Mascara madness

In an attempt to save a bit of money last month, I thought I would forgo one of my favourite mascaras, Benefit’s They’re Real for a cheaper alternative. I clearly haven’t been mascara shopping in a while as I was completely blown away by what felt like a millions choices!

Mascara is like foundation, we all have our preferences and for me I want fat, thick, black, hit-you-in-the-face kind of lashes. The brush is important as is the product of course. Also, how it goes on and its staying power, so no panda eyes thanks! I should say I am rather happy with mascara-free eyelashes. They are dark and thick enough but I would never leave the house without mascara and I always use an eyelash curler. With that said, here’s the low down.

I want to end on a positive note so let’s start with the ones I wasn’t so keen on. Rimmel’s Wonder’full Mascara with Argan Oil Extreme Black was not for me. I liked the brush although it was a tad on the flimsy side but that’s as far as it goes. It did nothing for my lashes. It almost looked like I wasn’t wearing mascara and by the end of the day my eyes felt irritated. This went straight to the bottom of my beauty bag.

Next is Maybelline’s Go Extreme! Leather Black Mascara. This is ok and if it was the last mascara on the planet I would use it. The brush is too big for me although I did like the bristles. The product clumped too much and made my eyelashes stick together making it look like I had less. Also there was a smell to it which I only got when applying it but no thanks! Overall, this mascara is just ok.

L’Oréal’s Miss Manga had been a favourite for a while and I would happily keep this in my beauty bag. Check out my initial thoughts here. Although I didn’t repurchase, this mascara would be like returning to a trusted old friend.

Next is a newbie to my beauty bag, Bourjois’s Volume Glamour Ultra Black Mascara. The brush on this mascara has won me over! The handle is rather long and took a while to get used to but the shape and texture of the bristles are lovely. This is a good mascara but I’m not a hundred percent sold. The brush is the star but not enough ‘glam’ for my liking unfortunately. Still a contender though.

Moving on to a double act from Benefit, starting with their Roller Lash Mascara. I tried this out of curiosity and it was the first time I had used a curved brush. This is a very good mascara and I do like the curved brush with it’s tiny little hooks. Because a curl is not one of my priorities in a mascara, I feel this purchase is unnecessary for me but if you are after a curl, this one is for you.

The other Benefit mascara and probably top of my list is They’re Real Mascara. This ticks all the boxes and after spending all this money on trying to find a cheaper alternative, I probably should have stuck with it! The brush is firm and separates my lashes, the formula holds well and I love how it make my lashes look. If only it was a little cheaper in price!

 I’m yet to make my final decision between Benefit’s They’re Real and No7 Extravagant Volume Mascara as it is such a close call. Both have similar brushes and similar results although the No7 brush is a bit wider. I have one main issue with this mascara. At times, it almost feels too wet, like there is too much product and it can go from looking amazing to looking like you’ve applied one too many coats. I am sticking with it though as overall it is a very good mascara and sitting on the higher end of my list.

I imagine if my search continues, I could easily spend a month’s wage on mascara within the blink of an eyelash, even if it is clumped, volumised and curled. Maybe I’m fussy or again maybe I’m asking too much to have all my mascara needs in just one tiny tube. While I have so many mascaras in my beauty bag, I’m mixing them up and taking the best bits from each. A brush from one in a tube of another. Why not?!

xo