Monday, March 14, 2011

Major Mascara Review!

Listed below are all of the mascaras that I have tried over the years. I know that it can be difficult to find the perfect formulation for you, so hopefully this will help you to narrow down the options that are available! I have listed nine below, beginning with some drugstore options and ending with some high-end choices. Enjoy!

Maybelline Full N'Soft ($6.59 at drugstore.com)
Good for: natural, buildable volume
Not so good for: lengthening
My thoughts: This is my ultimate favorite mascara. Not only can you find it at just about any drugstore, but it is inexpensive and truly high-quality. I purchased my first tube of this in October and it's still going strong after daily use! The brush allows for neat application; Thin enough to reach the base of lashes, while full enough to add volume and deliver plenty of product to each individual lash.

Maybelline Great Lash ($4.99 at drugstore.com)
Good for: precise application, a natural everyday look, value
Not so good for: buildable volume, lengthening
My thoughts: This pink and green tube is a classic in the world of cosmetics. It can be found in the collections of many makeup artists and has been praised and adored by women for over a decade. The tiny brush allows for the utmost clean and precise application, while the formula hardly ever clumps and thickens. This is good for achieving a quick and natural look, because it adds a little something extra to the lashes without making it obvious that you're even wearing it. In my opinion, this is the younger sibling of Full N' Soft because it is similar in formulation but it does not create the buildable volume of Full N' Soft.

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express ($5.99 at drugstore.com)
Good for: creating thick massive lashes
Not so good for: neat application (clumpy), avoiding flakes and smudges
My thoughts: I purchased this mascara in May of 2009 after seeing it featured in the cover look of Glamour Magazine. It comes in a bright yellow tube and I bought the color "Glam Black" which immediately made me feel like it would have stunning results. Unfortunately I found it to be a very clumpy and smudgy, creating a collection of product around the outer corner of my eyes after only a few hours of wear.

Maybelline Classic Volum' Express ($6.59 at drugstore.com)
Good for: --------
Not so good for: unfortunately, pretty much everything (poor odor, very thick and clumpy)
This was an all-around disappointment for me. The product had a very poor odor that was pretty overwhelming, meanwhile displaying all of the flaws that were found with the Colossal formulation. Maybe it was a poor batch of it, but from what I experienced, it was not a product worth re-purchasing.

Maybelline The Falsies ($7.99 at drugstore.com)
Good for: extreme volume, achieving the look of false lashes
Not so good for: neat application (abnormal applicator, clumpy, thick consistency), long-term wear (flakes and smudging)
After hearing a lot of positive reviews about this product on YouTube, I decided to go out and purchase it for myself. My first impression with it was the unique spoon-shaped applicator, and the collection of product at the tip of it. The formulation was very goopy and thick, which I suppose is a payoff for achieving the false-lash effect. Last week I applied it around 9am and then later in the day, around 4pm, found that I had a lot of flakes beneath my eyes. I gently touched the outer corner of my eye to find a clump of the the product come off onto my fingers and then gently touched my lashes to find that they felt very sticky and goopy. I am going to give this another chance because it sounds like such an innovative idea, however, my first experience was a disappointment.

Clinique Lash Doubling ($14.50 at sephora.com)
Good for: clean, buildable volume
Not so good for: cost, availability
My thoughts: This product is incredible! It comes with a cone-shaped applicator which is incredbily convenient for reaching the inner-corner lashes, while also building lots of nice volume for the outer lashes as well. I did not find this to be clumpy at all, and the only difference that I noticed with it in comparison to the High Impact formulation was that it was much more subtle and natural while still making a beautiful eye-opening difference.

Clinique High Impact ($14.50 at sephora.com)
Good for: building thick, luscious lashes
Not so good for: cost, availability
My thoughts:This is a quality mascara that delivers beautiful volume with a few simple swipes. It is a great alternative to Lash Doubling for nighttime.

Clinique High Lengths ($14.50 at sephora.com)
Good for: stretching lashes to a long, pretty length
Not so good for: flaking, cost, availability
My thoughts: This product has a very unique applicator (picture a thin, curved piece of lime green rubber with little tiny spikes on it). It truly gives the impression that you are stretching out your lashes and it can make even the shortest lashes seem long and beautiful. I recommend this to those short-lashed girls who want to create the illusion of longer lashes. The only flaw that I can notice with this product is that it can be a bit flaky if you touch your lashes a lot throughout the day, because the product creates little tubes on the tips of the lashes (this is how it makes them appear longer) but other than that, thumbs up!

Tarte Lights,Camera,Lashes! ($19 at sephora.com)
Good for: cute packaging, but that's about it
Not so good for: unpleasant odor, thick and clumpy, cost, availability
My thoughts: This product has adorable packaging (the tube appears to be in a purple patent-leather case). The product is similar to Maybelline's Colossal Volum' Express, however, it comes with a much heavier price tag. Overall, this product is a disappointment because of the cost.

I hope that this review is helpful to you! Hopefully it will help you to find the perfect mascara without needing the spend the money and time to do the trial-and-error that so many of us have to do to find our favorite!

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