The Product. CoverGirl Bombshell Volume Mascara ($12)
The Good. If you’re a person who hates heavy, clumpy mascara, the lightness of the Bombshell mascara will certainly appeal to you. I have never used a mascara that provides a cleaner application. And clean application = perfectly separated lashes.
Another good thing about this mascara? It does not rub off. Even in 90-degree temperatures, none of it ended up on my lower lids. That was impressive.
The Bad. The mascara provides very little in the way of lash thickening. Even multiple coats doesn’t result in that full, lash-rich look. So while the lash separation is pretty and natural-looking, the thickness isn’t there.
The Terrible. As I looked in the mirror at the end of the night, I thought how awesome it was to have raccoon-eyes after a 16-hour day. Then, I found out why. Because removing the Bombshell mascara is harder than passing immigration reform. Forget eye makeup remover. Forget olive oil. A chisel and hammer would be the only way to remove the mascara quickly. And I’m not the only one who had trouble washing it off.
The Verdict. Skip this product. You can achieve a similar look by pairing a volumizing mascara with a rubber wand and a lengthening-separating mascara with a brush wand.
The Product. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide ($48)
The Good. Since Laura Mercier is my favorite makeup line, I was incredibly excited to try this product. The color selection is extensive, which is helpful if you have a difficult to match skin tone.
True to the brand’s claims, the foundation does define both high-performance and long-wearing. You can wear it for 12+ hours with no heavy makeup feel and no creasing. It also kept my skin perfectly matte, even on a 90-degree day when I wasn’t wearing primer. So if you’re in a business that requires long days, this might be the foundation for you.
The Bad. Like many foundations, this one claims to provide excellent coverage for imperfections. Unless your imperfections are small and barely significant, this is a lie.
The first morning that I used it, my acne was in check and I’d had a full 8-hours of sleep the night before. After applying it, not one blemish, not one scar, not one under-eye circle was even modestly hidden by the foundation I’d just applied. My skin was completely matte, but not even lightly covered. It looked like I’d applied a veil of white, translucent powder to my bare skin.
The Verdict. If I’m going to spend $48 on foundation, I expect it to be awesome. Life-changing. Worth every penny. This is not. If you want matte coverage, Clinique makes a $23 foundation that keeps your skin perfectly matte for 12-hours (with primer). The tube also lasts forever. I’ve been using the same one for at least six months.
I just bought Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup from Urban Decay for $40 at Ulta. I LOVE this stuff already. I was kind of skeptical because of its price tag (I generally go Clinique) and its coverage ability (it’s super liquidy), but it is GREAT. Even for someone like me with big pores and some blemishes, I don’t even need a full squirt for great coverage. Try it–would love to hear what you think!
I can second this. LOVE Naked foundation.
Four words: L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber. This gold bottle of drugstore heaven will give any Dior or Lancome mascara a run for its money. It lengthens. It thickens. It lasts all day. what more do you need?
It is so difficult to find a decent mascara that comes close to accomplishing what is promised. Even drug store brands are getting too expensive for hit and miss. Thank you for this post.
And the mascara search continues! I’m currently using one of the classic Mary Kay mascaras which is OK but not at all dramatic. Good for a classic, everyday, light-makeup look and stays on well and washes off easily. I like the CoverGirl LashBlast in the green tube (the clump crusher style) and will probably get that the next time around unless someone hands me an Ulta giftcard.
I keep coming back to Chanel for mascara. I hate shelling out that kind of money for something that I throw away after four or five months (germs worry me, and no mascara seems to work well after that point anyway), but it’s the only thing I’ve found that I like. I used to love Clinique, but something went very wrong there when they changed the formula.
I also will not buy the Bombshell mascara again.
I just use the constant mascara samples I get in birchbox or from other random occasions. I never run out of mascara in 6 months and they just end up drying out, so I’d much rather use the small containers the samples come in.
For foundation, I love the Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm (gold tube, black top). It isn’t a full coverage foundation, but it smooths out my complexion and does a good job of cover redness. It also somehow magically blends in to my skin even though it only comes in one shade.
I agree with the Loreal False Fiber mascara! I got it before my wedding and love it – and it’s waterproof. I do feel the tube has dried out a bit though.
Laura Mercier is one of my fave lines too – I use the face polish and cleanser, as well as moisturizer. Disappointed you found the foundation lacking!
I’ve noticed this problem with almost every CoverGirl mascara I’ve ever tried! They dry like concrete onto your lashes!
My 2 favorite mascaras are actually drugstore…
1. Maybelline Full & Soft WP
2. Maybelline The Falsies WP (the original one…not the flared, black drama, etc.)
The first one is does a great job of volumizing and defining at the same time. I heard the non-waterproof version is great, too.
Thanks for the reviews! I was curious about that LM foundation.