Of course, though, when it comes to mascara, nothing divides opinion like the curl and hold of a lash. So to find out whether the burgundy iteration of Push Up Lashes! is worth the hype, we road-tested it on seven members of the team, comparing the brush, the formula and the colour payoff on various eye shades. Read on for our honest thoughts.
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Position: Deputy Beauty Director
“I thought this mascara would make me look a little sickly but it accentuates my deep brown eyes and light olive skin really well. On the brush, it appears as a deep burgundy but don’t let that put you off. When on, it’s more of a natural brown that’s super pretty. Each time I’ve worn this, I’ve received compliments. That said, it doesn’t pair well with black winged eyeliner — my signature!
My only real pain point is the brush. It’s four-sided and has two flat edges plus two lash combs. Accidentally swipe the flat side onto your lashes and you’ll be left with a big splodge of mascara that’s actually quite difficult to comb through with the tiny, fine teeth. If you don’t want clumps, make sure you’re looking where you’re putting it.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyJacqueline wears Dream Pop on both eyes
Position: Senior Travel Affiliate Writer
“I was excited to try out a product from Pillow Talk (Charlotte Tilbury’s signature collection) after reading lots of praise about how the range is universally flattering on all skin tones. So even though I am not a regular mascara user, I signed up to test the burgundy version. However, after wearing the product on three separate occasions (twice on its own and once layered on top of a lengthening mascara), I’m sad to say that it’s not my cup of tea. The classic Taylor Swift proverb, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me’, is apt for this scenario. My lashes (the same texture as my East Asian hair) are naturally straight and particularly resistant to curling products. This means that even though my lashes were tinted burgundy, the result was lacking in the ‘wow’ department. It looked like specks of colour pointing downwards instead of voluminously fanning out.
I also found the diamond-shaped applicator a bit tricky to use, leaving smudge marks on my lids. I tend to wear a lot of beige and brown eyeshadow so the wine colour of the mascara didn’t immediately jump out. I did like how it subtly emphasised my lower lashes but over the course of the day, the product left smudges at the bottom of my eyes (the shade is lovely so it’s less of an issue than, say, a jet-black mascara). Alas, I am not a Pillow Talk girlie after all.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyVenus wears Dream Pop on both eyes
Position: Affiliate Writer
“Major shoutout to this colour, it’s divine! Dream Pop is a rich, berry-brown shade that’s not too red, not too brown, not too purple — something I’ve struggled to find elsewhere. It looks amazing against my green eyes and really makes them pop (I had so many compliments the first time I wore it). Though it doesn’t translate so well in pictures, the building formula does wonders for my sparse lashes, amping them up and giving them a nice, natural-looking and -feeling flutter.
I admit, I had to read our deputy beauty director Jacqueline’s previous review of Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! to learn how to apply this properly without splodges all around my eyes. The brush is unlike any I’ve experienced before. It has a distinctive paddle shape, featuring a flat area designed to layer the product onto the lashes. On the other side, tiny plastic bristles comb the product through. The trick, I’ve learned, is that you don’t just comb the product through as you would any other mascara. You need to rotate the brush at the same time to dispense it equally and coat all your lashes. Practice makes perfect.
While the maroon colour gets major points for me, I have mixed feelings about this mascara’s lasting power. Unlike my usual Glossier Lash Slick, £18, it just doesn’t have the staying power to resist my everyday, running-for-the-bus sweat. It smudges under my eyes rather quickly, even when not applied to the bottom lashes. Though I will still pull this out occasionally for the colour payoff, I’m afraid my hunt for the perfect burgundy mascara continues.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyEsther wears Dream Pop on the left and nothing on the right
Position: Senior Editor
“I was so excited to try this mascara. I, like everyone else, had seen the TikTok video of the woman blinking the most gorgeous maroon, Bambi lashes known to man and I was ready to get me some of that. Sadly, it wasn’t in nature’s plan to bless me naturally with aforementioned Bambi lashes. Mine can be on the short and poky side, and even after some thorough mascara application, my Asian hooded eyes tend to tuck away any headway I’ve made.
First thoughts: I wasn’t a massive fan of the brush, which tended to clutch a ludicrous amount of product and unload it in one smudgy swipe onto my little lashes. After some painstaking brushing out they looked a little more even, but it’s a messy application for sure, and not ideal for short lashes. I absolutely loved the colour but after a couple of hours I found it smudged all around my under-eye. Sad times. I wanted to love this one.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyMaybelle wears Dream Pop on both eyes
Position: Social Editor
“My first thought was: I am obsessed! Every day my social feeds are flooded with Wednesday Addams makeup and the ‘ghoul girl’ trend and, paired with my dark hair and features, this burgundy mascara just felt right. It felt like I was making a statement but without doing anything too drastic. I first tried it over Christmas break and the colour was festive, cosy and special. The maroon, berry-brown shade really makes my green/hazel eyes pop (the difference is insane).
I already had the same mascara in black, which to be honest I have mixed feelings towards. The formula runs easily (my housemate actually donated it to me since at the end of her working day it would literally be running down her face) and the wand takes a bit of getting used to. It does get better with practice but who wants to have to learn how to use a mascara?
Over the past two to three weeks, it has become a staple in my makeup bag and because of the colour alone, it is here to stay. However, I do think the formula could be improved and I would only recommend it to a friend who has a good setting spray to hand. If I wear it on a night out, by 2am I can look red-eyed and tired because of the smudging. I don’t really mind this but for some people I realise it could be a big turn-off. 7/10 from me.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyKelly wears Dream Pop on the left and nothing on the right
Position: Associate Editor, Photo & Design
“I jumped at the opportunity to try this mascara after seeing it on my colleague Esther in the office. The burgundy shade is unlike anything I’ve seen on the high street and recently I’ve been loving adding a pop of colour to my makeup by way of eyeliner or mascara. Optimistically, I was hoping for the same level of wow factor that I’d seen on Esther (and on TikTok) but sadly, the result was much more subtle. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but I was really hoping for something that would make my eyes stand out. I’d be curious to try this with a matching eyeliner, as I feel like that might help bring out the colours more. In terms of formula, while it does really lengthen my lashes, I still can’t quite figure out how to use the brush without ending up with mascara on my eyelids. That said, I still think I’d reach for this on more no-makeup makeup days.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyKristine wears Dream Pop on both eyes
Position: Associate Editor
“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t jump for joy at the sound of a burgundy mascara. Despite my pale complexion I’ve always gone in with a black mascara, coating my lashes into oblivion. When I finally strayed from my current fave (Tarte Maneater Mascara, £23) to try Charlotte’s new red-hued concoction, I was pleasantly surprised.
Having recently dyed my hair autumn orange, the red tones seemed to work with my locks and light eyes, with multiple people commenting on how well the mascara showed up on my lashes in the light. Better still, I kind of enjoyed the subtle lower lash line fallout, which gave me ‘cold girl’ makeup vibes.
However, I will say that while the colour is cool, the formula itself isn’t the best for me. The brush seemed to get pretty claggy quite quickly and I found it hard to manoeuvre the brush around the eyes without getting smudge marks on my skin. I also felt like it didn’t coat each individual lash the way I like, instead clumping them together to make a heavier lash. While I enjoyed the change of hue, I’m not sure the actual mascara is for me.”
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop, $, available at Charlotte TilburyAlicia wears Dream Pop on the left and nothing on the right
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