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.