Favorite Mascaras

July 19, 2018 in Beauty

Mascara… it can be such a love/hate relationship. I have average lashes in terms of length and volume and being an avid beauty lover since my “tween” years, have gone through many a mascara tube. From drugstore brands to “it should be a crime to spend this much money on a tube of black goo”, I feel like my lashes have been coated with a little bit of everything. But, because I’ve tried so many, I’ve discovered a few favorites that I always resort back to. Like most girls, if the mascara flakes, runs, or won’t dry— it’s out. I have found that none of the ones below do any of those things (at least in my experience).I’m a huge a fan of layering different mascaras to achieve the perfect coverage. Once you find a combination that works for you, you’re golden. Here’s the breakdown of my favorite mascaras and when and why I use each one.

Favorite primer: L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Primer

For the longest time, I didn’t even use a mascara primer… such a mistake! This really makes such a difference in how easy my mascara coats on my lashes and also in how long my mascara lasts. I have tried primers from Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Benefit, etc., but in my personal opinion, this one tops them all (and the price point is a huge bonus). If you aren’t using a lash primer, time to get on it!

Favorite drugstore brand Mascara: L’Oreal Double Extend

When it comes to drugstore brand eye products, No one does it better than L’Oreal. I am a huge fan of the original L’Oreal Voluminous- Carbon Black, L’Oreal Voluminous Feline (so comparable to Chanel’s Le Volume De Chanel), and L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise (more on that one in a bit). But if I had to pick my favorite L’Oreal mascara, it would be Double Extend. It also comes with primer on one end so you don’t even have to buy that separate. The Double Extend is awesome for length. It dries quickly and has great staying power, but comes off very easily in little tubes when you wash your makeup off. If longer lashes is your end game- give this one a try!

Favorite volume Mascara: Dior Diorshow

There’s a reason celebrities, makeup artists, and girls all around the country love this stuff. The brush is huge, the formula is thick, and it’s perfect for wearing alone or layering. Real talk- I’m huge fan of Olivia Palermo (met her in 2015 and it is still up there as one of the highlights of my life haha). Her style, her hair, her makeup… all of it. Major girl crush. Anyways, I was reading about some of her favorite beauty products a while back and this mascara was listed as one of her absolute favorites. Naturally, I’ll try just about anything she uses (she’s so flawless) and went out and purchased a tube for myself. It’s not cheap, but it’s amazing and my favorite of any of the expensive mascaras I’ve ever tried. If you’re looking for extra volume that still looks natural and not cakey, this is the one.

favorite “holy grail” Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion (travel size)

Travel sizes are not the same thing as the full size version… even if it is marketed as the same product. The brush is a completely different size and therefore the formula will coat differently. This mascara in the travel size, yall… SO, so good. This is hands down my favorite mascara and if I could only have one for the rest of my life, this would be it. It works great alone, layered with others, or layered on top of itself a few times (usually all I do for a casual Saturday or running errands). I use this mascara every single for my last layer and final touch. I’ve tried the full size, but it just doesn’t have the same effect. Seriously, this stuff is perfect for length, volume, and an overall fuller lash look. Obsessed.

Favorite mascara for my bottom lashes: Clinique bottom lash mascara

I still have memories of looking in the mirror after getting home from work at the end of the day and realizing I had been walking around looking like a football player with blackout underneath my eyes. Yuck. Clinique did such an amazing thing when they created their Bottom Lash Mascara. It’s seriously a secret weapon. The tube and wand are much smaller than typical mascara, which allows for just the right amount of product application. It also allows you to get those corner lashes that can be hard to coat with a full size brush. It will not run or flake, but washes off effortlessly (it’s another one that comes off in little tubes with warm water). I’ve used this consistently now for about 4 years now and will probably never use anything else on my lower lashes… I can’t imagine anything working better than this. ***UPDATE- So when I went to link this product I just learned that it has just recently been discontinued (wish I would have bought like 5 last time I purchased… which wasn’t even that long ago. UGH). I’m basically crying and don’t even know what to do (half-joke). If anyone knows of anything comparable, I’m begging you to email and let me know. Saddest day!

Honorable mentions: Too faced better than sex, l’oreal voluminous lash paradise, nyx worth the hype

Too Faced Better Than Sex wins the favorite mascara award from so many bloggers, as well as beauty awards each year. I too think it’s a good product and have a tube, but I definitely don’t use it every day. Why? Although it’s great for volume, if I wear this product from morning until night… it starts to flake off and my lashes look really dull and stubby. But, if I only wear it for an evening out or short term, it definitely works! L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise is an incredible dupe for Better Than Sex (even down to the packaging). If you’ve ever considered buying the Too Faced, I’d suggest buying Lash Paradise first and seeing what you think. Again, L’Oreal is so good in the mascara department and I find these two products to be extremely similar.

I recently received a tube of NYX Worth The Hype Mascara in a PR package and have really enjoyed it so far. I haven’t used it enough times to give a full review, but my overall first impression is good. It kind of has a Diorshow feel to it at a much better price point.

My typical mascara routine:

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Primer (top and bottom lashes)
L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara or Dior Diorshow (love them both so depends on the day)
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (2 layers on lower lashes only)
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (travel size)

*If I’m just having a casual day without much makeup and running around town a little, I’ll usually just throw on a layer or two of Perversion. It keeps things simple, but helps me from feeling/looking like a total zombie.