telescopic waterproof versus washable comparison is useful context here, since it shows how dramatically removal difficulty changes between formula types in the same brand family.
Oily Lids and All-Day Wear: Making It Last
Oily eyelids defeat Voluminous Original faster than almost any other eye shape or skin type, because lid oils migrate to the lash line and dissolve the volumizing film from the base. The fix is a system, not a single product. Start with an eyeshadow primer or a sheer dusting of translucent powder across the lid before mascara, which gives migrating oils something to absorb into before they reach the lashes. Keep lower-lash application minimal or skip it, since the lower lash line sits against the oiliest skin and transfers first.
Midday maintenance beats end-of-day cleanup: blot the lids gently with tissue around the six-hour mark, before transfer visibly starts, since blotting prevention preserves the look while wiping cleanup smears it. If the Carbon Black shade is your daily driver, know that the darkest pigment shows transfer most visibly, which is the tradeoff for its intensity. Buyers whose lids defeat every traditional formula should consider tubing mascaras, whose polymer film lid oils cannot dissolve. Our volumizing mascara guide on wands and formulas explains the film chemistry that separates survivors from smudgers.