EVERYDAY: MUST-HAVE MASCARA - THE BIG REVIEW
I love trying new products. I'm kind of a product junkie. One of the great things about trying lots of beauty/makeup products is that eventually you find one product that amazes you so much that you can't go back to anything else. It becomes your go-to product. And although I love to try new things, there is something comforting and easy about having that one product that you KNOW is going to do the trick. I am always on the lookout for my next go-to product!
Mascara has been one makeup product that I need to work super hard for me. I have very light lashes which also means they are really needy. I need a mascara that can give me tons of volume & length as well as make my lashes stand out. So I went on a hunt. A hunt for the best of the best at every price point. I've scaled these mascaras on a 1-10 basis. 10 being can't-beat-it length and volume and 1 being don't even put this on your dog. See below for my results!
Price Point: $4.99
I was super disappointed with this one. It's been touted as being "as good as" some of the better, more expensive mascaras so I was expecting a lot. I'm not even sure why volume is in the title, because this girl saw nada. As far as lengthening...it didn't really do much. Because it was black mascara it did make my lashes more visible but that was pretty much the extent of it. Womp womp.
Volume: 1
Lengthening: 3
Overall: 2
Price Point: $5.99
When I asked for recommendations about a month ago this was one of the ones I received. I have to say for a SUPER cheap mascara it works wonders. Definitely saw volume and length. This one has been around for a long time and now I can see why! Definitely a great bargain buy.
Volume: 7
Lengthening: 7
Overall: 7
Price Point: $23
This one has made it into my top 5 of all time. It goes on smooth and the packaging is pretty. I would say it gives you a little more length than volume so if that's what you really look for in a mascara I'd spend my money on this one.
Volume: 7
Lengthening: 9
Overall: 8
Price Point: $23
This was my go-to for several years. It is highly rated and for good reason. It makes your lashes look like a movie star. The problem for me (and part of the reason I started this whole research thing) is that it seemed to dry out quickly which caused it to flake and I like my mascara to last a good bit. If I hadn't done this blog post I would probably still be using it despite the flaking because it just makes your lashes look so good! If there wasn't another similar product out there it would be worth it to me to take the good with the bad and that says a lot about this mascara!
Volume: 10
Lengthening: 8
Overall: 9 - if you are ok taking the good with the bad
Price Point: $25
I'm a HUGE fan of this one. It's officially in my top 5. Super volumizing, extra lengthening. Put on a few coats and you're likely to look like a supermodel (just a warning). This was my favorite of all the brands I tried!
Volume: 10
Lengthening: 9
Overall: 10
Price Point: $28.50
I've used this one for many, many, many years and it's never disappointed. It always does the trick and gives great volume without being clumpy.
Volume: 8
Lengthening: 8
Overall: 8
Price Point: $6.39
Out of all the bargain priced mascaras this one (believe it or not) was the most similar to the nicer, more expensive mascaras. It actually made it into my top 5 and that's no easy task! I would go back and buy this one in a heartbeat. Also leaves my lashes looking really healthy!
Volume: 7.5
Lengthening: 7.5
Overall: 7.5
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Super Volume
Price Point: $9.99
The wand of this mascara was it's first downfall. The bristles are just too far apart to create any type of volume and the wand is HUGE. It's just too much. I'd buy the Covergirl or Almay over this any day.
Volume: 4
Lengthening: 5
Overall: 4
L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise
Price Point: $8.99
This one has been compared to Better than Sex and it even has the copycat pretty pink packaging. I wanted to hate it just because of that, but it actually turned out to be really great. Gave decent volume, good length and overall just a solid mascara.
Volume: 7
Lengthening: 7
Overall:7
It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara
Price Point: $24
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times....I just LOVE It Cosmetics. I use a ton of their products. This mascara did NOT disappoint. Definitely in my top 5. With one coat you see a big difference but with a few coats...look out. Great overall coverage, great packaging, and intense color. Amazing!
Volume: 9
Lengthening: 8.5
Overall: 9
My Top 5 (in no particular order):
Almay One Coat Multi-Benefit
Research Tip:
The shape of the wand has A TON to do with the result. All of my top 5 have short bristles that are super close together so that is something to look for when trying out new mascaras.
Once I started this I realized how many mascaras there actually are out there (sooooo many!! It's crazy) so now I can't wait to do another round up! Be sure to let me know if you found this helpful!
Talk soon,
Casey