YSL’s Lash Latex Mascara Is As Good As Everyone Says — & Here’s The Proof

I’ve tested enough mascaras over the years that friends always come to me for recommendations — and I’m pretty unforgiving. If there’s even a hint of smudging, or it takes serious muscle to remove at the end of the day, it’s shelved. While you might think that beauty science has come too far for panda eyes to still be a thing, my makeup bag (currently something of a graveyard for half-used mascaras) proves otherwise. So when I discover a mascara that does it all — lengthening in a few swipes, thickening without clumps, and lasting all day — I have to tell everyone about it. One such mascara is YSL’s Lash Latex. 

Lash Latex is the latest addition to YSL’s growing mascara dynasty. I’m a huge fan of both Faux Cils — a mascara OG — and Lash Clash (the latter of which I’ve repurchased countless times since its 2022 launch), but Lash Latex sounds like it might just give them both a run for their money. It’s just gone viral on TikTok, for starters. 

YSL touts this as a “form-fitting” formula, and hence the latex in the name, it’s meant to cling to lashes and “stretch” them, making them appear longer and defined. In other words, it’s the makeup equivalent of gym wear. Besides stretching, the brand claims that it sculpts and lifts lashes without clumps, and that’s all down to the uniquely tapered bristle brush, which boasts no fewer than 496 tiny bristles to capture the tiniest of lashes — even the hard-to-reach ones in the corners. On top of all that, it’s sweat- and smudge-resistant. 

Most mascara brushes seem to be getting chunkier, but Lash Latex features a notably slim brush that tapers toward the tip. In fact, the bristles are so tiny — and so coated in product — that I had to get uncomfortably close just to spot them. But underestimating this mascara was a mistake.  

I let out an “ooh!” when I swiped this on for the first time, because it really did cling to my lashes as promised. The formula isn’t too wet or too dry; instead, one coat deposits just the right amount of product to beef up the lashes, while a second makes them long and wispy. It was genuinely satisfying to see how building in layers lengthened the tips of my lashes. 

Usually, mascaras that promise extreme length come with cakey fallout, but I could build and build without so much as a single clump. The tapered brush also makes it easy to define the inner corners — something chunkier brushes often make feel like hard work. Better still, it doesn’t leave product all over my eyelids, either. It’s so precise that I didn’t need to do a post-mascara clean-up with a dry spoolie (if you know, you know). 

• Packed with waxes and hydrating hyaluronic acid to condition and lengthen each lash. 

• Dense brush with 496 tiny bristles to capture and coat even the smallest of lashes. 

• Sweat and smudge-resistant formula. 

Don’t just take my word for it. Refinery29’s senior beauty writer Karina Hoshikawa is just as enamored with Lash Latex as I am: “I knew I was going to love YSL’s Lash Latex mascara even before the wand graced my lashes,” says Karina. “The tapered, comb-like wand really defines every lash and evenly deposits a veil of mascara onto my lashes without a single clump.” You can build the length, adds Karina, but she personally prefers a more natural mascara vibe. “This one is perfect for a ‘my lashes but better’ look,” says Karina. “It’s basically a lash lift in a tube.”  

How does it compare for Lash Clash loyalists? Karina loves Lash Clash for more dramatic, voluminous lash moments, but she says that Lash Latex is the perfect everyday mascara for lengthening and separation: “The formula itself feels really flexible (dare I say, latex-like?) and gentle on my eyes, with an almost gel-like consistency,” she says. “I curled my lashes before and after application, and it held up quite well during the day.”  

While YSL promises a lift, I also still curl my lashes for a dramatic effect — but I’m convinced the flexible formula helps them stay perky all day, rather than weighed down like heavier mascaras. It’s not waterproof, yet I’m consistently impressed by the staying power. It doesn’t flake or transfer under my lower lashes. Happily, you don’t have to psych yourself up to remove it; it slips off easily with micellar water. 

Karina is equally as impressed by Lash Latex: “It’s definitely my new favorite mascara from the brand,” she says, “and that’s high praise coming from someone who loves Lash Clash.” 

You can buy YSL Lash Latex Sculpting & Lengthening Mascara, $34, at Sephora.com.