mascara

[AuroraBorealis]

I'll be a dissenter and state that I hate Maybelline Great Lash. The brush isn't very good and doesn't do anything special to my lashes. The mascara itself seems dry to me and smudges easily. I think it is overrated.

That said, I love other Maybelline mascaras. Maybelline Full And Soft is really great-- it has a nice, full brush that gets every lash and is wax-based so your lashes stay soft and don't get brittle. It lengthens a bit, too. One coat looks very natural, two coats make your eyes pop! It is a good alternative to the very pricey DiorShow mascara-- the brushes and effect are very similar.

Maybelline Colossal Volume (yellow tube) is another good one. It does what it says-- lashes look longer and thicker.

Cover Girl Lash Blast (orange tube) is fantastic! I did not care for Cover Girl mascara until I tried this. They have been reworking their mascaras and Lash Blast is amazing! It coats every lash and makes your lashes look very long.

These average around $6/tube. Maybelline often has coupons in the Sunday paper ($1- $3) and both brands go on sale at Target quite often. Rite-Aid has BOGO quite a bit, too.

For non-budget options:

DiorShow is the only way to go. This is the holy grail of mascara and gives you a false lash look. Longest, thickest, curviest lashes ever!

Fiberwig will add noticeable length, but sometimes the fibers can get in your eyes.

Givenchy Phenomn'Eyes Mascara has the strangest brush ever, but it works like no other mascara. It does take some practice, but this is amazing!

Too Faced Lash Injection builds "tubes" around each lash. Some people love it, others hate it.

Sephora sells "Lash Stash" kits with mini mascaras of all their best sellers. This is a good way to try new ones. The website is sold out, but you can still find them in some stores.

I'm a redhead with blonde lashes so I usually choose Black/Brown or Soft Black colors. Black can sometimes look too harsh on me. I don't use waterproof mascara because I hate getting it off. I usually clean my face with Olay Daily Facial Cloths or Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Face Wash. Both are gentle but effective cleansers.

I have not found a curling mascara that is worth mentioning so I use a lash curler. I love my Shu Uemura lash curler. The pad is curved so your lashes get a natural curve, not a kink like other lash curlers. I curl my lashes and then immediately apply mascara to hold it.

Hope that helps!

 

[paulasillars]

Have you considered dying your lashes? I occasionally used to get my done at a spa/salon - loved the effect, hated the cost - and I recently found a kit in a drug store where you can do it yourself. It was super easy - like applying mascara and looks good. I don't even bother wearing mascara now. Also it cost about the same as a good mascara and will last 12 applications - about a year assuming I do my lashes once a month.

No messy removal, clumping or rub off, its water proof and only needs doing every 4-6 weeks.