I have small eyes. They are in fact so small that my eyelids seem to disappear when my eyes are fully open. I also have been blessed with teeny lashes. Thanks to genetics my lashes are few and far between. I may have a slight olive complexion but my lashes are so lightly colored that if I don't put on mascara, you would never know I have any lashes at all! Right now in my make-up kit I have 14 tubes of mascara...yes 14. I've tried them all. I've worn them all at least a week and needless to say I have some favorites so far. Some are dry. Some are wet and some just flat out suck. Here they are without any further delay...
7 "high end" mascaras
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Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara and Diorshow Iconic
I find Clinique's brush to be a "good fit" for my itty bitty lashes. The wand is in a cone shape and the pointed tip really coats my inner corner lashes. I find the formula to be good but the downside is it's ability to transfer. It usually doesn't begin to transfer until a few hours goes by. You can find this Clinique mascara for around $14 at your local Clinique counter. I think its a fair price for a decent mascara.
Diorshow Iconic. I really like the original Diorshow but I am not so sure about this one. I think it's the wand. The formula is okay but it does transfer somewhat throughout the day. Iconic's formula is a little dry compared to the original but the size of the wand is nice and the small bristles are good for reaching smaller hairs. I do believe that the price of this mascara at $27 is a little much for this formula though.
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Lancome Hypnose Drama and Diorshow (original)
I really like Lancome Hypnose Drama. Lancome has 13 mascaras (not including primers) and I find this one to be a good choice. It is very buildable without looking overly dramatic (unless you want it to). The brush head spins around the wand which helps reach all lashes. It is like the original Hypnose but designed to make lashes appear fuller/thicker. I don't find that this transfers on me but the price of $24.50 is a little scary. I do find the one drawback of this mascara is that it tends to flake the longer I wear it. I wish it was a little more hydrating too.
Diorshow original was the first "high end" mascara I ever bought. Everyone commented on it and said it was a their must-have luxury mascara. It has a great brush which is awesome at grabbing my lashes but it tends to transfer as the day wears on. The formula is less drying compared to Iconic but not too wet. I still do not think that this mascara is worth $24 though. The formula should not transfer at that price point and you can find equal or better options at lower prices.
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(These are sample sized)
Benefit Bad Gal Lash, Diorshow Blackout and Urban Decay Skyscraper
The 3 mascaras above were samples from either Ulta or Sephora. I have worn each about a week at a time.
Benefit Bad Gal lash should be called just Benefit Bad lash. I really dislike this product. I find the formula too wet and it really makes a mess around my eyes due to the transferring. The brush is big and "fluffy" but the formula outweighs any benefits (no pun intended) that the brush may have. It's available for $19 at Sephora.
Diorshow Blackout is no different than Diorshow. Blackout is supposed to be darker with more "drama" than the other Dior mascaras. I'll be honest...I can't tell a difference. Once again $24 can be better spent elsewhere.
Urban Decay...I really, really like Urban Decay. I've been wearing their eyeshadows for years and I was really excited to try this mascara. It's not horrible. It didn't transfer too bad but it is such a dry formula. The brush is very delicate which is great for separating lashes but the formula is too dry to promote fullness. You can find this mascara at Sephora for around $22.
7 "drugstore" mascaras
Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara
I love Rimmel glosses, bronzer and lipstick. I hate this mascara. The formula is somewhat dry, the brush scratches my lids (literally) and the mascara has a bad transfer habit...all within the first hour of wear. I'm tired just thinking about it. It's not worth the $7-8 you will pay.
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Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black and Elf Lengthening & Defining
I really wanted to like Loreal Voluminous. Everyone and their sister swears by it. They say it's a miracle. They say they don't even consider Latisse after using this. Well I say it's no good (at least for me). The formula is a little wet but it did coat my lashes nicely. The brush was large and full but this stuff transferred much worse than anything I have ever tried before. It was under my eyes and under my brows. It smeared everywhere. I really hate that it didn't work out...I wanted to be a member of its fan club ;) It retails for around $7 at most drugstores.
I like Elf products. They are cheap and sometimes can be hit or miss. They make great blushes (studio line) and I am getting to know their lip glosses better. I even have their whole brush kit (which is a great buy by the way). This mascara is okay. It's not great but it isn't horrible either. It does its job without much fanfare and for the price that is what I expect I suppose. The one drawback to this mascara is it's smell. It really isn't pleasant. I went to look on eyeslipsface.com and this particular mascara isn't listed anymore. There is one called lengthening and volumizing mascara for $3 though.
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Maybelline Pulse Perfection and Covergirl Lash Blast Length
The Maybelline Pulse Perfection is a cool idea but the mascara formula is average (at best) and the pulsating wand doesn't really seem to make much of a difference. Basically you press a button which in return vibrates the mascara wand. The vibration is supposed to coat the lashes better and promote longer, fuller lashes too. I didn't notice an increase in fullness or length but I did notice that the formula transferred. I didn't find that this mascara flaked much which was a plus. You can find this at most drugstores for a little under $10.
I like Covergirl mascaras. They are usually my go-to. I had high hopes for this one. When I read "length" on the side of the tube, I was all in. If anything I want longer lashes...I thought this was it, this was the one. Then I opened it and tried it. It was such a dry formula that it didn't even coat the wand. The wand was originally yellow and if you look close you will still see some yellow on the wand-this is after a few months of use. I now use this mascara as a way to separate my lashes before putting on 2 more coats of a better mascara. Is it worth $6.99? Not in my opinion.
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Covergirl Lashblast Fusion and Covergirl Lashblast Volume Waterproof
Okay...so I saved the best for last. I love these two by Covergirl. I had the original Lashblast before Lashblast Fusion came out so when they expanded with the Fusion, I was all in. I like Fusion because the wand is oversized-a plus for my mini lashes and the formula doesn't transfer. The one drawback would be that it can flake somewhat. I also don't know if its me or not but it does seem like the tube dries up quicker than other mascaras I have. The Lashblast Waterproof is a nice, basic waterproof mascara which separates my lashes well and is truly waterproof. The formula does seem to take a few minutes to dry so I wouldn't recommend swimming right after applying. Both mascaras can be found for around $6-7.
