Let me flutter my lashes

I've realised in the past few days how much I love my mascara. How key it is for my look and how I feel with makeup.

I've had conjunctivitis since Thursday last week (oh how glamorous) and had to bin my favourite mascara, which was saddening, but I'm very glad I wear minimal make-up over the holidays so it wasn't palettes of eyeshadows.  So no action shots of the mascaras.

90% of the time I go for a waterproof mascara due to hay-fever/allergies and the watery eyes that accompany it.  As per my makeup, new mascaras get a trial run on the weekends or holidays.

My favourite for quite a while has been Essence BIG Lashes Volume Proof Waterproof Mascara in Black.

I was too sad to take my own photo before I binned it!

<sigh> It did everything I wanted in a mascara.  Volume?  Hell yes!  Big defined lashes?  Ooooh boy!  Waterproof? Indeedy-do!
This made my pale lashes look like false eye-lashes.  I've had co-workers as if I had false lashes on or if I had extensions put in (which but the way, completely disturbs me) or my lashes tinted.  One coat looked great, 2 coats was *fabulous*.
The brush was large and bristley, normally I like a small brush with the rubber bristles, so application was a little messy and I would apply the mascara first before doing the rest of my eye makeup, not a major issue.
The staying power is great, I apply my makeup around 7am and its still on when I remove it around 6pm (I like to remove my makeup as soon as I get home from work), I do have to use an oil cleanser to remove it in the most painless manner.  Micellar water works but its more effort.  Wipes also work, but sometime I have to scrub which causes irritations.
Now I know this is cheap ($5.10 Priceline) but I have not yet repurchased because I'll be moving onto my second favourite.

My second favourite is Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara.

I bought this after watching a video by MissTango2.
It does a lovely job of lengthening my lashes, not as good a job as the BIG Lashes in terms of thickening.  Two coats of this does the same as one coat of the BIG Lashes  The formula is just right, not to wet as some other brands (looking at you Rimmel) are when you open the tube the first time. It will be interesting to see how long this one lasts, as the BIG Lashes was going well into its 4th month and was just starting to dry out.

The brush is an interesting shape and it does make application really nice and neat. All the lashes get an application easily and the way the bristles are spread out help to separate the lashes for definition.
Lasting power on this is a full workday easily, but this one can be removed more easily.  I think this peach coloured one isn't water proof.  So it will be interesting to see how it goes in Spring with peak allergies!
I think this one normally goes for $6.75.  

A bit of a "Meh" product is the Revlon Lash Potion Volume and Length Mascara.  This came in a Revlon gift pack I bought in the post-Christmas sales.  Normal retail for this is $21.95.  Hmmm no.  This is why I like gift packs for more expensive items, because you cant go up in Priceline and just start trying mascaras on your eyeballs.  Nasty.  Germs.

I would not pay $21.95 for this.  I wont be repurchasing.  Its nice and you know, works, but its nothing compared to the Essence ones I have tried, which are a fraction of the price. (I could get 4 of my BIG lashes for one of these...).  I'm using it because I bought it and I'm not throwing money in the bin.  The formula isn't too wet and it does stay quite well but its nothing memorable.

Next.

This is a FAIL.  An epic let down.

Rimmel Wonder'full Argan Oil Waterproof Mascara - I give up on Rimmel mascaras.  I just have not liked any of them for years.  I have moved on to better and bigger lashes.  Was I lured in by the pretty tube (which is a bitch to photograph so I acquired a picture from elsewhere)?  Maybe.  I dont know.

Brush of goopyness

The brush looked promising - its a rubber bristle brush, a little big, but I can deal.
The formula sucks.  Its very wet and goopy  I tried one coat.  I tried two coats.  I tried three coats. Aint got time for this!  I was let down big time.  Three coats of this was vaguely close to one coat of the Lash Princess.  It coloured my lashes but they weren't voluminous or emphasised in any way.  It was all very ordinary.
The end of the brush collects huge blobs of mascara when it comes out of the tube, and will stab you in the eye as you attempt to maneuver the brush (quite traumatic).
I did wait to see if it would thicken up if it dried out, but after a month it was still the same goopyness as when I opened it.
This retails for $17.95. So I needed to use three times more of a more costly product to get a vaguely similar result to a $6 one coat wonder.
Nope.
Its in my work bag as an emergency mascara.  I wont repurchase.

All of these did not give me any sort of allergic reaction which is my main concern.
What do you look for in a mascara?

Later days,