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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Mascaras - Which One Do You Use?

One of my favorite makeup items has always been mascara.  I feel as if it's the finishing touch to your makeup.  Even on those days when I don't feel like making up my whole face, or if I'm in a rush, I always put on mascara.  So this brings me to the question: Are higher priced mascaras really worth the money we pay for them?  In my experience, it depends on the brand of the higher price mascara.  With drug store mascaras, it has always been hit or miss for me. With that being said, I'll give you a run down of my favorite mascaras - high end and drug store.



My all time love of mascaras right now is the Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara.  In my opinion this mascara does it all!  It achieves an intense, dramatic lash look with one stroke. Its uses a Triple-Film Complex: a film-coating for intensity, a conditioning film for curve, and a fixing film for long-lasting effectiveness.  The brush applicator combines nylon fibers of varying diameters for volume enhancement.  I love this mascara, and when shopping in Sephora one day, I picked it up.  I was sad that my wallet had to take a dent at the $28 price, but to me every penny was worth it.  This is the mascara that I pick up the most often as it does everything in one stroke.


My next choice for high end mascara is actually a combination of two items.  I really love Urban Decay's Eyelash Primer Potion used with DuWop's Lash Venom.  These two eyelash products work great together. The Urban Decay Eyelash Primer Potion is a lengthening, volumizing, and fortifying mascara base.  If you use this product before your favorite mascara your lashes will appear thicker, longer, and stronger.  It uses the conditioning, fortifying, and thickening formula of Silk Protein, Panthenol, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein. I love to pair this with DuWop's Lash Venom. I like the Lash Venom on it's own as it provides extreme length without clumping.  The formula also contains vitamin E and an acrylic polymer that prevents smudging and flaking. The brush is made to optimize both pick-up and delivery, ensuring consistent performance with every application. Lash Venom gives your lashes instant fullness and a glossy, jet-black finish.  In conjunction, these two products give you the effect of false lashes when you really aren't wearing them.

Of course there are many more high end mascara that I use and like. Buxom by Bare Essentiuals is a great mascara, as is the Bad Gal Lash by Benefit. However, the ones reviewed above are way worth the price if I had to choose. I've been wanting to try the Dior Show Extase Mascara, and may treat myself to it the next time I am at Sephora.




So I bring myself to drug-store brands.  I have only found 3 drug store brand mascaras that I would like and repurchase.  One is the Covergirl Lash Blast.  This mascara is really awesome for a drug store brand.  I was actually very surprised when I used it as I had never had a drug store brand give me the effect I wanted before this one.  It gives you instant volume and lift. It's smudge proof and smear proof, and it's also hypoallergenic (which is good for those who wear contacts).  I love this mascara and plan to try the other varieties of it that Covergirl is beginning to offer. 




Two other drug store mascaras I reach for are both made by Maybelline.  The first is the Intense XXL® Volume + Length Washable Microfiber Mascara.  This mascara works alot like the UD Eyelash Primer and my Duwop Lash Venom combination, however with a little more clumping...so if you can't afford the higher end combo, this would be a great mascara for you.  It creates up to 60% longer lashes and 11X the volume. I feel the only downfall of this mascara is that the microfiber side of the tube tends to clump my lashes, so an eyelash curler is a must when using this mascara.  Another mascara by Maybelline that I use is the Lash Stiletto. I must say the brush on this mascara is great.  It grasps each lash and coats from every angle, while the formula is filled with Pro-Vitamin B-5 that conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine.  I would reccommend this mascara to anyone who is looking for a great drug store brand.

On that note there are many other drug store mascaras I have yet to try and would like to.  So my questions for you are:
What is your favorite mascara?
Do you prefer high end mascaras to drug store brands?
Do you think that the price of high end mascaras is worth it?
What mascara would you reccommend to your friends?

95 comments:

A Vintage Revival said...

My favorite mascara has got to be Lash Discovery. Having shorter lashes, this mascara is amazing and perfect for them.

