You’d think after my last Drugstore Mascara Compar-a-palooza post, I’d never need to purchase another mascara ever again. But, you see, they keep making new ones, AND I HAVE A SICKNESS apparently! So since I work the drugstore to get cheap and free makeup, I keep buying them. 🙂 And you? You get reviews on the latest and greatest drugstore mascaras so you know what to buy! Here’s my latest loves and losses! Once again, I am grading them on an A to F scale.
Get your eyelash curlers ready! Here we go!
Since I really, really, really liked CoverGirl Flamed OUT mascara, I was all “ooohhhh!” when I saw Flamed Up at the store and I scooped some up immediately. I LIKE it, I really do. It goes on great with little clumping, and stays on beautifully, and provides terrific volume. Do I think it lives up to it’s “mega-curl mascara” claim? Not really. It’s a great mascara but if you’re looking for a mascara to curl your lashes, I’d go elsewhere, or just do what I do, and curl them before hand. Still, it is a great product, so I give it an A-!
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara
Even though some of the Maybelline mascaras I tried previously weren’t my favorite, I couldn’t help but try more because THERE ARE JUST SO MANY OF THEM!! And, I am glad I did! I love this The Colossal mascara. It gives great length and volume and stays on really well. I really can’t say enough about it. If you are looking for a great straight-off-the-shelf mascara that will make your lashes look great, I highly recommend it. I give it an A!
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara
Buoyed by my love of the Colossal, I gleefully picked up the Colossal Cat Eyes on sale (with a coupon) soon after. And…major disappointment. I feel like it just basically does nothing when used alone. With it’s curved brush, it does flare lashes pretty well when used as a top coat over another mascara, and that provides a nice effect. But alone, it doesn’t do much – I feel like it’s not the same length-and-volume providing formula of plain old Colossal. Sooo…on it’s own, I give it a C-. As a topcoat, I give it an A – but not sure I’d pay full price for it just to use it as a topcoat.
L’Oreal Paris Voluminous® Butterfly Mascara
Well, I am a sucker for a mascara with a gimmick so I knew I had to have this as soon as it came out! However, like the true cheapskate I am, I waited for it to be on sale and until I had a coupon. It was WORTH THE WAIT! I LOVE it. Love, love, love! It has this crazy brush:
Which takes some getting used to, but WOW does it work. It lengthens, it flares lashes outward, and it gives great volume. AND it stays on. I adore it. I can’t wait to get it in waterproof and another color! It’s grade? A +!
CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by LashBlast
If you saw my video review of this mascara a couple weeks ago, you already know I love it! The two-formula system is genius. I love the fat, short-bristled plastic brush of step 1. It gives great volume with no clumps. The step 2 brush and formula lengthen lashes and had a more intense darkness. My personal formula for Bombshell success is two coats of step 1 and one coat of step 2. I have short, thin lashes, so I need a lot of mascara, but you might not need as much. It took me awhile to figure out how this mascara worked best for me, but once I did – I’m a lifer. I LOVE IT!! It also gets an A+.
L’Oreal Voluminous® False Fiber Lashesâ„¢ Mascara
Part of the reason I tried this mascara and the Butterfly is because in the comments on my last mascara post, several people suggested I try L’Oreal Voluminous. Due to my aforementioned love of gimmicky mascaras, I decided to try the “false fiber” version next. Like I mentioned, my lashes are thin, so I was excited about these fibers that would help thicken them. Well, I can say I was not disappointed – BUT it took me awhile to get used to this mascara. First, I found out (the hard way) that it comes out pretty thickly on the brush, so I had to WIPE the brush off on the edge of the tube and apply sparingly. A little goes a LONG way. My final determination? I really like the thickening quality of this mascara and the intensity it gives to my lashes, but I prefer to use it as a 2nd-coat mascara and use something else underneath. (Works great with Butterfly if you want a L’Oreal one-two punch!) i give it a B on its own, and an A when used on top of another mascara.
And finally…
Maybelline the Rocket mascara by Volum’ Express
The Rocket! I had to try it. I mean…the name suggests explosive lashes, right? This mascara also uses a plastic brush with short bristles…I am starting to like this type of brush no matter what tube it comes out of. The Rocket formula is awesome! It makes my lashes super-long and it’s just simple and quick to achieve a great look with this. I know when I pull this one out of my makeup bag, I can’t go wrong. It stays on perfectly well, too. No smudging ever. I give it an A+!
That’s all I’ve got for now…but as long as they keep making mascaras, I’ll keep buying and testing them!
Have you tried any on this list? Which are your picks and pans?
Can you say which is the best bang for buck? Since you gave most of them As, I am most likely to get whichever is cheapest. 🙂
That’s my girl!!!! The Bombshell is most expensive, however with sales and coupons at the drugstores you are going to come out about even with Maybelline and Cover Girl. They are the two brands that offer coupons the most and go one ECB/+UP Rewards sales the most at drugstores and on sale the most at Target, etc.
I have to say that I LOVE the concept of the bombshell too, and it looks great on….BUT I have experienced some significant smudging and flaking as the day goes on. Note: I do not have it in waterproof (and I’m not sure they have released it yet. Maybe that option would be better?). After reading your reviews I am interested in trying the Butterfly!!! How is the smudging with that one? Has anyone else used it?
That’s so crazy how people have different experiences with the same product. I have had no smudging at all with Bombshell. Or flaking! The Butterfly has also held up perfectly for me. No smudging or flaking whatsoever. Hope you like it!
Great list! I do wish you’d rank them by best to worse though .. Based on this list I should buy most of them and I am not a fan of that lol .. I do that enough on my own! .. I have the Bombshell mascara and I love love the way it makes my lashes look it is VERY difficult to remove and find that even with cocomut oil I still have it leftover on my lashes (and under my eyes) .. It concerns me if there is damage being done with a product so difficult to remove so I only use it for nights out …which in my opinion it’s too pricey for a one time a week usage. 🙂 Perhaps if I was younger I’d go out more – therefore would use it more 🙂 My go to’s are a combined use of L’Oreal Volumous Carbon Black with LashBlast Fusion as a topper for definition 🙂