My second purchase of CODE black mascara, and it really is excellent. It's the brush!! I wanted a mascara that separated my lashes. It's surprising how hard that was to find. But this is the one. Also the technique that Code suggests also works (can be seen on their video tutorials). It did take awhile for me to grasp it, but if you don't it's still excellent. It has all the qualities of a reliable mascara. I will definitely be staying with this one.