I don't put too much money into mascaras, I don't really see an amazing difference with high end vs. drug store, but I do however have a love for Estee Lauder Sumptuous Color, because of the unmatched color pay off on the Sapphire shade. And, also Fresh Super Nova is great, but I only splurged on the $10 duo from Sephora. :-)


I would recommend Great Lash, Lash Discovery and Fresh Super Nova & Firebird duo from Sephora.

sasspot54 said...

Covergirl Lash Blast! <3

Itunesbabe said...

i mostly use rimmel londons 'volume max' - or something like that anyway - but atm i'm using a marks and spencer autograph one which was a christmas present - i love both mascaras :)

Anonymous said...

My favorite is cover girl lash blast.

Dana said...

i love lash blast!!! i've tried all of them...the lux, the normal, the waterproof. its a great mascara and i have ALL my friends using it now!

Miranda said...

as of right now i use the eyelash primer on the XXl intense mascara and then i use the Great lash mascara over it!

Valene said...

I personally don't feel that the more pricey mascaras are worth the money, simply because no matter how much you spend, you still have to ditch the product in 2-3 months. If it was something that I'd be holding onto for a longer period of time, then maybe. But with mascara, I'll stick to my drug store brands.

I really like the rimmel sexy curves. I also really liked the Cover Girl Fantastic Lash, but just found out it's been discontinued. Right now I'm using the L'Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara, it's fine, not sure if I love it yet, but there's nothing I really dislike about it yet either.

Sarah said...

i used to be in love with an old urban decay mascara but they stopped making that formula. i've been testing out the sample of the Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi Benefit Mascara, and its great at keeping my lashes soft, but by the end of the day i get racoon eyes! covergirl lash blast is too clumpy for my lashes...idk why!

Unknown said...

My favorite mascara is Covergirl lash blast waterproof. I always have problems with eye makeup smudging on me (I have watery eyes), and this mascara has helped a lot. I've recommended lash blast to my friends and they all love it. I don't think I'll buy high end mascara anytime soon because I don't wear make up often, and mascara need to be changed often.

kristin said...

so , i love the Dior show one ( but i hate the brush) so. the perfect mascara would be the Dior show formula with the brush on the Maybelline colossal Volume' Express mascara :) that is my perfect mascara :) now i use both , ;P

B said...

Cover Girl Lash blast is one of my favorites.

However at the moment I'm using Hard Candy's Ginormous Lash volumizing mascara. It works quite well, makes my lashes look longer but not so much fuller so I wouldn't really recommend it if you like thick dramatic lashes.
But I really like it.

Anonymous said...

I really don't like to spend much on mascara's my fav is Rimmel Sexy Curves

Anonymous said...

I LOVE L'Oreal Telescopic :) Love it!

Anonymous said...

i have a really tough time picking out mascara because of my lashes, it seems they have a mind of their own, but the one i've use now for quite a while and i always seem to re purchase would have to be the cover girl eyelight i think its called i've tried more expensive brands but they just don't cut it for me and that one does plus it's really cheap so that's always good :)

Juana said...

I used to use the intense XXL but it would dry fast for some reason. Even though it was new it would only last ok for 3 weeks and then it would start drying eventhough I didn't open it much.

Anonymous said...

I have tried SO many mascaras and I always go back to LashBlast! I prefer the non waterproof because the waterproof is SUPER hard to get off!!!

YouTuber 1DawnMarie1

Kristi said...

Thanks for this post. I haven't tried any high-end mascaras, just because it seems like I'm forever going through a tube of mascara. My favorite so far has to be Lash Blast. I was thinking about trying the Lash Stiletto, and after reading this, I think it will be my next tube I try.

ZombieVixen said...

