Benefit's New Mascara Uses Actual Space Technology To Give Your Lashes An Out-Of-This-World Lift

Cosmetic brands are constantly looking to nature to find inspiration for their latest product innovations, whether it's the nutrient-rich marine algae found across the oceans or the antioxidant-packed Arctic plants growing underneath the Northern Lights. And while many makeup products are inspired by things beyond our planet — how many galaxy and celestial-inspired highlighters and palettes can you name off the top of your head? — no brand has ever looked to the technology powering space discovery before, until now.

Benefit Cosmetics actually borrowed the science behind space technology to create their newest product, BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara. The "gravity-defying" formula is made with aero-particles, one of the lightest known materials used to create things like spaceships, satellites, and spacesuits. As a result, this mascara can create an insanely voluminous and dramatic lift that is so lightweight, you won't feel like you're wearing anything at all. The formula also has ProVitamin B5, which helps keep your lashes healthy and strong, and comes in an intensely pitch black shade so that your lashes really stand out. What's more, the mascara will last you 36 hours — in case your happy hour turns into a very good morning.

But wait — how does one get aero-particles into a mascara in the first place? José Rivera, Benefit Cosmetics' Makeup Master (aka professional makeup artist), tells Bustle exactly how it all works.

BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara, $24, Benefit Cosmetics

"[Aero-particle] technology has existed for a while, but has never been used in cosmetics. We were able to actually harness that technology and engineer a powder out of it, which is what’s in the formula," explains Rivera.

Rivera tells Bustle that the powder in the formula is what will create a lot of volume in your lashes, but without any of the weight. "We were able to finally figure out how to put [aero-particles] in a powder form and put it in a formula, so what you’re going to get is an incredible amount of volume very, very quickly because of the marriage of the brush and the formula. But most importantly after it dries, you’ll notice the lash will start to feel lighter."

And not only will you barely feel the mascara when you're wearing it, as mentioned earlier, the brand claims it'll also stay on your lashes for over a full day, should you stay up all night long or accidentally fall asleep without removing your makeup.

"In our third-party testing, we got 36 hours of wear — it’s the ultimate BADgal mascara. We’ve got you covered through the night and into the morning," says Rivera.

The MUA put the mascara to the test himself, too, wearing the formula to bed. "I remember when I woke up, I forgot I was actually wearing it because it really is so lightweight. I didn’t have any transfer underneath the eye, which typically you do when you sleep. It’s highly water-resistant, it doesn’t smudge or transfer, and the best part is if you need 36 hours, it will continue to perform for you in that regard."

(Rivera would like to note that you should not wear the mascara, or any mascara for that matter, to bed, and that he only wore it to sleep to test the product and see if it really did live up to the claim.)

If figuring out how to use aero-particles in a beauty product sounds like rocket science, that's because it kind of was. In fact, it was even harder than you think, according to Julie Bell, EVP of Global Marketing & Innovation at Benefit Cosmetics. She tells Bustle that it took the company four years to develop this product.

"For BADgal BANG! we spent years conducting intensive global testing on real women with different eye shapes and lash types. We collected their feedback, made adjustments and then re-tested," she explains to Bustle.

Bell says that over the course of developing the mascara, they rejected over 75 versions before they arrived at "the perfect combination of brush, formula, and wiper" to achieve the mascara's long-lasting, "full-blast volume."

Another reason Benefit Cosmetics is super excited about this product? If you have eyelash extensions or are a frequent false-eyelash-wearer, Benefit claims the BADgal BANG! is the perfect mascara for you. "It’s particularly falsie-friendly, I like to say. The formula being a little bit more creamy, it’s a little bit more friendly to the falsies," says Rivera. It's also a great mascara to "mesh" your fake and real lashes together, to create a more realistic, voluminous effect.

Not just that, but the formula is actually super easy to remove off your eyes, too. While the mascara is long-lasting and water-resistant, you won't have to tug or use loads of eye makeup-remover, like other waterproof formulas.

As an obsessive eyelash extension-wearer, I typically stay away from mascaras because I feel like they often weigh down my falsies and cause them to fall out. However, I was so impressed with how BADgal Bang! felt and looked on my extensions. The mascara felt light on my lashes, made them look extra bold (without looking too unnatural), and helped lengthen the ones that are hanging on for dear life.

I also wore the mascara in between my fill on my real lashes and loved the way the mascara brush (which has 300 half-cone bristles) was able to weave through my naturally short, stubborn, and straight eyelashes and made them look longer and voluminous.

If you're looking for a new everyday mascara to wear that won't feel heavy on your eyes, will add natural-looking volume to your lashes, and will come off easily at the end of the day, you should highly consider incorporating BADgal! Bang into your makeup routine.