The great mascara search - drugstore brand

If you know anything about me, you know that I have an obsession with eyelashes.  And why wouldn't I?  The eyes are the window to the soul correct?  CORRECT?  So why not put nice curtains (or window treatments if you want to get all home and gardeny on me) on those windows?!  I've thought about creating a blog for a while now but I never got the inspiration.  Until a few weeks ago when one of my loves Cass created her own to show how amazingly talented she is... BAM inspiration!  One thing you should know about Cass (in addition to her being one of the most amazing people you will ever meet and an extraordinary friend on top of that) is that she's got eyelashes I would kill for.  Naturally curly, ridiculously long and a major source of jealousy.  So this mascara search is the result of me trying to reach what I like to call "Cass level" in terms of lashes.  Also if you want to check out her blog and get some amazing inspiration too here's the link:  http://cass-parade.tumblr.com/





1.  Maybelline Great Lash mascara - Very black
price:  USD 3.99  CAN 5.99
The little pink and green tube of mascara you've seen in your Mom's bathroom drawer since you were young.  Pretty much every makeup artist will have a tube of this in their kit.  It's cheap, easily accessible and basically it does it's job.  Dark lashes, nice volume and decent length.  For me, the brush leaves something to be desired but it works great in my kit because the brush doesn't see the light of day before it's hacked off and replaced by disposable wands or fan brushes.
Rating : 3.5/5

2.  Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous - Black

price:  USD 6.94  CAN 9.29

This review is courtesy of my Mom.  Mom has a hard go with mascara, having lived most of her life with eyesight that didn't allow her to see where she was applying any product has resulted in a more or less complete disinterest in anything beyond the norm in terms of cosmetics.  This amazing woman can full on apply mascara without looking in a mirror whilst riding in a moving car... dangerous? yes... super amazing? also yes.  Thus a positive review from her means that a product really has something going for it.  And this is one of those products!  The slight curve in the wand can sometimes cause clumping right at the root but the product itself is so easy to work with that it can be easily sorted out by a few more swipes of the wand.  It's long lasting, it separates and lengthens and the extra long wand makes it easy to apply.  

Rating: 4/5

3.  Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express - Very Black

price: USD 6.29 CAN 8.39

I had high hopes for this... I don't really know why but I did.  Probably because it said Falsies in the name and I friggin' LOVE false eyelashes.  BETRAYED!  hahahaha!  But no really, it didn't look like I had false lashes on!  Not at all.  The product is thin, so you get fluttery looking natural lashes, little to no clumping which is nice but not the effect I was looking for.  Not only that but in a matter of minutes the curl I worked so hard to get in my lashes was completely gone.  I'm also not sold on the whole curved brush thing. Unfortunate. 

Rating:  3/5

4.  Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express - Glam Black

price:  USD 5.04  CAN 7.99

Ok so I know this seems strange when talking about mascara but this crap stinks.  Like roses, dipped in chemicals, dipped in crap and then dipped in a candle meant to smell like roses (which always smell like crap).  That might be a little much but still it stinks and it stinks so much that after I apply it and it dries I CAN SMELL IT.  ON MY DAMN EYE.  Seriously.  Soooo yeah the brush is nice and big similar to other high end brands such as Bad Gal Lash or Dior Show but the formula isn't great, and I can't put up with the smell.  

Rating: 2.5/5

5.  Rimmel Sexy Curves Waterproof - Black

price:  USD 6.47  CAN 7.89

Waterproof is important to people like me... people who have a secret... a deep, dark, secret.  I'm naturally blonde.  DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN.  Just joking... but I do dye my hair dark (well for now anyways) and sometimes those pesky blonde lashes like to show themselves in the worst situations.  

The Rimmel waterproof is nice, it doesn't flake off, it's nice and dark and it isn't impossible to remove.   Companies seem to be doing this whole plastic/rubber wand thing lately and I don't hate it but I do wish this one was a little bit more flexible.  Sometimes it pokes me in the eye (probably my own fault but there are these weird little bulges on the wand and I get carried away and I'm busy watching Ghost Hunters and yeah whatever) and it's pretty painful... not even directly in the eye but I mean the lash line area in general.  ALSO it takes almost a full minute to dry before you can blink comfortably without a big ass mess on your hands.
Rating: 3/5

6.  Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender - Black

price:  USD 4.97  CAN 7.99

The brush on this is what I've decided is the classic brush.  Tapered to the end with closely bunched bristles.  This is the kind of wand I like the most, so as soon as a mascara has a wand similar to this I'm pretty likely to enjoy it.  This one is no different... however, the formula could use some fixing.  I don't find the black is as black as other Rimmel mascaras and while it does provide length the product doesn't make my lashes as intense looking as I like them.  It's too natural I guess is what I'm saying... (tempted to quote Family Guy... must... not... quote... stupid... shit... GUH).  But if natural looking lashes is your style then by all means this is a nice mascara.  

