I’ve tried many mascaras. I know I am not alone in this. My mascara criteria is that it must last, it must lengthen, and it must add some volume, but not be thick, clumpy and overly “mascara looking”. I have found waterproof formulas have addressed the longevity issues for me perfectly. My skin tends to be oily and a non waterproof mascara is half gone by lunch. It doesn’t even leave raccoon eyes on me, it just melts away and disappears. I do mascara maintenance, meaning every 10 days to 2 weeks I take a tissue and completely wipe off the brush. Waterproof mascara tends to have a slightly drier formula than regular mascara and over time, clumps and dries to a slightly chunky consistency on the brush at the end of the wand. I can guarantee smooth even application by just wiping off that brush. It may seem wasteful but I’ve got some bad news for you. Mascara, by nature, is a product that is full of waste and it is already drying out in the tube before you ever will get a chance to use it all. After 3 months I still have mascara left, but its getting really dry and its time for a new tube.
Expensive department store mascaras vs drugstore mascaras- interesting debate. Even before I used waterproof exclusively I would vacillate between high and low end and to this day, I have yet to really be impressed enough by a department store brand that justifies the fact that is often three times as expensive as a drugstore brand. My go-to brand has lately been L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof for lengthening and a bit of thickening. I don’t like thick clumpy lashes that look obviously mascara’d but I do like a nice fringe. Having seen some buzz online I decided to take Maybelline The Falsies for a test run. Verdict? Great! I am not a fan of the brush, the curved design with variable brush length makes no sense to me- a lash brush is a lash brush and I really don’t think design wise there are innovations to be made. Yes the silicone brushes are neat (Buxom Lash is a great example of this- if ONLY it came in waterproof…) but don’t get me started on the battery operated “oscillating” brushes. I know that a buzzing mascara brush will not improve application because I was not. Born. Last. Night.
Maybelline The Falsies mascara is available at drugstores