Mascara Part Two: Prestige Brands

In my previous post, I talked about some mascaras that can be found in drugstores. I will now continue on to prestige-brand mascaras I've tried first-hand.

BareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara.
Good. I like this mascara and I like the fact that it comes in a couple of different colors. (Check out the aqua blue!) It's a clean, long-lasting formula that doesn't have clumping issues. I just wish the bristles of the brush reached shorter lashes.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash and Benefit They're Real!
Great! These are both amazing mascaras, especially when you want unbelievably luscious, dramatic lashes. I haven't experienced any kind of messiness and minimal clumping from these prestigious formulas. The only downside is that it's a struggle to remove the makeup later (though eye makeup remover like Lancome Bi-Facil or Albolene work gently yet efficiently). These are highly recommended mascaras.

Clinique High Impact Mascara and Naturally Glossy Mascara.
Not Good and Good. Upon trying a sample of Clinique's High Impact mascara, I had a bit of eye sensitivity to the formula and the subtlety of the appearance of the formula didn't move me enough to be worth it. But I've enjoyed other products from Clinique, so I did a little research and found the Naturally Glossy mascara was getting decent ratings. It's a nice natural-looking mascara (that isn't shiny), which is highly-pigmented without feeling thick or heavy.

Not Recommended.
Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara is a deeply black formula, but I found it to be messy and not long-lasting.
Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effect Mascara has a luxurious feel to it, but the formula is again messy, clumping and not long-lasting.
Make Up For Ever was very clumpy and not worth a second application (which is a shame considering their color options!).
I've tried these three mascaras only as smaller samples, so there is a chance I merely received a lesser-quality batch.

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara.
Great! This is one of my favorite mascaras. The application is clean, dark yet not fiberous or overly thick, and it's very long-lasting without feeling heavy. I highly recommend this mascara.

Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara.
Okay. This is a lengthening formula that offers dramatic dark pigments. While I enjoy the drama of the pigments and the fiber extensions that this mascara builds, I find the formula to be a little on the messy side, enough to keep me from reaching for it often.

Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara
Great! This is a low-cost high-quality mascara that comes in a couple of different colors. The bottle has a smoothed-triangular shape to it that makes it comfortable to hold, and it's a clean formula. This is another one of my favorites.

Tarina Tarantino Fleur De Lash Mascara
Great! This is one more of my favorite mascaras. The brush is fantastic, the formula isn't too thick but adds just enough drama, and the packaging is luxe. My sister was actually the one to discover this mascara, and it remains one of my absolute favorites.

Kat Von D Immortal Lash 24 Hr Mascara
Good. This received its own review in my past post here. To sum it up, it's the blackest mascara that I've encountered and, while the brush is a little scary, it reaches even the shortest lashes. I don't recommend this mascara for beginners or those who are uncomfortable with mascara, but for the seasoned and the brave, it's worth that delicious dark payoff that lasts.

That wraps up my two-part mascara reviews.
If you haven't yet read part one, scroll down to read more mascara reviews.
Also, for easier and cleaner application, check out my tips on using a mascara application guide here.

Feel free to post comments and questions, e-mail me requests or suggestions, or say hi!
Until next time!

Mascara Part One: Drugstore Brands

I've tried a few different mascaras, some drugstore-brand and some prestige products, and I want to share some of my first-hand observations.

Let's start with some drugstore brands.

Almay Intense i-Color Volumizing Mascara.
Good. (You may recall from this post.) It's a decent, stay-put mascara that comes in a few subtle colors. It doesn't seem to add length, but it's one of the few drugstore mascaras that comes in colors. Additionally, Almay is a brand specifically catering to those with sensitive skin.

Covergirl LashBlast Volumizing Mascara.
Not recommended. The wand is thick, round and needlessly bulky; I've actually found the packaging a little difficult to grip while twisting it open. The brush is interesting, with a thicker inner wand, shorter plastic spike-like bristles that have a thicker base to them. This results in better separation of lashes, but less reach means less lashes are being coated. Finally, the formula is prone to lumping. Not recommended.

Maybelline Full'N'Soft Mascara.
Great! I love this mascara. It looks and feels far more natural than other brands I've tried, and it's easier to wash off. Additionally, I didn't have any issues with messiness-- and everyone who knows me knows I will put it through an 8-hour day. This is one of the best mascaras out there for a natural look.

Maybelline GreatLash Waterproof Mascara.
Okay. This is a tried-and-true mascara that's been around for a while. (This mascara in color Royal Blue has been my mom's go-to for as long as I can remember. Thus it was the first mascara I ever applied to myself!) It's a good little mascara, but after a few hours, it does start to flake off and get a little messy. The small brush is easy to apply safely (especially for those uncomfortable or new to applying mascara) but the shape does make it a little difficult to comb between lashes for thorough application.

Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara.
Good. This formula is specifically designed to extend the ends of your eyelashes, while defining and separating. It really does add length and definition to eyelashes. I do recommend this mascara if you want your eyelashes to appear longer.

Tune in next time for Mascara Part Two: Prestige Brands!

Kat Von D: Immortal Lash 24 Hour Mascara

So this mascara just came out: Kat Von D Immortal Lash 24 Hour Mascara.

This is probably the blackest black mascara I've ever used.

Wand:
The brush is rather long and curved, and I found it to bend fairly easily during application. Especially with long, thorn-like bristles, it was a little scary during my first use. I didn't find the length or the curve of the brush to be particularly necessary. However, the tip has a rounded concentrate of bristles that are very helpful in defining corner lashes.

Color Payoff:
The color is truly a nice deep black, fantastic with even black liquid liners.

Formula:
I really like this formula. The product sets quickly and I didn't find it noticeably clumpy on the brush. It really lasts all day without smudging or flaking, which is amazing considering the intensity of the color. (My under-eyes love to collect any flecks or smudges of dark eye makeup, so it's outstanding to find a mascara that doesn't contribute to that kind of mess!) This is not one of those mascaras that adds liquid nylon extensions, but it does thicken lashes without coating them to the point of feeling heavy or clumpy; just lovely and defined.

Price:
$20

Verdict:
Regardless of the price, I'd still recommend this mascara amongst my top five. If you can get used to that large, curved brush, it's worth it for rich, defined black-as-night lashes.

Mascara Applicator Guide

I know I haven't addressed mascara yet in this blog, but I want to show you a new tool I've discovered that makes applying mascara much easier!

This is one example of a Mascara Applicator Guide, (sometimes referred to as an eyelash comb applicator guide or some variation thereof).

You know when you're applying mascara, and you either touch the wand to your eyelid (resulting in unintentional dots messing up your eyeshadow), or you're so afraid to get near your eye that you barely color the outer edges of your eyelashes, leaving the roots of the eyelashes uncolored? Maybe you use your finger over your eyelid to use as a backing to prop your eyelashes against while you're applying your mascara, resulting in a messy finger and possibly clumpy eyelashes.

Cue the Mascara Applicator Guide. I know it kind of looks like a torture device, but I promise you, this little plastic tool is a game-changer. The shape is similar to an eyelash curler, and basically, the guide guards your already-applied eyeshadow/eyeliner (or just your lovely natural eyelid) while you apply your mascara. While there are plenty of variations on this mascara guide tool, some actually have a comb built right in so that you can keep your eyelashes separated before, during, and after the application process.

Mascara lovers, try this out. It's a very inexpensive little tool that makes applying mascara just a little bit easier.