Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant is my holy grail mascara. I have never found another that compares and I have used Dior Show (which I would purchase again) and Lancome in the past. Since I watch an extreme amount of you tube videos that showcase drug store mascara offerings, I thought I would give that a go. Can a drugstore mascara offer me the lovely lengthening, thickening and no flake properties that my HG Smoky Extravagant does? Soooooo many you tubers said abso..fuckin..lutely. Me, being a believer, went out and purchased 3 drugstore recommended mascaras to try it for myself. Why wouldn't one want a mascara for $5.99 vs $32.00? Especially if they do the same friggin thing.
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| From Top: Maybelline Lash Sensational, Covergirl the Supersizer, Maybelline The Rocket, Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant |
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| Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Sample Size (I need a new one!) |
Besides the product in the tube.... I love the brush. I think this is the key to a good mascara and some of these drug store brand could potentially be amazing if not for the terrible plastic applicators. I have learned from this trial that I do not like plastic mascara application wands as much as I like a bristle brush. For me, It just coats the lashes better and does not leave you with a wad of gunk in your lashes which happens every single time I use a plastic wand.
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| Smoky Extravagant and wand... |
My mascara application routine consists of curling my poker straight eyelashes with a Sheumera curler, then applying 1 coat of black mascara. Ain't no body got time for 2 at 0530 in the morning. After the single coat, I typically run my finger in an upward swiping motion along the lashes, just to remove any excess that might end up under or over the eye. As a glass wearer, glasses wearer..wearer of specks, I can tell you..there is nothing like having mascara stuck to your lenses, so this solves the problem.
Maybelline The Rocket was supposed to be my answer to the age old question of drug store vs high end.
Claire from Hey Claire uses it.....I trust her with my life. Wow ...extreme love for this youtuber. This turned out to be the mascara I liked the least in terms of length and volume. Coloring the lashes black with not a shit ton of fall out during the day...yup, it was able to provide that. If you have long luscious lashes, you might not need any beefing up or lenthening. This might be a good option, but for me...it did not come close to measuring up to my MUFE Smoky Extravagant. You will continue to see me using it on my instagram #shannongoesshopping as I am not a makeup or money waster.
Next, I tried Maybelline Lash Sensational touted online to be be a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex.
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| Maybelline Lash Sensational |
I like this Maybelline offering a bit better in terms of lengthening and thickening, as I have described on instagram it is for me "a solid drugstore mascara", but that god damn brush. If this formula had a bristle brush, I think we might have had a winner but the plastic short "bristles" applies way too much product leaving me with an eyefull. I defiantly have to use my finger to remove excess and the first few applications with a new wet mascara are, as my 2 year old niece would say, "ooo messy Shanny".
The Covergirl Supersizer is another really good drugstore offering.
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| Covergirl The Supersizer |
Take a cue from the experts in this field. What do their brushes look like...iconic.. fat.. bristles...like Dior Show, smoky extravagant, lancome...all bristle brushes. They must be on to something being the leaders in this area...or it is at least that is what I covet in a mascara.
Sooo, although I prefer to spend $5.99 on a mascara, I won't be repurchasing any drugstore mascaras in the future (except if you can give me a good reason...I hear there is a telescopic one I must try) and will stick to fat bristles from a Sephora near me.
Any mascaras you can't live without?
