Loose Powder

Hey, guys! I’m still on the hunt for a mascara that I really like and next on my list is Maybelline’s Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara. I purchased this product in the non-waterproof blackest black.

The first thing you’ll notice is the teardrop shaped brush, which took some getting used to. I didn’t think it made application easier, but it did an okay job separating lashes and not sticking them together.

The formula is a bit wet, but wasn’t messy to apply. Actually, the wetness of the mascara meant that blinking got some product on my lower lashes which was convenient!

Here are some before and after photos:

While I wouldn’t say this mascara dramatically increases length or volume, this Lots of Lashes does add a nice bit of length and a little volume. It’s a good look for daytime or when I was something a bit more than my natural eyelashes.

Wear time on this was good. After 9 hours, there was no flaking nor did it leave black circles under my eyes. Once dry, my lashes did feel a bit crunchy. Removal was easy with my Philosophy Release Me makeup remover, but soap and water works just as well!

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes mascara is available where Maybelline products are sold. I paid $4.50 for this tube at Target.

Maybelline: Great Lash Waterproof was the first mascara that I ever tried. Naturally, when I decided to start using makeup again, I decided to use this mascara. Its small brush, defines my lashes a bit, but it does not really lengthen. The reason I prefer waterproof mascaras is because they are supposed to prevent smudges and raccoon eyes. However, after a couple hours, I noticed smudges under my eyes.

As for the formula, I found it to be not as viscous as other mascaras. After applying more than two layers, my lashes started clumping. So definitely proceed with caution if you like having on thicker layers of mascara. Also sometimes when I put on mascara, there are clumps on the edges of my lashes, which is not the look I want.

Overall, I think this mascara is good for a natural lash look, but it does not work well for a dramatic look. I would probably not use this mascara again since I’d like a mascara that lengthens, defines, adds volume, and does not give me smudges after a couple hours of wear.

Eyeliner is my main man when it comes to makeup. I can go without anything else, but I have to line my eyes and I’ve used just about everything: powder, pencil, liquid, and gel.  On my latest drugstore run, I bought L’oreal’s  High Intensity Pigment Color Rich Cream Crayon in Perfectionist (i.e. black).

Once you use it, you'll never get back the nice, sharp tip it had when it was new.

I think “eyeliner” is loosely applied here. Marketed as a versatile eyeliner and shadow product, what it really delivers on is the high intensity. The product’s thick and creamy texture make it a poor eyeliner. It’s hard to control and easy to smear, especially once the tip becomes blunt from use. It does have a conveniently-placed “sharpener” at the other end, but the crayon is so soft the tip just keeps breaking off and making a mess all over my fingers.

I wouldn’t recommend this as an eyeliner, unless you’re about to play football or single-handedly annihilate a dictator and his army for kidnapping your daughter.

It does, however, make a great eye shadow base, especially for the sparkly, bright colors in my palette that I couldn’t otherwise wear to work. So far I’ve tried the black HIP Crayon under greens and purples, with great success. I applied the black base all over the lid, then patted the desired color over most of it, starting at the outer corner, blending out the edges, and working my way in. The effects depend on the composition of the eye shadow, but the variety of the Color Rich Cream Crayon colors seems like a great way to tone down a bright shade or make a sparkly shadow pop.

Pros: Long-lasting, bold color that makes a great base.

Cons: Too sloppy to be practical as an eyeliner.

I feel like there’s a use for every kind of eye liner, but gel liners are really my favorite so far. So aside from the crayon that wished it was an eyeliner, I also bought the Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in blackest black.

Mac Fluidline

I’ve actually been using Mac’s Fluidline eyeliner since I first saw it a few years ago. Not every day, but it’s a very good liner. Gel is easier to control than a liquid liner, and I think it stays put a bit better. At the very least, you can layer more on and it won’t fade or flake, or dry with that weird plasticky sheen that some liquid liners unfortunately have.

Maybelline Lasting Drama

But after trying  Maybelline’s gel liner, Lasting Drama is my new daily must. It’s every bit as good as  Fluidline for half the price. It lasts all day and has passed the sweaty work-out test without smearing at all. I will definitely be buying more of this liner and trying out the other colors.   But here’s the bonus:

It comes with a brush—a  small tapered brush that comes to such a fine point, you can really control what you do. That’s not to say it’s 100% mistake-proof, but I’m getting really good at doing fine lines at the outer corners, which I could never quite pull off with the angled eyeliner brush (sold separately) I used with the Fluidline product.

Pros: Easily manipulated, waterproof, long-lasting gel liner paired with a great brush. It’s a conveniently-packaged duo of eye-defining perfection.

Cons: I haven’t found any yet, but I will keep you posted.

I share a bathroom with my sister. It isn’t fun, but it has its advantages. For example, when I ran out of mascara and asked if I could borrow hers. She said yes and immediately launched into a rant about how her mascara is amazing and I’m going to love it. I mentally rolled my eyes.

I take my skepticism back. Diorshow waterproof mascara is my favorite to this day. It lengthens. It volumizes. It’s magic.

The brush is thick and straight, which I find easier to maneuver than curved brushes, and it narrows at the tip so you can get the lashes at the corners of your eyes without blotting mascara everywhere. It’s $24 (at Sephora) and worth every cent.

It’s bold and full, and I mention it first because it’s the standard to which I hold all other mascaras. Why am I even looking? I love trying new things, and maybe I can find something good at a better price in the process. Sometimes all I need is a quick fix but all I can find is a drugstore. And not everyone wants to pay $24 for mascara — thus my search for a more frugal substitute begins.

This week I tried Maybelline’s Waterproof Define-A-Lash Lengthening Mascara in Brownish Black, which is supposed to define and lengthen. It looks okay, but it doesn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat or anything. I kept applying more, waiting for the length to show up. I felt like my shorter lashes got lumped together with my longer lashes, which certainly makes them stand out, but that’s not really defining each lash — and it comes at the price of volume.

Maybe it was the awful brush. I didn’t pay attention to the packaging when I bought it, but the brush is “flexible” and “shaped to the lash,” which I translate to cheap, flimsy and oddly-shaped. Honestly, the shape might not be so bad if it stayed in place, but I could feel it bending while applying it to my lashes and I don’t understand how this is a good thing. That is a smudge waiting to happen while you’re in a rush, already running late for work. Not that I would know…

Pros: $8.29 and it really is waterproof. I went to the gym, sweated like a hothouse tomato and still had great eye makeup when my workout was over. No raccoon eyes for me.

Cons: The lengthening effect was unsatisfactory. My lashes don’t look any longer than they do with any non-lengthening mascara. Hooray for returns policies.

I’m not ready to give up on Maybelline yet, though. They make like 20 different mascaras. This morning I tried their Waterproof Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Mascara in Very Black, which is supposed to give your lashes length and volume. I’m happy to report it does both.

The brush is, thankfully, not flexible, though they’re still doing something fancy with the shape. This had me worried. I always think that if a product is good, it doesn’t need gimmicky selling points like a loop-de-loop brush that glows in the dark and doubles as a vibrator. Curvy shapes get in my way more than actually helping. I think it’s because I know where the straight brush is going to go, whereas the curve of a brush might not end up where I think it will, and that is how I end up poking my eye…like I did this morning.

But it looks pretty good. You get length and some volume, and my lashes don’t feel stuck together.  It’s not quite as full a look as I would like, but for $8.49 I don’t expect miracles. I would say you definitely get your money’s worth. Lash Stiletto is a good drugstore brand choice that gets the job done.

Pros: It’s a good look for the price, length + volume.

Cons: Brush is unnecessarily curvy, but some people like that.