What she thought: "I have always been a drugstore gal when it comes to buying mascaras. It's just one of those products, in my opinion, that is capable of being awesome despite its price tag (unlike foundations). With that said, after trying this one from Clinique I might have to vary up my buying routine. Basically, I really like it. The wand is super thin with little curved 'teeth' which enable me to coat every single lash. It defined my lashes without being over the top, which makes it the perfect day/work mascara. It lasts all day and was easy to remove (I hate using eye makeup remover so this is a mandatory feature). The only foreseeable problem with this is, for some, maneuvering the unique curved wand on lower lashes will be tricky. Take your time while doing it."
What she thought: "For someone who wasn't born with fabulous lashes and just can't stand the hassle of applying false ones (me), this is a godsend. The curved brush fits right up against your lashes and really gives you the look of wearing a pair of amazing falsies -- without actually having to. The best part about it? It only takes one coat to fan out your lashes, so the tube of mascara lasts a long time. Women who hate wasting product, you can finally rejoice."
Tester: Sarah Carrillo, Senior Associate Editor
Rating: 9
What she thought: "This mascara has gotten me more compliments than any other makeup product I've tried. From multiple friends' 'wow, what mascara are you using?' to my boss' 'um, this is a weird thing to say, but your eyelashes look amazing,' I've never gotten this big of a reaction from so little effort.
To sum it up, this mascara adds major length and a fair amount of volume too. It definitely creates a dramatic (as opposed to natural) look. However, it does take some finessing. The product can be a bit liquid-y and will clump lashes together if you don't take your time with it. But if you make use of the brush's two sides -- a standard brush on half and a comb on the other -- and comb through your lashes after applying, you'll get rid of any clumps and be left with almost-fake-looking eyelashes."
Mascara, for most, is one of those "desert island"-type of eye makeup products -- meaning many women tout it as the one thing they absolutely can't go without. Whether or not you would pack it for your Gilligan adventure, we're sure you'd agree that it's a makeup bag staple. Why? Because it almost effortlessly makes you look more awake and feminine, of course.
We here at Total Beauty like to think of mascara as a magical invention, capable of creating the illusory effect of a full eight hours of sleep, a low-stress day, or even fabulous genetics. Basically, we take mascara seriously. That's why we think it's important to test a vast array of eye makeup brands from the drugstore to the beauty counter and beyond in order to share which are true winners -- the mascaras capable of great lengths, volume and curling capabilities to boot.
Before checking which mascaras we love in this eye makeup roundup, see these quick application tips courtesy of Chuck Hezekiah, national makeup artist for Maybelline New York. He claims there are some common eye makeup application errors most women make that can easily be avoided with these simple tricks and techniques:
• If you have a traditional brush wand, improve lash separation while applying mascara by moving the wand in a swift, zig-zag fashion from lash root to tip as opposed to one sweeping motion.
• We know you're usually in a rush, but take the time to dab the tip of your mascara on a tissue to get rid of the glob that tends to form there. This will keep you from getting uneven, goopy product distribution -- especially on those shorter lashes.
• If you use a lash primer, particularly a white one, wait 10-30 seconds for the primer to dry, then apply your mascara. This keeps the black color of your mascara from turning gray.
