RSS10 STEPS TO 1 GREAT MASCARA
January 31, 2008
Mascara on a beautiful eye.
No brand loyalty
I have never bought the same mascara twice until I found the one at the bottom of this page. None of them were ever good enough.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on mascara. This is not an expense others notice. Think of your friends – can you really tell who is wearing cheap mascara and who spent $40?
It has more to do with an application effect you are happy with and ease of removal. This really can be found at the drugstore.
Having said that, the one I finally settled on does not come from the drugstore. I used to wear drug store products but if I bought a product from a certain line and didn’t like it, I moved on to another line. Eventually, I had eliminated every drugstore line.
What mascara must do (or not do)
- I want a mascara that builds length and thickness in 3 swipes
…which is why I don’t know why anyone likes Maybelline Great Lash. It is thin and runny, especially up against the competition out there these days. - I do not want to look like I’m wearing fake eyelashes. Excess length and thickness is not good. I do not need a butterfly wing effect or any other weirdness.
- I do not want globs of product on the wand so I have to wipe it off before I can use it… which is why I don’t use Rimmel mascara; I bought one once and it was goopy; am I going to try every mascara in their line or try another line altogether?
- I do not want 2 steps to mascara application, or primers or extenders or sealers or other creativity that takes up extra time… so I don’t use L’Oreal Lash Extend.
- I want absolute tube-to-tube consistency
… which is why I don’t buy Sonia Kashuk Lashify; with some tubes, the application is perfect from the first use, while with others, the product seems dry because very little is deposited on the lashes. The same thing happened to me with LOreal Lash Out 4 years ago, not sure if they’ve fixed it. - I do not want a single smudge after 8 hours.
- I do not want my lashes to dry feeling very stiff … which what I don’t like about Estee Lauder Magnascopic (that, and it lengthens without doing much thickening).
- I do not want my eyelashes to end up stuck together and hard to separate … which is why I no longer use Revlon mascara; I think it’s the brush that somehow caused this, rather than the mascara itself. As with L’Oreal, it’s been years since I used their mascara, but that bad experience turned me off their mascara for good…or until someone I really trust to have my preferences convinces me to try again.
- I do not want any flaking at any time
…and Maybelline Full and Soft is quite good but a little flaky. - I want it to remove easily and completely with the remover I like (see post)
…and Almay Triple Nourishing left tarry smears that I had to work at.
Still, new mascaras come out very fast, with wand innovations every time, so I’m willing to try them. Maybelline’s Lash Exact looks interesting. I’ll be waiting for Paula Begoun’s review on that in January. Paula tends to like a heavier application than I do, but I’ve learned to take that into account. I still find my best products through her. Her criteria are essentially the same as mine. Actually, I think I’m fussier.
Here it is. One good one.
Clinique High Impact mascara
- Clinique High Impact – very nice application indeed, every tube, really gorgeous, length + thickness. Both Black and Black/Brown have a beautiful deep color. It just works. Anything more expensive in not necessary.
Comments
Got something to say? I hope so.
-
A Greener Tea
Web Maintenence by Rick Beckman
