This Mascara Is a Modern Version of Princess Diana’s Signature Beauty Trick — and It’s Sweatproof

Much like my cat’s fuzzy little face, the British royal family is hard to look away from. Seemingly every day brings more news about the inside workings of the Firm, and precious little of it sounds like things have gotten better since the ’80s. But Princess Diana’s legacy stays sparkling, so to briefly distract myself from the news, I recently gave one of her most recognizable beauty tricks of all-time a go.

If you’re not familiar, Princess Diana was often spotted with various shades of blue eyeliner adorning her waterline through the ’80s; as Vogue reported, the princess was a self-proclaimed free spirit despite the naysayers. I’m always down for a little beauty experimentation, so while I can’t say reaching for blue eyeliner is one of my normal habits, I was eager to test the waters with a happy medium: Chanel’s iconic Le Volume de Chanel mascara, in a slate blue shade dubbed “blue night.”

Going by the pictures online, I was honestly expecting a strong blue payoff. But when the brand sent over a sample, I applied it and was surprised; the navy is so understated, it verges on black (I guess that’s where the “night” comes in), and you have to really stare at it for the mascara’s blue-ness to come through. It definitely looks a few notches less harsh than straight-up black, though, which picked up the golden hazel buried in my brown eyes.

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Shop now: $35; chanel.com

I can see why colleagues have raved about the formula. Even applying it on uncurled lashes left them looking springy and upturned with so much length that the hairs grazed my brow bone. Feeling bold (thank you, Diana), I took the mascara for the ultimate test and rode a rickety Citi Bike across Brooklyn in 89-degree weather. It passed with flying colors: no streaking or smudging, despite the pints of sweat pouring off my skin.

It’s not quite as electric as the blues Diana favored, but if you’re looking for an excellent blue-black mascara to make your eyes pop, get Le Volume de Chanel mascara for $35 at the brand’s website.

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