It Might Be Love.

If you've been reading the blog for awhile, you've probably noticed that I never talk about mascara (without totally ripping it to pieces, that is). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of mascara. Who doesn't want fluffy lashes? I just feel like it's better in theory than reality. See, in my naive brain, waterproof used to mean waterproof, that my mascara would actually last throughout the day without running, flaking, etc. But Dior Show, Bad Gal, Hypnose, and a bunch of other Sephora waterproof mascaras have proved that wrong. It's not like I run around bawling all day. I just wear contacts, so I have to use eye drops, and apparently those eye drops eat waterproof mascara for breakfast. It's really frustrating. All I wanted was a subtle, WATERPROOF mascara, and I thought I had that in Boots Botanicals Waterproof Mascara. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a little too subtle. I have pretty good natural lashes, so something that only enhances them a little bit isn't really worthwhile in my hectic, overslept morning. I wanted waterproof, but with drama. So I took a chance and searched out Max Factor's Lash Perfection Volume Waterproof Couture Mascara (that's a mouthful).

It's $7.79 at ulta.com and I'd buy it there, because it's ridiculously hard to track down. The price is great (that's less than two trips to Starbucks), and the packaging is definitely drugstore, but the sleek black is still chic and the spotlight logo adds a bit of glamor. I really like how the brush comes outside the tube of mascara, which has it's own little lid, so you can wash the brush and store it separately when you aren't using it, reducing flaking and bacteria growth. The ads make a big deal out of the brush, but it seems like any rubber brush to me.



Now for the application. The thin, spidery bristles get mascara to every lash, but even with wiggling I get some clumping. It's not bad at all and I can fix it in a few seconds, but it is noticeable. The clumping also means that it dries a little gritty on my lashes. You can't tell by looking at it, but it makes my lashes more stiff and scratchy feeling than soft and glossy. But, even without a lash curler, this stuff makes my lashes curl like crazy. They almost look like falsies. I got it in Rich Black, and it darkens my lashes to sooty black and adds a good amount of length and a decent amount of volume. I think if it was any more dramatic it would make me uncomfortable on a daily basis (but I'm crazy, so take that with a grain of salt). As for the waterproofness, I'd give it a 4/5. It didn't survive a shower, but it did survive a day of sweat and eye drops with only minimal flaking. I'm going to skip applying it to the lower lash line next time to see if the flaking issue is resolved.

Overall, this stuff is a winner. Yes, it gets a little clumpy, isn't technically waterproof, and flakes a little, but it's the most waterproof "waterproof" mascara I've found that actually makes a difference in the way my lashes look, and does all that for under $8.

Image Sources:
Max Factor mascara: drugstore.com