Rating:  3.5/5

7.  Rimmel Eye Magnifier - Extreme Black

price:  USD 7.49  CAN 7.99

Plastic wand, really tapered at the end, pretty easy to use.  It seems like the product itself is really dry.  Like provides a matte finish to the lashes (that makes sense right?) which is strange.  It makes me feel like the tube won't last long which is a big boo-urns.  I think I like a glossier look to my lashes because it makes them look healthy and well conditioned even when they've had like 30 mascaras tested on them in the past like 2 weeks (cough... not mine).  

Rating 2/5

8.  Revlon Grow Luscious by Fabulash - Blackest Black

price: USD 7.99  CAN 8.99

A good idea... a knock off of mascaras similar to Buxom Lash which have conditioners and other ingredients to nourish the lashes and encourage growth and good all around lash health.  I wish this was better because I love the effect of the Buxom Lash (we'll talk about this further in the next post) but I can't handle the price tag.  Unfortunately this just did not work for me... it completely straightened the curl in my lashes, it completely disappeared from the tips of my lashes with in minutes and which led to me recurling and reapplying several times throughout the day (which is BAD for your lashes soooo kinda defeats the purpose no?).  Sadness

Rating:  1.5/5

9.  Covergirl Lash Exact Waterproof - Black

price:  USD 6.24  CAN 7.49

Another Mom review!  Yet another rubbery/plastic wand, this one with some issues though.  The tapered tip of the wand is so bare of bristles that it leads to a build up of mascara at the end and causes major clumping.  Lashes will look great but anywhere the tip of the brush touches is like a clumpy mess. The waterproof factor of this is somewhat better than most of the other drugstore brand waterproofs which can lead to difficulties in removing the product.  Simply reach for an oil based remover or some plain almond oil (available at health food stores... a trick taught to me by Cass... damn she's good <3). 

Rating:  2/5

10.  L'oreal Telescopic - Blackest Black

price: USD 7.99  CAN 11.09

This is a totally different brush from any other ones I've ever used.  It's so skinny with minimal bristles so short they seem invisible!  This kind of brush would be great for those with tiny short lashes, especially for ladies who's lashes have gotten shorter with wisdom (see what I did there?  said wisdom instead of age... I'm good).  For me though my lashes are on the long side so this doesn't really work for me.  It weighs down my lashes because it clumps up the roots something fierce.  It doesn't add much length and is more of a pain to work with than I allow for my morning routine. 

Rating 2.5/5

11.  L'oreal Telescopic Explosion - Blackest Black

price: USD 7.99  CAN 11.99

WHAT THE HELL MAN.  I understand that L'oreal was trying to go for the whole Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes thing but seriously... this is a bad situation.  I'm not an idiot... I know this isn't supposed to be applied like normal mascara but still this just didn't work out.  The rating I'm giving it is based only on the fact that the tube has mascara in it.  That is all.

Rating:  0.5/5

12.  L'oreal Voluminous - Carbon Black

price:  USD 5.99  CAN 9.29

This mascara is a favourite of many makeup artists.  I happen to be one of them.  It's a great classic brush with tightly packed bristles.  It's super dark, lengthening and it makes my lashes look the way I like my lashes to look (somewhere between a MAC #7 false lash and Tammy Fay) but it can look completely natural if you want it to.  That's what I look for... multi-functionality.  Only issue... it's prone to leaving black marks on my lids through out the day.  

Rating:  4.5/5

 

13.  L'oreal Voluminous Waterproof - Carbon Black

price:  USD 5.99  CAN 9.29

Ditto to what I said above except waterproof!  However, the waterproof isn't all that waterproof.  I still end up with black on my lids and under my eyes by the middle of the day.  It's unfortunate because the waterproof formula actually makes it harder to take the product off at the end of the day yet you don't get the benefits of a waterproof mascara in terms of staying power!  

Rating:  4/5

THAT'S IT!  We're done!  I'm sorry if this seems intensely long or if I seem like a crazy woman but I just have a lot of thoughts about my favourite beauty product!  SORRY.  Actually no... not sorry.  Deal with it.  

Please be aware the prices are different everywhere so don't hold me to it. 

Any questions or mascaras you'd like me to talk about send me a message

Thanks for reading

KC