Lash Love

I have never been loyal to a mascara. There are plenty of women out there who sweeeeeear that they've used the same mascara since High School or College or some other makeup milestone. In my opinion, there are way too many mascara fish in the sea out there for me to settle down with just one. Yes, I am a mascara commitment-phobe. They all promise different things - length, volume, curl... and a million combinations of marketing jargon to get you to think that their mascara is somehow wildly different than the other hundred mascaras on the shelf. Not to toot my own horn, but I do have nice lashes (Thanks, Mom). That said, I'm a tad obsessive about mascara since I feel like it's the one makeup item that stands a chance at playing up a nice asset of mine.

Every volumizing mascara I've ever used has made my eyes look like tarantulas are attacking them (thick, clumpy, gross) & every waterproof mascara that I've ever used has made my lashes flaky & dry (also gross). So I tend to look for mascaras whose packaging makes wild claims about lengthening & defining the lashes. Low and behold, I may have found a mascara that I could start a long-term relationship with. I've already made the commitment re-purchase a few times. Benefit Cosmetics (one of my Sephora go-to brands) They're Real! Mascara is my mascara nirvana http://www.sephora.com/they-re-real-mascara-P289307. It makes some pretty aggressive claims (consumer perception survey, of course):
- 94% saw dramatic length and volume*
-90% saw base-to-tip curl*
-94% saw visible lift*
-100% saw long-wearing results*
Working in the beauty industry, I'm usually pretty skeptical of claims like this. BUT in my repeated experience, the finish is glossy & long-wearing, my lashes are lengthened, curled, defined/separated AND the incredible brush gets mascara on all kinds of little hidden baby lashes I didnt even know I had! The brush is really the star of this mascara - it's unlike any other mascara brush I've ever used before. The bristles are staggered so they grab close to the root to really pull the lashes out for length & definition. The brush has a rounded top with tiny precision bristles that get to those tiny little lashes other brushes miss to give you a more wide-eyed look. Beyond the amazingness of the brush (yes, I know, I'm a beauty product nerd), the formula itself is everything you want in a mascara - it doesnt flake, clump, dry out, smudge blahblahblah. I've even gotten my face wet & it didnt end up in nasty black streaks down my cheeks (not that I'm recommending going for a swim & expecting it to maintain its integrity...). So go to Sephora, shell out $22 & then oooh and aaahh at the snazzy brush & how awesome your eyes look.