Mascara showdown #1

Over the past couple of months, I have been shopping for mascara like a mad woman. Somewhere along the line, I decided that my Maybelline Full and Soft - which I have used for more than 10 years - just wasn't cutting it.

My main issue is that while my lashes are a decent length, they are poker straight and don't stay curled unless I use waterproof mascara (in a cruel turn of fate, my brother has gorgeous naturally curled lashes that I would kill for - frikin' genetics). And I don't like using waterproof all the time because surprise, surprise, I'm not a huge fan of scrubbing at my retinas every night trying to get the ish off.

Here's my take on three new (to me) mascaras that I've tried recently:

Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara in Pitch Black. 

According to Sephora - which is where I got mine - this is supposed to be "a volume-boosting mascara that naturally plumps and curls for maximum lash drama." I'm not really sure why you would describe something that has "natural volume" in the name as giving maximum lash drama, but whatever.

The thing that most intrigued me about this mascara was the wand. It's called a "Triple V Brush", and in the store, it looked like it would be a great wand for volumizing. I absolutely hate those rubberized bristle wands, and this is nowhere near that. It's a regular bristle wand that is the perfect size and shape for applying the product.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this a 6.

Pros:
- Claims to be a "natural" mascara without a bunch of harsh chemicals. I did find it didn't irritate my eyes at all.
- Provides natural volume
- Black is a nice, dark color
- The wand is great. Everything I expected it to be.

Cons:
- Is Sephora just flat out joking when they say this curls? Maybe on someone who already has curly lashes - but not on anyone who has straight lashes like me. It did the same thing most non-waterproof mascaras do on me: I curl my lashes, apply the mascara, and then watch them droop back to straight again. Fail.
- It smears everywhere. Of course the description says it doesn't, but up against some oily skin and Ohio summer humidity, this stuff doesn't stand a chance.

Overall, a pretty good mascara if you like a natural look to your lashes and aren't going to be doing anything that would make it smear, but I don't think it's worth the $22 price tag when there are drugstore options that are just as good.

Rimmel London Sexy Curves Full Body Mascara in 001 Black

Where do I even start with this one? According to Rimmel, the "supersized triple plump brush builds visibly up to 10x more volume and up to 70% more lift." They also claim it doesn't clump.

Lies, lies, lies. This stuff is terrible. I of course was excited to find a new mascara that was all about curl and volume, and this was a huge disappointment. Literally, it provides less curl and volume than the mascaras I have that make no claims about providing either of those things.

The wand is also a really weird shape with three balls on it that makes it impossible to apply this evenly.

On a scale of 1 to 10: 2

Pros: In the words of Chris from Parks and Recreation, there are "LIT-rally" no pros to this stuff. Do not buy it. I only give it a 2 on the rating scale because it didn't burn my eyes off.

Cons:
Everything

Let's move on to a less upsetting product, shall we?


Revlon Grow Luscious Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black 821

I picked this mascara up about a week ago to use for a friend's wedding I was in. I needed something waterproof, and the waterproof options I have in my collection were dried out and gross.

I had heard a couple good reviews on this - I think Sam from Pixiwoo has used it in a couple of tutorials as well. The brush is a regular bristle brush that is pretty large, and the advertisement for this was all about the volume. I know it's supposed to help your lashes grow too, but that really wasn't something I was looking for, so if it does, it's just an added bonus.

I was really happy with this on the wedding day. It held the curl of my lashes, was a very dark black color and was easy to use. Overall, a good pick for waterproof choices. I want to pick up the regular version to try as well - although I fear it won't do anything to hold a curl in the non-waterproof version.

On a scale of 1 to 10: 7

Pros:
- Held curl all day.
- No smudging.
- Applied smoothly with minimal clumps.

* I think a lot of the good things about the mascara have to do with the fact that it's waterproof. I'll be interested to test it against the non-waterproof version.

Cons:
- Brush is a bit too big for my liking, but workable.
- Was tough to get off - but it's waterproof, so isn't that what you're going for anyway?

Overall, two decent mascaras and one really terrible one. At the least the terrible one was a drugstore option so I'm not too upset about the $7 down the drain.

Disclaimer so I don't get locked up: All opinions are my own.