Saturday, March 3, 2012

Mascara: Truth in advertising?

Okay, so I decided I wanted to try out this new mascara that Maybelline is pushing called "the Falsies, Volum' Express Hydrofuge" after seeing all the commercials with the models and their long beautiful lashes.  Now, mind you, I already have very long lashes - I've been asked if I wear false lashes on many occasions, and my lashes tend to brush against my sunglasses with no mascara on, so I don't need to make them longer.  They're not incredibly thick and they are very light on the tips, but they are pretty decent as far as lashes go.  (Though if there is a magic cure to make them perfectly even and not off-kilter, I'd like to know!)  Anyway, I decided I'd put this new wonder-mascara to the test, along with another new product, Revlon's "Grow Luscious" line, and compare it with my staples and a long-time favorite of so many women I know, Maybelline's "Great Lash".  This is my photo comparison of each one, on my lashes with no other make-up and a description of each one's pros and cons.


Pictured below is my eye with no mascara on at all.  Lashes are very light and not very exciting:


First up, a trusted classic that a lot of us have used since our teen years:  Maybelline's "Great Lash".  Ladies, you know this one, it's the one in the pink tube.  ;-)  This is a non-waterproof mascara that goes on very smooth with a simple small, straight, brush.  Easy to apply, easy to take off, and with 2 coats, you can have some killer lashes.  It's also one of the least expensive mascaras on the market.  It doesn't flake or clump.  The only drawback to using this one is the fact that it does wear off pretty easily.  Photo below:
Next up, is Revlon's "3D Extreme" waterproof mascara.  I was not impressed with this one.  It clumped from the start, was a bitch to get off and during wear, it "pilled up" and got into my eyes.  It didn't make my lashes appear thick, nor give a 3D look.  Yeah, Revlon, these were an extreme fail.  No pros.  Photo below:
Third in line is CoverGirl's "Professional" mascara.  This is another tried and true product that has been around a long time and is a staple in my arsenal of beauty products.  It's pretty much awesome, like the Great Lash line, but the drawback (at least for me) is the curved brush.  It has a tendency to clump on the very tips of my lashes, but just lightly touching them with my fingertips before they dry takes any excess off and relieves the clump issue.  Photo below:




On to another CoverGirl favorite, "Volume Exact" Waterproof.  Love this one as well, except that for a waterproof version, it does wear off too easily during the day.  I love the brush too, it's a straight brush with bristles that aren't like regular bristles, so you don't get the clumping.  Photo below (sorry, forgot to use the flash on this one so it's natural light):
Now for the fun part.  While buying the "Falsies" mascara, I decided to try another one as well, Revlon's "Grow Luscious" line.  I'll be using this one daily to see if there really is a difference in the overall thickness of my lashes over time.  As far as mascaras go, it's good and thick, as many of the newer ones are, but the brush is waaaaay too big to put it on easily, especially on lower lashes.  It went on smoothly, but even with the straight brush, the size of the thing was like trying to use a paint roller in a shoe box.  Photo below:
And last, but not least:  Maybelline's "the Falsies".  I gotta tell ya, they did make my lashes look like I had falsies on - but only after 3 layers of it and with the advantage of having longer than average lashes already.  ;-)  The brush makes it hard to get on too, it's larger than normal and curved with weird uneven bristles.  It clumps pretty bad too.  Not a mascara I would urge anyone to buy since you can get the same results with the much less expensive "Great Lash" mascara (you'd just have to reapply during wear).  Photo below is with only one coat:
I went ahead and threw on some of my normal make-up, so you can see what the mascaras look like with normal wear.  In the photo below, the eye on the right is with "the Falsies" on, and the eye on the left is the "Great Lash" mascara, each one with 2 coats.  (Don't mind the bloodshot eyes, it's been a long sleepless week and it's late at night when these are taken.)
 Yes, my eyelashes are just barely touching my eyebrows.  Don't hate.  ;-)  But also don't go out and buy "the Falsies" mascara either, it's not worth it.