If there’s anything I can’t leave the house without, it’s mascara. It’s my go-to make up choice when I’m not trying to look like I just pulled an all-nighter. I love makeup, but most of us collegiettes don’t have a beauty guru budget. I tried these affordable store brand mascaras so you don’t have to.
Natural:
First off here’s what my natural eyelashes look like. My lashes aren’t that long naturally so about any mascara accentuates my lashes. We’ll be looking at 3 make-up brands: CoverGirl, Maybelline, and Revlon. I tried 2 mascaras from each with a total of 6 mascaras.
First up: CoverGirl.
1. CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom
What I thought about it: This one for me was pretty average. The length of my eyelashes stayed the same, but it did add some volume. The applicator brush was pretty average size. I’d probably use this in combination with another mascara to get the look I want.
Cost: 6.99 (Target)
2. Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion
What I thought about it: This one better than the previous mascara. It lengthened my lashes and didn’t clump them together. The applicator brush was the same size as the last one. I’m more inclined to use this one over the other.
Cost: 7.99 (target)
Next up Maybelline:
3. Maybelline Lash Sensation
What I thought about it: I am pretty impressed with this one. There is definitely more volume in this than in the Cover Girl ones. The applicator brush is a great size, and it’s also curved to fit the shape of your lashes. I’d wear this any day.
Cost: 6.99 (Target)
4. Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal
What I thought about it: I loved the way this made my top lashes look. The applicator brush is pretty huge, so I would not recommend with a bottom lash; you may poke your eye with it! I’d probably use this with the previous mascara for the bottom lash.
Cost: 5.69 (Target) (definitely the best deal)
Last but not least Revlon:
5. Revlon Ultimate All-in-One
What I thought about it: This was pretty average. It volumized more than lengthened (I’m not sure what the All-in-One is suppose to do). It dried up a bit clumpy on my lashes which was annoying but manageable. The applicator brush is tiny–like very tiny. I’d probably use this for a bottom lash, if anything.
Cost: 5.99 (target)
6. Revlon Ultimate Volume + Length Magnified
What I thought about it: I like this one better out of the two. This did not clump as much as the other, and the results were pretty similar. The applicator brush was average size (bless). I’d probably use this with the other one to have a complete look.
Cost: 5.99 (target)
Conclusion:
Overall, each brand did the job that mascara is supposed to do. My hands-down favorite was from Maybelline (I guess K.Flay was right, if you want nice eyes, wear Maybelline). It was the best bang-for-your-buck and I was feelin’ my lashes.