Mascara Reviews

Hello Everyone, hope you are good? I am back this week with an interesting topic. Mascaras! I was asked two questions a while back. Is Mascara a necessary step in your makeup routine? Do I have to use this everyday?

Decided to turn my response into a blog post.

What is a Mascara? Mascara is a cosmetic used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and define the eyelashes. It can also be used to volumize the lashes for brighter, bigger-looking eyes.

"Fuller looking lashes can help to give an individual a youthful appearance" as stated by Claudia Soare (President & creative Director of Anastasia Beverly Hills).

A mascara is just one of those makeup products that can make a quick impact to your look. Even on tired no makeup days, add a coat of mascara and it makes your eyes look awake no matter if you are volumizing, lengthening or just darkening.

Can you wear this everyday? It really depends on the wearer and the strength of your underlining eye lashes.

Some say yes, it is fine to wear this everyday as long as you use one coat of mascara on your lashes. Others says no, as this can make your lashes weak, fall out, lead to premature ageing or even lead to eye infections.

I personally do not wear this everyday and do not wear too many coats on my eyes as it can lead to heaviness and loss of lashes.

For transparency, I did not directly purchase any of the mascaras below. Rather received them from either mystery boxes or subscriptions boxes over time. Decided to try them out over the last 5 months. Lets review my findings of these mascaras and would I recommend them?

Yes! i have had these 9 mascaras on rotation for the last 5 months. They range from drugstore to luxury mascaras.

So what determines a good mascara? The formula and the brush. Both combined determines a great mascara.

1) The Limitless mascara by eyeko London. This sells for USD24. This mascara should lengthen and nourish your lashes and give it a barely there feel. Also recommended for sensitive eyes.

I like this mascara and reach for it frequently. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Lengthen and really like the formula. The shade is black but not too black that it stands out. This makes my lashes the star of the show by just enhancing it.

2) This is birds lashes wing it mascara. I really liked the idea of this mascara just not the execution.

It goes for USD16.

This mascara has dual brush (top and lower lash brush) and it is a waterproof Mascara.

The brushes should volumize and lengthen your lashes as well as make them clump free.

Yeah! No! This is the worst out of the lot and stopped using it after the 5th time with similar results.

This clumps up your lashes and harden them as well. They make your lashes so uncomfortable. The last time I had this, I was forced to pull it off the mascara and ended up pulling out my lashes as well. This is a horrible product. The ides is great but the execution, the formula is just all shades of wrong.

This is one to avoid.

3) The Ilia limitless lash mascara goes for USD28 full size.

Mascaras are products I just never use up before I discard. I technically use for 6 months and discard and because I have multiples at a time, I have a preference for sample or deluxe sample sizes rather than full sizes.

This is a deluxe sample size.

The mascara should lengthen, volumize and separate at the same time.

Using this, it does give me volume, The brush is capable of separating your lashes if you turn it to the side with the separating bristles but for me, while it does separate my lashes, it also puts more product than I intended on my lashes as well. It is easy to wear and does coat your lashes in one go. The formula is just ok in my opinion. For the price? It is over priced for just an ok product.

4) Going with the Mac magic extension mascara. This goes for USD27 but currently on sale for USD20.

This should give you the look of false lashes with over the top volume and exaggerated length.

Yeah...no. This does give you some volume and some length but to the point of looking like false lashes? No. The formula is also just ok.

Using this, just compliments my eyes and the formula is comfortable to have on. It does nothing special and over-priced for just an ok product.

5) RMS beauty defining mascara. Goes for USD28. It is no longer on their site. Think they have phased it out. You can still find this with other retailers.

This is the only one whose packaging called out to my personal aesthetics. It is slick and slim. Just the company name on it.

The packaging is perfection. It lengthens my lashes and very comfortable to wear. Worn this for over 7 hours and my eyes felt great.

6) Patrick Ta major volume mascara sells for USD29.

I believe the name says it all. Gives volume while coating your lashes and separating as you comb through with the brush.

Sigh....this does what it says but the formula is what I have an issue with. This stains my lids every time I use it.

Before putting on mascara, completed my eyeshadow and you see the imprint of this mascara on my eyeshadow when my face is done.

That for me is a no no. This is essentially a basic mascara that stains your lids.

7) Stila huge extreme lash mascara. This cost USD26 and is a volumising mascara.

Thisdoes exactly what it says on the tin. It does make my lashes and eyes look huge. I really like using this in the evening.

Makes me look wide eyed and very comfortable on the eyes. Easy to also coat my lower lashes without my eyes watering. Question is it worth the price?

8) Fenty Beauty full frontal volume life and curl mascara. That is quite a name and goes for USD24.

Surprisingly, I really like this one. It really does lift, adds a little volume and lengthens my lashes. It just gives you that wide eye look while looking natural. Best of all, does not clump your lashes together.

For those of us that like natural makeup for day time, this maybe for you.

9) ELF lash it loud volumising mascara goes for USD6. Does exactly what it says.

Gives you volume but the formula is what I am not into. This stains your lids unless you can avoid blinking for about 30secs after you put it on. This enables it to dry down.

I am also partial to the wand. The gets every lash and also lifts your lashes.

Overall, my conclusion is the price of makeup is going through the roof when basic mascaras are offering prices of almost USD30. that is just silly. I cannot recommend any of these, mostly because of the prices.

If forced, my fav seem to be the limitless by eyeko. When not consciously trying to pick one, it is what I pick out the most for daily wear. For evenings, the Stila mascara worked best for me.

Unless you receive these in either mystery or subscription boxes, they are not worth it mostly because of the price. Drugstore offerings of mascara are very wide ranging. Rather explore my options that way and even get the deluxe sizes rather than the full sizes. That is my opinion.

What is your fav mascara? Let me know.