I've only used a few so far I really like my MAC Mascara's and I recently went out and bought the Cover Girl Lash Blast and was really surprised with how much I liked it, def would be a re purchase. But there are a ton of other ones out there I'm still looking towards trying out.

sunshinegalz0002 said...

i love colossal!..but it broke on me :(

chantelfaith said...

i use the cover girl lash blast mascara but its running low :(
i think i may try the one you suggested ;)

JustJenny said...

i love covergirl lashblash!
its like the universal favourite

Juana said...

I wish I could buy the other ones. I have cheap ones.

Saving Cents- The 35 Dollar Diet said...

I really am loving my Revlon 3D mascara. I love how the wand is tapered at the ends so you can cover all of your lashes. Your lashes don't stick together after you apply it! That's the one I recommend to my friends. For tinted lashes (like hot pink, green or purple) I like Hard Candy which you can find at most wal-marts. For around $5 you can try a new look without going broke.

myolie said...

covergirl for me too ( and i only get it when there is a sale ^ ^). this mascara is great because 1) i can afford it 2) this mascara has a lot of great reviews 3) it is ok to be wasteful and make mistakes or try new look without worrying about the cost( just started applying mascara recently)

Jeny said...

totally love rimmell sexy curves

scrout said...

I think CoverGirl makes the best mascara's, but I have been liking MAC's eyelash primer. It makes my eyelashes super long, followed by CoverGirl in the pink bottle

Jammie said...

i just picked up rimmel volume flash instant thickening mascara for 75% off at my local CVS and i'm really impressed with it! i have naturally long lashes and i'm always looking for a good thickening or volumizing mascara. i also like almay one coat thickening mascara. and when i'm really on a budget, you can't beat maybelline great lash!

HushHushCultureClash said...

i'm doing a project ten pan so one of my mascaras that ive been loving again is Smoky Lash from MUFE, it gets a little clunky so i just use a wand to get the littles bits out. Haven't tried any of these but will look forward to trying some after the project.

Anonymous said...

I love the Loreal Voluminous (sp?) and Lancome Definicils.

Nina said...

I'm currently using 3 at the moment: L'oreal Voluminous, Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara & Lumene Blueberry Curl Mascara. Anastasia being the most expensive, is surprisingly the crappiest out of the 3. As an everyday mascara, Lumene is great plus I love the brush. My go-to at the moment is L'oreal Voluminous. I haven't found my HG yet although I've been dying to try Rimmel Sexy Curves.

elizabeth said...

I Love Covergirl lashblast and lash exact

Abby/AmoreMakeup said...

I've tried all of them and my favorite would be Lash Blast.. All of them are very good...

Anonymous said...

I use clinique high impact mascara. Its about 14 dollars so its in the mid price range. I always put on mascara as well even if i don't wear anthing else (which is often because i am a college student hehe). It brightens up my eyes and makes me look and feel less tired. The most expensive mascara i've ever bought is napoleon perdis peep show in madame crystal. Its a clear mascara that i bought to use as a brow gel. Sometimes i will use it on my lashes by itself, or to give a little extra shine to them. I think it was about 25 dollars at sephora.

Unknown said...

I've used all of them except for the ysl, definitely like the lashblast one the best... i actually kinda hate lash stiletto =/

Anonymous said...

I haven't tried the Intense XXL® Volume + Length Washable Microfiber Mascara but I think I want to. You know of course that YSL is my favorite with my Dior a close 2nd.

Jules said...

My favorite right now is Cover Girl Lash Blast, love it!

Elizabeth Sullivan said...

My favorite mascara right now is Estee Lauder's Vibrating Mascara :) LOVE IT!!!

Anonymous said...

my favorite mascara is Almay One Coat Triple Effect. its just totally awesome. LOVE IT!

Unknown said...

My favourite mas cara was Volume shocking from Loreal but now it´s retired. Now I use Diorshow, telescopic or the Lancome mascaras

Anonymous said...

