Mascara-what’s your favorite?

I am a huge fan of lash extensions (and have talked about them several times on my blog) so I haven’t been using mascara since…..well probably July.  However, I have decided to let me lashes “rest” for a month or two and have gone back to using mascara.

I’ve found that the mascara ‘market’ has expanded, and I have accumulated different types of mascara quite quickly (some of that’s a personal problem though. ha.)  I thought I would share some of my thoughts on some of the mascara that I have been using recently.   I didn’t pick these 5 for any special reason-these are just the ones that I have right now:

From Top to Bottom:

Annabelle Le Big Show

Marcelle Precision Volume

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Million

MUFE Smoky Lash

MAC False Lashes

My preferences:

I am a 2 coat kind of girl when it comes to mascara.

Color doesn’t matter too much to me,  but usually I go brown-black or BLACK.

Lash drama is okay but not all the time (and since I workout 3-4 times a week, I try to get extra ‘dramatic’ with lashes in between).

I’m not a huge fan of curling my lashes, although I will if I am going out. I have a horrible fear of pulling my lashes out with the curler for some reason.

I am a big brush kind of gal-in fact, the bigger the better.  All of these mascaras have big brushes.  I like the brushes to be somewhat flexible, and 2 of these mascaras had the ‘stiff’ brushes.

I don’t have to have waterproof mascara-but I won’t turn it away either. I have heard stories about more expensive brands smudging/flaking almost immediately.  That’s a no-go.

My results:

Favorite:

Honestly, if I had to pick out of the 5 mascaras above, my favorite (at this moment) is the Annabelle Le Big Show.  It does the job in 2 coats with a big brush that gets all the lashes-lots of volume and buildable.  It doesn’t flake or clump.

Le Big Show mascara brush

Just okay:

MAC False Lashes.  When I saw this I immediately visualized some serious lash drama.  Then I applied it.  It’s “okay”-nothing special.  Certainly does NOT compare to the Le Big Show (!).  I’ll use it until it runs out but won’t repurchase  I like MAC products but have never been a cheerleader for their mascara.  One thing I am going to do sooner rather than later is take a peek at their lashes.  I have heard MAC false lashes are amazing.  Any truth to that ladies?

MAC False Lashes brush-I appreciate the defined tip to help pick up the smaller lashes

My least favorites (yes that is plural):

Overall disdain:  MUFE Smoky Lash.  I don’t think MUFE and I were meant to be at all. I have tried so many of their products and they have all been huge fails.  Everything from foundation to eyeshadow to this mascara.  Don’t get me wrong-I wanted to love this mascara; the brush is large, and the packaging says “Volume, Length, and Curl.”  Something in the formula just doesn’t work for me.  This mascara clumps, flakes, and is NOT buildable.  2 coats weigh my lashes down to the point that they are sticking straight out (no curl at all!).  1 coat isn’t enough.  I wanted to like it, I really did.  I think it’s time for me to stop buying their products.  There, I’ve admitted it.

MUFE Smoky Lash

Stiff brush mascara-in this case, the Marcelle precision, and the L’Oreal voluminous million.  Both mascaras did an adequate job, but working with the stiff brush is challenging and a bit uncomfortable for me.  The Marcelle brush is curved, which I liked, but when you poke yourself in the eye with either one of these, it hurts!  I won’t totally write these two off, as I could probably grow to love them.

top-Marcelle Precision Volume, bottom-L'Oreal Voluminous Million

So for now, I’m sticking with Le Big Show.  There are so many mascaras available now-I think I could review a different one everyday for an entire year!

What’s important to you when you look for a mascara? What are your favorites?