Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Curved Brush, Very Black
Volume: 2.5 out of 5 - Thicker than natural, but not a lot of increase
Lengthening: 3 out of 5 - some length but not a significant difference
Clump Resist: 3.5 out of 5 - Sticky, but not clumpy
Kindness to Eyes: 4.5 out of 5 - did not irritate my eyes
Price: $4.49 for .43 oz on drugstore.com($10.44 per oz)
Verdict: LOSER
For years I have read the reviews and heard how people swear by the legendary Great Lash mascara. It never seemed to work for me like it did for others, but I would try it again every so often. After trying some other drug store mascaras that were hideous, however, I realized it wasn't so bad after all. I had migrated over to the department store "good stuff" for years but after losing a tube I rediscovered Great Lash. Since it had been a while since I had used any drug store brand I immediately noticed that the major difference between department and drug store brands was the consistency of the mascara. Great Lash seemed much more watery than Lancome and Dior mascaras. However, it did not clump and went on pretty easily. The brush seemed to separate the lashes well and after going over my lashes several times with a back and forth motion, I was able to get some length out of it. After a long day's wear it didn't seem to smear and it did not cause my eyes to be irritated.
Does it live up to its claim? The site claims it "conditions as it thickens." I can't refute that. Since it didn't dry out my lashes I guess you could say it conditioned them. It also says that its "lash-doubling formula glides on smooth." Lash doubling? If that is indeed true than many other mascaras do more than double lashes. The mascara did glide on smoothly. Finally, it says that its "custom curled brush lifts and curls each lash." I guess the lashes were lifted somewhat but I did not see any more curl than the Rimmel (which did not have a curved brush).
Would I buy it again? Yes (if I only had a drug store as a resource and Rimmel wasn't available)
Rimmel Eye Magnifier - Extreme Black
Volume: 3.5 out of 5 - Noticeably thicker than normal
Lengthening:3.5 out of 5 - Noticeably more length
Clump Resist: 3 out of 5 - A tad bit clumpy (small clumps)
Kindness to Eyes: 4.5 out of 5 - Did not irritate my eyes
Price: $6.49 for .27 on walgreens.com($24.04 per oz - I was able to get it BOGO at a Walgreens store)
Verdict: WINNER
The first time I discovered Rimmel was when a friend from London was visiting and I noticed how great her lashes looked. I must say I was surprised when I found out she was wearing a Rimmel product. Not that Rimmel is bad, but I haven't heard a lot about the UK brand since it has made its way on US shores. I was very excited when Walgreens had the Eye Magnifier on sale for buy one get one free (so I also bought a lip gloss that was unfortunately underwhelming).
I thought I had bought the wrong product when I saw the applicator. The wand applicator itself was much more flimsy than most applicators. However, since the wand was lightweight it almost glided with my lashes and actually extended the lashes further than many other bulkier mascara applicators I had used in the past. My lashes had a lot of volume and length, though just a little bit clumpy.
Does it live up to its claim? It says its "unique plastic brush lifts lashes vertically up to 70%." I'm not positive about the 70%. I feel like my lashes were lifted quite a bit but I don't have the means to measure if they had been lifted that much. It also says, "eyes appear larger." I guess since my lashes did seem to extend quite a bit they theoretically looked wider. It also says that it is "suitable for sensitive eyes." I don't wear contacts nor do I have extremely sensitive eyes. However, my eyes do get irritated from time to time and that has not happened while wearing this mascara.
Would I buy it again? YesSo tell me - which would you choose?