I love Lash Blast, just seems to not clump up and look raccoonish! I am very fair, but love black mascara, so this is perfect for me, not overpowering! I also wear contacts and have had issues in the past w/ flaking mascara bothering my contacts. Not so w/ Lash Blast. BTW: Glad to see your bright smiling face again Toni!

Brodrig5 said...

My favorite right now is the Max Factor 2000 calorie lash plumper (the waterproff one)

Anonymous said...

I'll have to look into this... I'm in search of a good mascara. So far my favorite is Lancome's High Definition. I believe that's what its called... :D

Anonymous said...

I love ysl faux cils, it's my holy grail mascara :)
xo

Anonymous said...

Hi I subscribed to your YouTube and Blog page.
I love your posts they are always so detailed.
I love Maybelline Lash Stiletto. In my opinion its the best drugstore mascara.

XOXO

Anonymous said...

Hi I subscribed to your YouTube and Blog page.
I love your posts they are always so detailed.
I love Maybelline Lash Stiletto. In my opinion its the best drugstore mascara.

XOXO

Niamh said...

I love La Roche posés lenghting mascara or rimmels sexy curve its such a cheap alternative that really curls your lashs and its in such a cute bottle :)

Unknown said...

btw thanks for hosting this awesome contest, i really love watching your videos and i you just wait, soon you'll be bigger than tiffanyd =)

Unknown said...

LashBlast by Covergirl is my favorite!

Olivia Frescura said...

i really dig smashbox lash dna! i got it with the lash stash deluxe i got for christmas, i think i'm gonna get it in full size when its gone!

Kim said...

I've never used high end mascars simply because they cost a lot more in NZ. Even drugstore brands are quite pricey. When I got a Maybelline Colossal Mascara the other day it costed me $17 USD.

What is your favorite mascara? Sexy Curves by Rimmel (:
Do you prefer high end mascaras to drug store brands? I wouldn't know "/
Do you think that the price of high end mascaras is worth it? Drug store ones do a good enough job for me so I personally don't find the need to buy a High End mascara.
What mascara would you reccommend to your friends? Sexy Curves (:

Anonymous said...

grrrrrrrrrr posted a looooooong reply and it disapeard, I use Smashbox mainly as I always seem to get one in the kits they do for QVC TSV's. If I ever get eye surgery and don't have to wear glasses I will be trying loads more as at the moment if they are too long they just rub off my glasses :0) xxxJoolsxxx

Kirsten said...

I love Lash Blast and Intense XXL!

Neira said...

I love Givenchy Phenonmen'eyes, best mascara I've ever used, so worth the money, it doesnt clump.

Unknown said...

I love lashblast.
Also loreal telescopic
elf duo mascara (pretty good for only $1)

Anonymous said...

i am totally obsessed with lashblast i definitely have recommended it to my friends. i really dont like most high end mascaras because i cant get it off my lashes i alos lovee clear mascara (its amazing-ness in a tube)

Juana said...

I had cover girl before and revlon mascaras.

Unknown said...

I like Rimmel Glam Eyes, but right now I'm trying Telescopic Explosion from Loreal. It's not bad but if you don't wipe it off a bit it will get chunky.
-Ali
(Pineapple Kiwi280)

Anonymous said...

I've used the Covergirl Lash Blast and really liked it. My favorite drug store brand however is Maybelline. I really like their Big Lash mascara, the wand is really fat so it deposits a lot of mascara onto lashes!

elektra274 said...

Hi Toni

Out of curiosity, do you have any recs for people with sensitive eyes? I have a really hard time finding eye liner and mascara that doesn't make my eyes itch when I use it. Stila mascara doesn't seem to bother me, but also doesn't perform the way I'd like. My lashes tend to stay a little gummy and stick together when I blink. A drugstore option would be great, but I don't have the cash to keep trying mascaras.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, I have eyelashes that are so tiny and light, you can barely see them. Fortunately, I am able to go every two weeks for eyelash extensions, so I don't need to constantly be at war with mascara! Luv you Toni!

Allison Green said...

