Drugstore Mascara: Hits & Misses

I own far more mascaras than any one human needs. I'm always trying new ones - every time I make a trip to the grocery store or Walgreens I find myself in the cosmetics section picking up a new mascara. I have my favorites, but like every other beauty item I'm always hoping to find "something better".

I compiled a list out of the drugstore mascaras that I own, which ones I think hit the mark, and which ones fall flat...

HITS

Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess
$8.99 at Ulta

This mascara is hands down my go-to when I'm getting ready for a night out. It gives crazy volume, and makes my lashes look full and thick. It's also one of the blackest black formulas, which makes for extra drama.

Covergirl Lash Blast, Original
$6.23 at Drugstore.com

This little guy is a cult favorite for a reason. It's no surprise to me that I've never heard anyone say anything negative about this mascara. Not only does the tube last quite a long time, it separates nicely and gives a nice amount of volume that you can wear day or night - can't complain about that!

Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Black Laquer
$8.95 at Drugstore.com

This is my favorite mascara for daytime wear. It gives a very natural effect, making lashes look airy, light, and feathery. My only gripe about this product is that it tends to dry out somewhat quickly.

Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions

$9.99 at Ulta

I was quite skeptical about this product because mascaras with tiny wands don't tend to impress me. Everyone and their mother seems to love this mascara though so I, hesitantly, purchased it anyway. I'm so glad I did! The separation this mascara gives is unparalleled. I wouldn't say that it looks like false lashes - but it does come close!

Cover Girl Clump Crusher

$6.65 at Target

Another mascara I was skeptical about - I haven't had much luck with the curved wands, but how could I resist when a product claims to never clump?! It certainly delivers. The volume is endlessly buildable, but it literally never clumps up. I'm so impressed with this mascara I've already purchased it twice, and will continue to repurchase.

Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black
$7.99 at Ulta

This is one of Loreal's classic mascaras. The name definitely says it all - it's an extremely black, wet formula, and gives insane volume! I would definitely recommend buying the original formula though as opposed to the waterproof, as I found the waterproof next to impossible to remove.

MISSES

Covergirl Lash Blast 24 Hour
$7.98 at Walmart

While the wand on this mascara appears to have the same bristles as the original Lash Blast, they seem slightly more flimsy/soft, resulting in a less heavy application. The wear of this mascara is pretty peculiar - it does seem to be very long wearing because of the amount of effort it takes to remove it at the end of the day, but it did flake a moderate amount.


Maybelline Mega Plush
$5.99 at Target

This is easily the worst mascara I've tried. The bristles are long, but not very dense. The clumping is a nightmare. On top of that, there is a ball joint-like hinge on the wand that makes it impossible to work the bristles into your lashes.

Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes
$8.99 at Target

I really liked the Double Extend the first time I used it. I wore it on New Years Eve for a party. Knowing full well I wouldn't be taking off my makeup that night, I wanted to avoid a mess in the morning - and I did. It wore beautifully, no smudging or flaking whatsoever. For whatever reason though, it never performed that way again after that. The white base coat does absolutely nothing to add volume, and the black coat isn't thick enough the cover the white. Applying it is a nightmare, I can't even take the clumping. Tossing it, and never repurchasing.

Maybelline The Colossal Cat Eyes
$6.99 at Ulta

I have absolutely no idea why I purchased this - maybe it was the adorable packaging with leopard print that drew me in. I had never found a mascara with a curved wand that I liked before I bought this one. It just didn't impress me - it clumped moderately and didn't deliver on volume, separation, or length.


Boots No 7 Exquisite Curl
$7.99 at Beauty.com

I purchased this mascara after Zoella mentioned this as one of her favorites. Since I trust her opinion, I had high hopes. I can't say that it performs poorly, because it barely performs at all. Maybe I got a bad tube, but it was an extremely dry formula. It took about 5 minutes to apply a light, natural-looking coat of this. Would not repurchase.

Maybelline The Rocket
$5.99 at Target

I so badly wanted to like this, since pretty much every YouTube beauty guru has recommended it since it was released. I thought that since the wand was similar to Cover Girl Lash Blast that it would be a win, but it was just very clumpy. It didn't separate the lashes, nor did it lengthen at all. Overall, a miss for me.