Mascara Madness

This week the princess has given me a BIT more downtime which has allowed me to face the absolute magnitude of makeup I have at this point. It's gotten pretty riduculous frankly and unfortunately right now I usually don't bother with makeup (like I have time anyway) so I'm not even really going through what I have.  I decided to go through them today and purge what I no longer need/didn't like/have never even opened. While I'm going I thought it would be a nice time to share with you what my favorite mascara's are and which ones I found...well not so great.  This is not ALL the mascaras I've tried or even that I have but it's a healthy collection and covers a lot of price ranges so I think it's a good start.  On we go!!

We'll go left to right on these. I want to add a little disclaimer as well...I find that samples are sometimes better than the full size versions. I loved my sample of Too Faced Better Than Sex and when I bought the tube...well...you'll see. But in the interest of full disclosure, other than the Buxom lash mascara, I have not tried full size versions of the mini's you see here. Onward!

1.Lancome Hypnose Drama

Retail price: $27.50

I didn't love this one. The brush is shaped a little odd and even though I think it's supposed to help "grab" and extend lashes I found that it just made it difficult to cover all mine. It has a thicker formula which I do like and it wasn't clumpy but I just didn't see a lot of difference in my lashes and it's more expensive than my go to brand.

2. Smashbox XRated 

Retail price: $23

This one has a brush that I LOVE.  It's fat, fluffy, and not curved.  This mascara promises lots of volume and it delivers. I do think the brush has a lot to do with that though, and I found the formula slightly thin on this one. Overall it delivers on it's promise of volume, it doesn't flake, and it's super black so for the price point it's a good buy. I still prefer another brand but I could see using this one again.

3. It Cosmetics Superhero

Retail cost: $24

I got this one in my Sephora Play Box last month. Like the Smashbox one it also has a fluffy brush but it's slightly less fluffy and it's tapered at the end.  I actually really like this one. It made my lashes fuller and longer and the slight taper makes it easy to get all your tiny lashes covered. It's not waterproof which is lame but that may not be a deal breaker for everyone.  I also liked that it didn't make my lashes really hard.

4. Benefit They're Real!

Retail cost: $24

Not a fan of this one. Frankly, I don't love any of Benefit's mascaras which is sad because I love the brand in general. At any rate this one has a plastic brush with sparse bristles. The formula is thin.  It doesn't clump which is great and it's super pigmented which is also great but it just doesn't cover well for me. The bristles separate lashes but they don't make them look any fuller or longer. It's just not for me.

5. Neutrogena Healthy Volume

Retail cost: $7.50

Didn't love this one.  The brush is decent, it's a pretty standard fluffy brush.  It's actually quite similar to the Smashbox mascara brush but it's much thinner.  The formula on this one was what killed it for me.  It's clumpy and you need a few layers to get it really black.  It's a decent price but since you need to layer it up and then comb it out it's not the best value.  It's meant to nourish lashes and while I can't attest to any nourishment it also didn't make my lashes super crunchy, but it doesn't leave them as soft as other mascaras either.

6. Urban Decay Perversion

Retail cost: $24

So this one is one of my absolute favorite mascaras.  It has the fluffy brush that I love and it's slightly tapered so you can really get all your lashes. It's also as black as your soul. Literally it's SUPER SUPER dark and you don't need a lot of coats to get it that way.  It doesn't flake, it lasts all day, and it makes my lashes look fabulous.  It really lengthens and thickens without creating the dreaded "spider lash" effect.  It also leaves my lashes super soft and it's formula isn't super thin or thick. It's just right. This one is one of my top picks for mascara and because it works so well and you don't have to use a ton it's totally worth the price point.

 7. Buxom Lash

Retail cost: $20

This is my old favorite mascara.  It has a plastic brush which I typically don't love but the bristles are super short and compact so it really packs a punch.  It leaves lashes soft, defined, and longer but it's not AS volumizing as other brands.  Still it was my go to for YEARS and it's still one of my favorite brands. I find that it tends to work better the older it gets as the formula is a TOUCH thin in the beginning.

 8. MILK Makeup Ubame Mascara

Retail cost: $24

So...this one is weird. The package isn't a hard tube but rather is like a lip gloss tube.  The brush is...well it's odd. It's like a fluffy little black snowman.  Apparently the brush is supposed to make your lashes super fat but I had a hard time making it work for me.  It is really black and not super thin or thick so that's good I suppose but it's just not my favorite.  It is a nice formula and a lot of the ingredients are natural so there's that.

9. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes (pictured is Lights, Camera, Flashes)

Retail cost: $23

So here is is guys, my holy grail mascara.  This is hands down my top of the bunch.  There are quite a few different versions of this.  My picture is actually Lights, Camera, Flashes which is the same formula but this one has a fancy two sided plastic brush. The original version has my favorite fluffy brush but its thinner and the bristles more defined than most of the ones with this type brush.  It also has a tapered end to grab your tiniest lashes.  I also love the waterproof version; Lights, Camera, Splashes.  At any rate whichever version you choose this one is a winner.  It's got a nice smooth formula that coats ALL your lashes and doesn't clump or flake.  It lengthens and plumps but it doesn't make you look unnatural.  It's my FAVORITE favorite one and I hope they never stop making it!

10.  Too Faced Better than Sex 

 Retail cost: $23

I forgot to include this one in my picture but I wanted to review it anyway since it's a highly popular mascara.  I really LOVED the samples of this I got from various boxes.  The brush is fat and soft and it has an interesting shape to it that allows you to plump up your lashes in double time.  It isn't GREAT for getting all your lashes covered easily but it really does ramp up the volume and length.  Unfortunately...when I purchased the full size version of this I found it to be clumpy and thick.  I'm not sure if maybe I got a bad batch or if it was because I purchased the waterproof one and the samples were the non-waterproof version but I ended up disappointed with it after purchasing. I'd be willing to give it another go though since the volume is unbeatable. 

What's your favorite mascara?  Have you tried any of these?