There's no denying that Lip Venom shook up the cosmetics industry; it jumpstarted the lip plumper craze and put DuWop on the map as an innovator. The brand has since capitalized on that reputation with leading edge products like Reverse Lip Liner and one of my personal favorites, Sub-Surface.

Then they really started banking on the Venom name; there are now 5 varieties of Lip Venom for you to choose from. Plus Venom Gloss. Pure Venom Plumping Lip Stain. Prime Venom. Cheek Venom. At one point, I think there were Anti-Venom lipsticks, too.

And now with Lash Venom, I think they've finally jumped the shark.

This new mascara promises to "wrap each lash completely, delivering superb magnification and length," thanks to spheroidal powders and flexible fibers, while "Procapil, an amino acid-based hair strengthener, plumps lashes while keeping them healthy and strong."

Tall order. So, does it deliver?

First of all, even though the "venom" effect refers to a plumping action, the word association implies something that you'd never want near your lashes. Not to mention that Lip Venom BURNS, strengthening that poisonous connotation.

So it was with an apprehensive hand that I brought the Lash Venom wand to my eye. There was no burning, of course, so now let's move on to my next quibble with this product: why has "plumping" become the new "volumizing" or "thickening?" Are we really supposed to believe that this product somehow plumps up each individual lash from the inside out? I'm not buying it, amino acids or not.

The results didn't do much to change my mind. While I really liked the matte black, almost sooty color of this mascara, I didn't see a whole lot of plumping going on. (And wait a sec: it promises a glossy finish, but the effect is decidedly matte.) The formula was on the dry side, almost cakey, and fibrous, making it difficult to get a smooth lash effect.

Several coats did thicken up my lashes a bit, and they looked longer, but the ends seemed stubby and choppy rather than tapered and sweeping. My Venom'd lashes looked downright puny next to the lush fringe created by Estee Lauder TurboLash.

Not the worst mascara out there, but I expected better from this brand.