Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara review — dramatic lashes, gifting caveats

Intro

This review focuses on Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara as a gift pick: what it actually does, who it suits, and the practical risks you should check before wrapping it up. The listing describes the formula as vegan and the brand as cruelty-free, and it highlights an hourglass brush designed to create a false-lash look. Owners’ feedback shows real enthusiasm for the look it creates, plus repeated notes about variability—drier tubes, occasional clumping when very fresh, and a handful of packaging problems. I’ll flag those patterns so you can decide how confident to feel when giving this as a present.

Note on what the listing doesn’t show: the product page provides size options and a short specification set, but it does not publish a full ingredient list or a guaranteed open-shelf life in the product facts. That missing detail matters for people with skin/eye sensitivities or strict ingredient preferences; I call that out where relevant below.

What it is / first look

Too Faced Better Than Sex is presented as a dramatic volumizing and lengthening mascara with an hourglass-shaped brush intended to coat lashes from root to tip and separate them for a false-lash effect. The listing describes the formula as a "deep vegan mascara" and repeats the brand’s cruelty-free positioning. The product dimensions are given as about 2 x 0.98 x 5.31 inches and 1.41 ounces; available colors listed on the page are 01 Black (Deepest Black), 02 Chocolate (Dark Chocolate Brown), and 03 Burgundy (Rich Burgundy). Both travel and full sizes are offered (travel size listed as 0.17 fl oz and full size as 0.27 fl oz).

The listing also states the mascara is ophthalmologist-tested and safe for contact lens wearers. The product page includes a number of short feature blurbs (hourglass brush, clump-reducing separation, enhanced curl), and the marketing leans heavily on dramatic volume and length without extensions.

Who this is a good gift for

Call this a confident pick for a specific set of beauty fans — but not a generic, low-risk present for everyone. Below are recipient fits that match the product’s strengths and the assumptions you should check before buying.

The drama-loving mascara devotee

• Why it fits: Owners consistently praise the look — lots of volume, length, and a tapered tip effect that reads like falsies or extensions.
• Assumption to verify: The recipient likes bold, voluminous lashes rather than subtle or natural looks.

The contact-lens wearer who still wears makeup

• Why it fits: The listing states the formula is ophthalmologist-tested and safe for contact lens wearers.
• Assumption to verify: The wearer hasn’t had past allergic reactions to mascaras; ingredients aren’t published on the listing so verify if the recipient has known sensitivities.

The frequent traveler or makeup minimalist who prefers shorter useful life

• Why it fits: The product comes in a travel-size option (0.17 fl oz) that owners point to as a good match for typical open-use timelines.
• Assumption to verify: The recipient wants the small/travel tube rather than a full-sized tube (travel size is also helpful because some owners say the formula dries down quickly once opened).

The bride or special-event wearer

• Why it fits: Multiple owners report the formula stays put during emotional events (one owner reported no smudging at a wedding despite tears), making it useful for wedding or event-day looks.
• Assumption to verify: The recipient wants a dramatic look for a single event and doesn’t require a waterproof-specific formula (the listing references "Waterproof Mascara" in the product about copy but the product page also offers multiple variants, so confirm the exact variant).

The beauty enthusiast who collects mascaras

• Why it fits: Fans call this a cult favorite and say it’s worth repeating purchases; it’s a sensible treat for someone who loves to try or rotate different formulas.
• Assumption to verify: They don’t mind mid-priced makeup and they’re comfortable with personal beauty gifts.

In daily use

How this mascara behaves in real life is where owner feedback is most helpful — and it delivers a mix of clear strengths and consistent caveats.

Application and immediate finish

Owners repeatedly praise the hourglass brush: it captures and coats individual lashes for strong coverage and separation, which builds into a dramatic, multi-dimensional lash effect. Several buyers say multiple coats layer well when the formula is in the right state, producing a tapered, lengthened tip and significant volume without heavy clumps. That hourglass brush is a core part of the listing’s tech description and is also the feature owners single out as the reason lashes look defined rather than sticky.

Caveat: a common and repeatable owner pattern is that "fresh" tubes can feel very wet and more likely to clump during the first handful of uses. Several owners report letting a new tube air out or using fewer swipes on the first day; other owners report the opposite problem: the tube arrives already dry with little usable pigment. In short, formula consistency at delivery and in the first few weeks varies across experiences.

Wear through the day

Most positive owner reports describe long wear with minimal fallout; one prominent owner report described it staying put during tears on a wedding day. That said, there are also repeated notes about slight undereye smudging after six-plus hours for some wearers. Removal can leave traces for a few owners even after using makeup removers aimed at waterproof formulas — several reported some remnants left behind during cleanup.

Maintenance and tricks owners use

Owners share a few practical tweaks: a handful add a drop or two of saline solution to a tube that’s gone dryer than they like (owners describe this as restoring texture); others say the travel-size tube is easier to use within the common recommendation that mascara be replaced periodically after opening. These are owner-sourced hacks, not manufacturer instructions; treat them as community tips rather than guaranteed fixes.

