2012 must have been the year of mascara for me. I finished
or gave up on a few of them last year. There were some hits and misses. Some of
the mascaras I have already repurchased once or twice. I definitely think mascara
has been one of my favorite products to use in 2012. I have a mixture of drugstore
and high-end mascaras but I want to start with the mascaras that are the most
accessible and end with the high-end.
Maybelline Mega Plush Volum’ Express in Very Black
I have always been a big fan of Maybelline mascaras and this
one did not disappoint me too much. I really liked the shape of the brush. It is
larger brush but I still felt like it coated my lashes very well. However, it
did have a couple of downsides. The brush itself is very flexible and at times
it almost felt too flexible and I always ended up with mascara on my eyelid.
Also, it dried out really quickly. I had this mascara the least amount of time
and I felt like it was done in no time. Towards the end of its life I used the
mascara as a base. I would apply a coat of it and then add another coat of different
mascara. Overall it wasn’t a bad product but I definitely wouldn’t repurchase
it.
My score: 6/10
Rimmel London Volume Accelerator in 001 Black
I will make this short and sweet, I hated this mascara. It
is supposed to make your lashes fuller but all it did was clump. I don’t mind
when mascara is slightly clumpy but this just looked awful. I rarely used it
and finally had to give it up because it was getting older and I never reached
for it. I had high hopes too because I really liked the shape of the brush.
My score: 4/10
L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara in Blackest
Black
I have been using this mascara for a couple of years now and
I have really enjoyed using the eyelash primer before the mascara. I really did
make a difference but after a month or two it just doesn’t work as well and I
just stopped reaching for it. I had to give up on it because I had it for so
long and never used it. It just got to
the point where even if I wanted to use it, I probably shouldn’t because of how
long I had it. I really prefer the brush on the mascara end over the brush for
the primer. I felt like the primer brush was too small to coat my lashes. I haven’t
decided if or when I will repurchase this mascara. Right now I have others that
I love so much more.
My Score: 7/10
Maybelline One by One Volum’ Express in Very Black.
So I have finally found my Holy Grail drugstore mascara. It
is amazing. The brush reminds me of rubber and I know that sounds really weird
but it works so well. It really does coat each lash perfectly and I love using
it each day. I have already repurchased it a couple of times and I don’t see
myself not purchasing it again. I have two ways I use the mascara: on its own
or as base for my Holy Grail high-end mascara. I love the waterproof formula as
well. This mascara lasts such a long time and even when it is drying out; it
still looks great on the eyes! I cannot imagine liking another drugstore
mascara more.
My score: 9/10
Ulta Lash Blow Out Mascara in Jet Black
I absolutely, positively HATE the brush on the mascara. It’s
awful and so hard to work with. I didn’t even bother to finish this mascara.
The formula wasn’t great but I don’t think it would have mattered because the
brush would have made any formula unworkable. Thankfully this mascara came with
something else I bought so I didn’t actually go out and buy it. But now I know
I never will!
My Score: 1/10
Benefit They’re Real Mascara
I originally bought this mascara because I kept hearing how
great it was and how well it worked. It is not a cheap mascara but I decided it
had to be worth it so I gave in and bought it. I regretted my decision for the
first few weeks. I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand the hype. I felt like I
just wasted loads of money on it. I stopped using it for about a month before I
tried it again. I was extremely surprised how much better it worked once it
dried out a little. It coated nicely and gave me lots of volume and length. I
used it until I couldn’t possibly get anything else out of it. I really liked
the brush on it. The bristles are actually pretty short but it worked
well. I don’t think I will repurchase this
product again though. If I am going to splurge on mascara from Benefit, I would
much rather buy the Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara. Plus, I don’t want to wait a
month or two for it to dry out so I can use it.
My Score: 8/10
Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes
I don’t even know where to start with this mascara. It is by
far my all-time favorite mascara. This mascara came with my Tarte True Blood palette
and I really didn’t think to use it right away. Once I did, I fell in love with
it. I tried to use it sparingly because I wanted it to last as long as
possible. It is a smaller brush but it works so well with my lashes. I usually
use a couple of coats of it and I really like how it doesn’t make my lashes
look too clumpy but I like when a mascara is a tiny bit clumpy because I feel
like it gives it some volume. My favorite way to use this mascara is over a
coat of my Maybelline One by One mascara. I know it sounds weird but mixing the
two creates the perfect mascara for me. It is great on its own too. I have
already bought a full size of it and I have a travel one as well. At this time,
I don’t feel the need to purchase another high-end mascara. I love the one I
got! The only downside is that it does flake slightly during the day but not enough
to be extremely noticeable or to stop me from using it.
My Score: 9.5/10
