19 July 2011

My backup mascara stash (the reserves, if you will)

Here are the mascaras that I have on deck...ready to go when I throw away the a tube, or retire a tube to my travel bag.  Once I've tried them, I will provide reviews of the products I have never tried before, denoted in green.

Maybelline The Falsies--I've tried this before, and I really liked it.  I got a 2 pack of this and gave the other one to my sister.  Yeah, I'm nice like that.  

Prestige My Biggest Lashes--I've seen good things about it on MakeupAlley, I think it's one of those mascaras with the huge brush.  We'll see!

Avon Super Magnify--I'm excited about this one, it has a teeny brush with lots of bristles.  It should be interesting to use.

NYC Showtime--Not sure why I bought this, I was in a bargain makeup mood at the time.  I don't have high expectations, given the reviews I've seen online (the few that I could find.)

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush--This was an impulse buy, and I don't have any expectations of this being good.  I hope I'm pleasantly surprised!

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous--I love this one, it's really easy to use and it never clumps for me.  It has an S-shaped brush, similar to the Lancome Hypnose Drama brush.  (As you may already know, L'Oreal is the parent company of Lancome and Maybelline.)

07 July 2011

Current mascara stash

Here is what is currently in my mascara rotation, and some thoughts about each.

Diorshow Iconic:  This one is really disappointing, especially for $28 a tube!  It's supposed to be a curling mascara, but it doesn't do much of anything.  The brush is great, but the formula is weak.  I've started using this mascara as a base for layering mascaras--I add something volumizing on the top of this. 
Would I purchase again?  No!

Rimmel The Max Bold Curves:  This mascara is pretty disappointing so far--it's clumpy and doesn't curl very much, which is the big claim with this mascara.  I've started using this as a top coat when I use Diorshow Iconic.
Would I purchase again?  No!

Cover Girl Lash Perfection:  This is a reboot of the Max Factor Lash Perfection Volume Couture...but I never tried that before Max Factor was pulled out of the US market, so I can't tell you how it stacks up.  I like it so far, it's pretty similar to Cover Girl Volume Exact, but a bit easier to work with.
Would I purchase again?  Yes

Maybelline Volum' Express One by One:  I love this one so far, but I've only used it a few times.  Lots of length with decent volume.  Unfortunately, it has the "roses on crack" smell that Maybelline/L'Oreal has been putting into their new mascaras (like Lash Stiletto and Volum' Express Colossal.)  I really like this one, but we'll see how I feel about in in a couple of months--sometimes I change my mind over time.
Would I purchase again?  Yes

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes:  This one reminds me a bit of L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen (the shape of the tube, mostly), but it has a plastic brush and has the horrible "roses on crack" smell, just like the One by One mentioned above.  However, I still like this one--I didn't love it at first, but it grew on me.
Would I purchase again?  Yes

L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition:  I bought this mascara because a beauty guru on YouTube raves about it...it's not bad, but it's mostly a lengthening mascara and I prefer volumizing mascaras.  It provides a more natural look.
Would I purchase again?  Yes

NYX Doll Eye Volume:  The formula is very dry--it almost feels like there's no product in the tube!  However, the dry formula makes it very buildable.  The brush is an interesting shape, it's almost like a barbell...not sure if that helps with application, but it's cute?  I don't know if this is worth $9.
Would I purchase again?  Yes 

What's in your current stash?  Leave a comment below!

06 July 2011

Linkage!

My Current Top 5 Best/Worst Mascaras

Just to get things started...best and worst mascaras!

Top 5 Best Mascaras
L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen:  The formula is thick, but it's easy to work with.  This is a worthwhile mascara if you have time to work on your lashes.

Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash:  The price is great (around $4-5 at Target or Walmart) and it performs better than a lot of other mascaras that cost twice as much.

Rimmel Sexy Curves:  The brush is an interesting shape, and it does provide some curling action.  It doesn't clump...at all.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous:  Volume and length, and an S-shaped brush...it's really easy to apply, and the packaging is cute.

Cover Girl Volume Exact:  In my opinion, this is 10x better than Lash Blast Volume!


Top 5 Worst Mascaras:
Maybelline Great Lash:  Wet, thin, and provides no volume or length.  I don't understand the hype in magazines about this, it's the worst mascara I've ever tried!

Diorshow (Original):  Also doesn't live up to the hype--the formula barely provides any volume.  It's not worth $24!

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume:  The brush is hard to work with, and it's hard to remove (and I'm referring to the non-waterproof version.)  The brush handle is fat and hard to hold, so it's challenging to apply this mascara.

ELF Mineral-Infused Mascara:  Doesn't do much, and it came off in chunks when I removed it at the end of the day!

Cover Girl Lash Blast Length:  Nice brush, but doesn't provide much length and provides zero volume.  It gives a very natural look, but that's not what this mascara is meant to do.

What are your favorite and least favorite mascaras?