Growing up, I never had a makeup phase. I just never wore it and didn’t really see the point in buying tons of makeup to only wear some of it some of the time. That being said, the one thing that I always made sure to have in my bathroom cabinets was mascara.
Mascara has been predominantly the only makeup item I’ve used for years, until about a year ago. Though most people can’t tell a difference between whether I’m wearing it or not, it’s acted as a confidence boost for me, whether I’m going into an event or for a day out with friends.
I’ve only used one brand of mascara, but I’ve decided to go a week using different brands of mascara every day to see which one I liked best, and to test it against my usual. I rated them based on three different criteria: ease of application, wearability, and look.
Monday: Maybelline Colossal Mascara
I have to say that I was immediately overwhelmed by the brush size. It’s supposed to help with the volume of the eyelashes, but I clearly don’t understand the physics of mascara and how that’s supposed to help. That being said, this was a great mascara. It lasted all day and kept the curl well when it was applied. It might be a little hard to layer though, considering it’s so thick straight from the first application.
Ease of Application: 7
Wearability: 9
Look: 8
Overall: 8
Tuesday: Loreal Lash Paradise
This has been my go-to mascara since middle school. I saw it in a YouTube ad once and have never looked back. I was curious to see how well it shaped up to the other mascaras I tried, and I was surprised to find out that it didn’t hold its own as much as I thought it would. This formula isn’t as dark, and it takes a while to separate the eyelashes afterward. It is the most waterproof out of the brands, making its wearability the best. It can be layered pretty well (considering I’ve done it a lot), and overall it’s still going to stay a regular for me.
Ease of Application: 6
Wearability: 10
Look: 7
Overall: 7.6
Wednesday: Maybelline Snapscara
I thought that I was going to hate this mascara all because of the brush. It’s thin and very curved, and it was much weirder to apply compared to the straight brushes (though I got the hang of it). However, that was the only downfall of this mascara. It easily had the best look of them all, keeping all the curl and dark color of my eyelashes after application, and it lasted all day. Most impressive of all, it was super easy to take off at the end of the day despite it lasting the whole time. This is definitely a new favorite, and it apparently comes in different colors (which is intriguing).
Ease of Application: 8
Wearability: 9
Look: 10
Overall: 9
Thursday: Loreal Air Volume Mascara
This is the mascara I’ve recently been using almost every day, mostly to get rid of it. I like how easy it is to apply, and I usually only need one coat to get the look I want. The only thing is that it has kind of a chemical smell to it, which should have been a red flag from the start, but I still use it. Along with that, it’s not waterproof to any extent. If I’m having a bad day, then this mascara is not lasting.
Ease of Application:10
Wearability: 5
Look: 8
Overall: 7.6
Friday: Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara
I wish I hadn’t left this for the last day, because I hated this mascara. I almost took it off an hour after applying it just because it didn’t feel… right, but I left it on for the integrity of this experiment. The formula was very weird since it was clumpy but at the same time it didn’t coat my lashes fully. My lashes didn’t keep the curl well and looked kind of thin, honestly. I’m not sure what happened with this one, but I don’t recommend it.
Ease of Application: 4
Wearability: 7
Look: 5
Overall: 5.3
It’s been a fun experiment getting to try out new brands of mascara that I never would’ve tried before and also showed me what I’m truly looking for when I’m putting it on my eyelashes. I think that while I’ll probably stick with my regulars (at least until they’re out), the Maybelline Snapscara has definitely left an impression on me. Now I have enough mascara to last me years.