Materials & build quality

Strictly from the product facts: the listing describes the mascara as a "deep vegan mascara" and repeats cruelty-free language. The brush is described as an hourglass-shaped tool meant to coat lashes root to tip while separating them to reduce clumping. The product dimensions and weight are listed in the product specs, and color/size options are explicitly given.

Owners treat the brush design as a standout physical detail and generally praise the applicator for giving fine coverage and separation of small lashes. Where complaints attach to build quality, they’re mostly about the tube contents — dryness at arrival or rapid thickening after some weeks — and isolated reports of product arriving unsealed or potentially used. Those are packaging/fulfillment concerns rather than a brush-manufacturing issue, but they do affect perceived quality.

Colors available (from the listing):

• 01 Black (Deepest Black)
• 02 Chocolate (Dark Chocolate Brown)
• 03 Burgundy (Rich Burgundy)

Safety considerations

Positive safety signals from the listing: the product is described as ophthalmologist-tested and safe for contact lens wearers, which the manufacturer uses to position it for people who wear contacts. The listing also markets the formula as vegan and cruelty-free; those are formulation and sourcing claims on the product page rather than third-party laboratory verifications listed in the product facts.

Owner feedback highlights two safety/comfort issues to weigh:

• Eye sensitivity: although the listing claims ophthalmologist testing, some owners report residue or traces left on removal and occasional smudging after many hours. If the recipient has historically sensitive eyes, this variability matters — the listing lacks a complete ingredient list, so you can’t verify whether a specific allergen is present without checking current packaging or manufacturer documentation.
• Packaging integrity: a non-trivial set of owners report receiving tubes that arrived unsealed or feeling like they had been used. Beyond being unpleasant, an unsealed/used tube is a hygiene risk for eye products. That pattern is tied to sellers/fulfillment rather than the formula itself, but it’s a safety concern when you’re buying for someone else.

Bottom line on safety: the listing promotes ophthalmologist-tested safety for contact wearers and highlights an apparently accessible brush design, but owner-reported variability in tube condition and formula moisture means you should verify current packaging and ingredient details for anyone with eye or skin sensitivities.

Who should skip it

• If the recipient has known eye or skin allergies and you can’t check the ingredient list — the listing does not provide a full ingredient breakdown, so this gift is a riskier pick without that verification.
• If the recipient prefers very natural, understated lashes rather than dramatic volume and length — owners repeatedly describe the effect as "huge eyelashes" or dramatic.
• If you need a guaranteed, long-lasting tube with no variability — owners report inconsistent tube freshness and a pattern of tubes drying out quicker for some purchasers, so this is a less safe pick when you need 100% predictability.
• If you’re gifting to a casual acquaintance or workplace Secret Santa where personal grooming products feel too intimate — mascara is inherently personal in most cultures.

Verdict

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is a legitimate cult favorite with clear strengths: a high-impact hourglass brush, a deep black shade option, and consistent owner praise for the volume-and-length effect. The listing backs those strengths with claims of a vegan formula and cruelty-free positioning and specifies that the product is ophthalmologist-tested and safe for contact lens wearers. However, repeated buyer notes about variation between tubes (very wet on arrival, or conversely dry/empty), a handful of reports about unsealed packaging, and some instances of smudging later in the day lower the overall gifting confidence unless you take a couple of precautions.

Best gift fit

Give this to a friend or partner who loves bold, dramatic lashes and already uses mid-range makeup — especially someone who wears contacts and is comfortable with a cosmetic gift. Choose the travel size if you’re unsure about long-term bottle freshness or if you want a lower-commitment, easy-to-replace present.

Biggest buying risk

The core buying risk is variable tube condition at purchase (some buyers report receiving unsealed or dry tubes) and the lack of a published ingredient list on the product page. Both issues matter more for eye/skin-sensitive recipients than for a general beauty-lover. Treat this as a high-reward but medium-risk cosmetic gift: the payoff is dramatic lashes that many owners love, but the risk is that one in several deliveries may need replacement or return.

Check before you buy — quick checklist

• Confirm the exact variant and size you’re buying (travel vs full) on the current product page.
• Verify the seller/fulfillment channel and shipping returns policy — owners report unsealed/used tubes arriving from some channels.
• If the recipient has sensitive eyes or allergies, find the ingredient list on the manufacturer page or current packaging before gifting.
• Decide whether you want the dramatic look (owners report "huge eyelashes") or a subtler finish; if unsure, choose a travel-size tube as a lower-cost test.
• For very special events (wedding, big photos), buy with time to spare so you can swap tubes that arrive dry or suspect.

Overall recommendation: a strong, enthusiastic yes for the right person — a beauty fan who wants bold lashes and is okay with confirming packaging and size before gifting. Maybe skip it for highly sensitive or conservative recipients.