Hi Toni-

Naturally I have pretty long lashes. Of all the mascaras you posted I've only tried Lash Blast but I have to say I LOVE it! It makes my lashes huge! I also have a few mascaras from Clinique bonus time and those are awesome as well.

JPScraps said...

My favorite is definitely Lash Blast. (: I love how it makes my lashes look. Sometimes, it even looks like I have falsies on!

My mom (whose email I'm on. Due to our joint beauty blog) doesn't like it so much.

Anonymous said...

I love the covergirl lashblast. I have short lashes that just stick downwards, but with the covergirl lashblast it makes my lashes pop.

The Actor Kid said...

my girlfriends favorite mascara i defenately lash blast because she wears it every were!

Anonymous said...

i love maybelline mascaras the xxl and the pulse effect maybelline mascara

i love the mascaras which have the primer or lash extension formula and the mascara

i like Estee Lauder and Clinique mascaras

Noosa said...

My favorite mascara is always changing im always trying something new but my current favorite mascara is BADgal lash mascara. Its great it does exactly what i ask for its gives me volume and length with no clumps or mess. It at a perfect price its not too high end or cheap.

Enjoem said...

I have a few favs. In no particular order :)

1. L'Oreal Telescopic in Black Carbon
2. Maybelline Lash Stiletto
3. Cover Girl Lash Blast Length
4. Rimmel Sexy Curves

All ove these are great for differnt reasons, and that all have great results...at least for me they have!

Thanks for sharing!

~Enjo

Unknown said...

What is your favorite mascara?
Maybelline full 'n soft
Do you prefer high end mascaras to drug store brands?
Definitely drug store
Do you think that the price of high end mascaras is worth it?
No, since they only last 3 months. Plus, I'm asian and i have like no lashes to begin with so even with mascara my lashes still look wimpy. What's the point of volumizing/lengthening all of 20 of my lash hairs? lol
What mascara would you reccommend to your friends?
maybelline lash blast

Kimberly said...

I have two favorite Mascara's that I love. My all time favorite must have mascara is by Avon, and it is Supershock. I have very sparse lashes, and this mascara works wonders for me. I also love the Fresh Firebird. It makes my lashes more full and longer looking, without making them look clumpy or fake. I prefer a more natural look. I didn't care much for the Lashblast because the formula was so wet. I may consider trying it again in the future.

sunshinegalz0002 said...

i use colossal, great lash, and mary kay. colossal is my absolute favorite ...however it broke on me :(

Tímea said...

I love Clinique High Impact mascara, this one makes all my lashes separeted. In my opinion this one is the most awesome "everyday" mascara.

For nights out i usually want to use something more dramatic, so most of the time i use lashblast. It gives a really dramatic look, and this one is also on the cheaper side:)

EmilyyEkstaticLove said...

I LOVE lash stiletto for going out
for every day I usually use elf clear mascara

ana said...

I use maybelline lash blast. It's the best i've tried. I have a marykay mascara water proof but i dont like it as much it gets my eyelashes stuck together.

ana said...

I love my maybelline though.

RoxyEyez said...

I love Maybelline Lash Stiletto. It makes my eyes look nice and I love how it make my eye pop

Katie said...

I really like the Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara! Its probably my favorite drug store mascara of all time! Second to that is def the Maybelline Colossal Lash Mascara! They're both awesome, but CG wins by far! =) As far as mascaras I will never repurchase go, I will never repurchase MAC mascaras... They aren't worth it to me...

SpiffyTiffy said...

A lot of people don't like this mascara but I love the blue and plum badgal mascara from Benefit. I have tried many mascaras, but this has got to be my fav!!!!!

marie.tieu said...

