BENEFIT COSMETICS . ROLLER LASH MASCARA

At this point I've heard too many good things, and seen too many jaw-dropping photos of curled, lengthened lashes not to purchase and test out the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara ($29) myself. And unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably well aware that this is the latest must have mascara. 

Benefit has always been a wizard when it comes to long, lush lashes. They first got me hooked with BADGal Lash, which I quickly tossed to the side when They're Real came around, and today I forget about every mascara I have previously encountered thanks to the Roller Lash Mascara – except for you, Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash... we can never part ways. Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara was inspired by the curling rollers often used to curl hair, and features their 'Hook and Roll' brush specially designed to grab lashes with the help of strategically placed hooks that guide the lashes upwards to add curl. The formula is quite special as well, featuring a 12-hour setting powder to hold curl in place all day long, as well as inky black pigments, and lash conditioning ingredients provitamin B5 and serine. The end result is perfectly curled, long lashes even without the use of an eyelash curler – and thank god for that, at 6am it feels nearly impossible to curl my lashes without pinching my skin.  Plus the curl truly holds for the entire day, and despite my initial concerns the Roller Lash Mascara still remains easy to remove come bedtime, even when the gentlest cleanser is used. The only thing missing: volume. 

Have you tried Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara?

AM¥     XO

L'OREAL . VOLUMINOUS MISS MANGA MASCARA

Whenever I meet a mascara that makes my small baby eye lashes look similar to that of my ex-boyfriends, I latch on. He had these lashes that appeared layered and we long enough that they hit his eyelids when he smiled. Each and every day we spent together I told him I would be cutting them off that night as he slept and using them as my false lashes. I, of course, never did this – I'm not crazy. But I always thought it was sadly ironic that a male could possess better lashes than most of the women I know. 

Luckily, I've now met the L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara, my new favourite for creating thick, long lashes that resemble my exes. 'Miss Manga' simply refers to the female characters seen in Japanese comics, as they always have long, thick, pointed lashes emphasizing their eyes to ooze femininity. I've always been a fan of the 'spider lash' look and think it is the easiest, and most effective way to fake long, think lashes, which is exactly what Miss Manga delivers. The tapered brush makes application easy, even for the smaller lashes along the inner corner of my eye, although I could go without the 360º flexor brush as I like a sturdy brush. Given my dry skin I didn't experience any creasing or smudging throughout the day, and yet I still found the mascara easy to remove with my Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser come bedtime. I also truly appreciate the range of shades in this line, with Blackest Black being the ideal darkness for my lashes. And yet on days when I want as softer, more natural look I can definitely see myself reaching for the Black Brown shade. 

I am so happy to have finally found a drugstore mascara that I love! I won't be giving up on this one for quite a while!

THE RESULTS

MY LIPS ARE SO DRY!! ARGH

Have you tried the L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara?

AM¥     XO

COVERGIRL . FULL LASH BLOOM MASCARA

The CoverGirl LashBlast devotee – a unique breed of beauty addict who swears by one mascara line above all else; the CoverGirl LashBlast. While I admire this breed of addict, I must [shamefully] admit that I often snub my nose to drugstore mascaras, despite hearing the praises of the LashBlast line. It's not as though I truly believe that high-end products work better than those found in the drugstore, it's rather that society has trained me to be a brand snob. But that form of brain-washed logic ends today with the latest CoverGirl LashBlast mascara release, Full Lash Bloom, which promises exceptional fullness that's soft to the touch.

The CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom[*] mascara by Lashblast is housed in a hot pink tube fit for Barbie, and features a mixture of long and short plastic bristles to coat each and every lash. The bristles even span across the tip of the brush, making it easier to reach the pesky baby lashes found around the inner tear duct. Full Lash Bloom also features a soft mousse formula, which contains natural beeswax to create full lashes that remain touchable and soft throughout the day. Notice that I have yet to mention a thing about length? Well, that's because CoverGirl doesn't either – it appears this mascara is all about touchable full lashes. I can certainly attest to having full lashes that are soft to the touch after using this product, however they are nothing in comparison to the fullness of Katy Perry's lashes in the promo photo – damn marketing. But unfortunately, without the added length this mascara will forever be considered one of my 'errand running' mascaras – a category in which Full Lash Bloom scores top points.

Have you tried the CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom by LashBlast? Thoughts?

AM¥    xo

*The items in this post have been sent to THE PRETT¥ VAIN for purpose of review. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.