#16. Find the Perfect Mascara

August 2, 2009

In my makeup routine, I have found that the single product that changes the way I look the most is mascara. I like to look natural and fresh, even though we all know that it takes work to look “natural” and not “just-rolled-out-of-bed-greasy-and-rumpled.” So I’ve made it my quest to find the perfect mascara, and then I will buy it and keep buying it no matter the cost.

Here are a few products that I’ve used in the past, that have made me look for greener grass:

Too Faced Lash Injection
Sephora Brand (can’t find a link)
Mary Kay’s Ultimate mascara
Maybelline Full ‘N’ Soft
Bourjuois False Lash Illusion

I tend to like big, round brushes, but I’m willing to try other things. So the search begins…

April 23, 2009
I bought Lorac’s Lotsa Lash brown mascara. First impression: it’s thick and kind of clumpy, and actually takes a lot of work to get my lashes looking decent. It seems almost like it’s old and dry. Pretty sure that this isn’t going to be the one, but I’ll keep using it for awhile since I bought it.

June 6, 2009
I couldn’t stand the Lorac, so on a recommendation from my good friend Julie, I bought Almay’s One Coat Lengthening. This mascara is amazingly clean! There is next to no clumping, and it goes on very smooth. The brush is smaller than what I typically like, requiring more brush strokes to apply, but it’s also easy to maneuver. It lasts this way for a few months. The only thing it’s missing is a “wow” factor, which I want to keep looking for. I would have been extremely content to keep using this as it is a great mascara for the money (only $8.19 at drugstore.com)…

July 20, 2009
…but then I went to Sephora and bought Dior’s DiorShow mascara. I have to be honest, I’ve used this before. I loved it at the time, but then I read in some article somewhere that mascaras aren’t really that different from each other and therefore it’s an area where we can save money. After that I found it hard to spend the $24, which is a little pricey for my taste. HOWEVER. I now realize that this whole “find the perfect mascara” goal was probably one giant effort by my subconscious to justify going back to the Dior. When I used it again this time, there was an IMMEDIATE and DRAMATIC difference between this and all of the other mascaras I’ve tried in between (see above). Diorshow is thick, lush, and my lashes are noticeably longer when I use it. Be careful though; it’s powerful. If I smudge on my eyelid it’s a bit of a mess to clean up. Totally worth it though.

I’m considering this goal met. I had begun to think that my lashes could never look like this, and behold, they do! This quest wasn’t a “get the most for your money” type of thing, though, so if anyone out there has any recommendations for me that will allow me to achieve a similar look as the Dior for less money, by all means share!

From Tabaitha Kaye:

I personally have always loved Loreal’s Voluminous (waterproof) – big brush, lasts all day and it makes it seem like my lashes are fuller. Plus, I only pay like $6 dollars.

From uncle david:

Sweet girl, you need no makeup at all to look great. I watch my wife in the morning before she wakes and fall in love all over again. After the makeup goes on for work, she looks different.

From kapachino:

That’s sweet of you Uncle David, and my husband David sees me plenty without makeup. But he actually likes it when I put it on too. :)

From Mom:

Did you know there’s a Sephora inside our local JCPenney? I just discovered it today. I think you look great with or without makeup. But with all the trouble you’re going to now, you’ll also look great when you’re 70.

That’s really nice to know about the Sephora, thanks Mom!

From Marchar Stagg:

Isn’t my husband sweet!! I too have had a hard time finding a mascara that I really like. The one I’ve settled on for now is Clinique’s High Impact Mascara. It is $14. I’ve never tried the Dior though and would like to so I can make a comparison. I’d pay the extra too for a mascara I really, really like.

From Nikki:

I use Dior too, it’s totally worth it!

From Mindy:

I’ve tried some fancier mascaras, and I keep coming back to Maybelline’s Blackest Black with a rounded brush (waterproof or non–I tend not to buy the waterproof just because it takes me forever to remove, and at the end of the day, I just want to go to sleep!). For $3 or $4, it’s a great deal, and I feel like it does the job as well as some of the others I’ve tried. I haven’t tried this Dior version, though…now I’m intrigued. :)