What is your favorite mascara?
my favorite mascara would be the bare escentuals buxom lash because the bristles are just so unique and there is no clumping whatsoever and it makes my lashes just look very black and wet looking
Do you prefer high end mascaras to drug store brands?
it really doesn't matter to me because mascara is mascara i have 2 other favorite mascaras that are from drugstores and that is maybelline full and soft mascara and cover girl lash exact for lash exact the bristles are thin and the teeth are sharp so it lengthens and separates without clumping and the full and soft mascara's bristles are soft, thick, and plushed so i get volume from that
Do you think that the price of high end mascaras is worth it?
i don't think it's worth it because there isn't much of a difference between mascaras to me and i just don't think mascaras should be worth more than 15 dollars
What mascara would you reccommend to your friends? i would reccommend my favorites to my friends

Anonymous said...

I love Rimmel sexy curves. I use the last 'ball' on the brush to get in my outer corner.

Elle said...

My absolute favorite mascara is YSL Faux Cils.. hands down. I've tried l'Oreal Voluminous because it's supposed to be a dupe of it, but it's not. I think the gorgeous gold weighted packaging.. and the signature YSL scent all make it the more fun to apply. It's a luxury item.. and I do admit, it feels pretty darn amazing applying it!

Elle said...

I forgot to mention that Lash Blast is also a favorite, although it comes no where near as close as the YSL Faux Cils in terms of volume & drama.

Anonymous said...

My all time favorite would have to be covergirl LAsh Blast! It's amazingly awesome! Works awesomely!

Unknown said...

Favourite mascarcas: Lash Blast, Benefit BadGal Lash, Make up Forever Smoky Lash is honestly the one i purchased the most i think 4 times in the last 6 months or so.

Least Favourite: DiorShow mascara or whatever it is called i didnt like the smell of it it had a weird scent and it made my lashes super clumpy and i just did not enjoy it at all which is sad cuz i heard good things about it.

Nicky said...

One of my favorite has to be CoverGirl Lash Blast! I havn't come across anything that works better than that!

loveandkiwi said...

i use maybelline full n soft waterproof and i love it! i tried lash blast before but i always go back to full n soft hahaha

beautyncharm said...

I totally LOVE drug store mascara. Sexy Curves is my all time fav.

Unknown said...

my favorite drugstore mascara is the loreal telescopic clean definition. Its a super good mascara it makes my lashes super long and it doesn't clump my lashes at all. And also for me i wouldn't spend so much money for a high end mascara becasue mascara doesn't even last a very long time, only for 2 or 3 months and theres plenty of good drugstore mascaras so i think its a waste to spend $30 on a mascara.

SilentSab said...

Rimmel Volume MAXX in the hot pink and gold tube it fabulous. Doesn't clump and one coat builds awesome volume. Give it a try!

ashcatx33 said...

I used to use Urban Decay Big Fatty and I loved it, but it was getting too pricey to keep repurchasing it every couple months. Then I decided to try CoverGirl Lash Blast and that is my new favorite! It gives my lashes length, volume and makes them look so full and it is so cheap. I would reccomend it to anyone!

Sunny said...

i really like the mascara from elf. its the earth and water one. waterproof and normal mascara in one. and its only $1. and its really good for the price

Holly said...

My new favorites are Loreal Extra Volume Collagen & Mary kay Lengthening mascara, The make your lashes so long and gorgeous, and I have naturally stubby lashes =)

Welcome to My World said...

My new fav is LOreal's Double Boost Last extend Mascara (I think that is the name). It was sent to me to try from Bzz Agent (along with another product called a serum which I don't use) and I actually really like it. The only other mascara I would recc is BE classic mascara.

Anonymous said...

Well I have 4 favorites 2 drugstore 2 Avon. I've never used a high end brand before so i really cant compare the two.
1.Covergirl lash blast length
2.Maybelline lash Stiletto
3.Avon uplifting mascara
4.Avon wash-off waterproof mascara
I love and use all of them all the time! =D im very happy with them!

Beatriz said...

i looooVEEEE me some lashblast!

giveawaydarling said...

I love Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara! I also like NYC doll eye volume!

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