2 eyes, 83 eyelashes (or thereabouts) and 2 mascaras.
On one eye, I’ve applied £21.50 worth of mascara (DiorShow Iconic)
On the other eye… £5.99 worth of mascara (Boots 17 Wild Curls)
There’s undoubtedly a difference, and the expensive mascara (on the left as you look at it) has done it’s job well.
But is the difference really worth £15.51?
Hand on heart, for me… I think it’s worth it. My husband thinks I’m a sucker.
What do you think?
I’ve been using a lash growth accelerator product (Latisse) since the start of April and I’m pretty happy with the length of my lashes now. I feel that it’s made them a little finer than I’d like them to be, but I’ll continue to use it once a week or so for maintenance.
However, it means that I really need to use mascara nowadays to enhance these finer (but ultimately slightly longer) lashes. And I’ve been trialling some lovely ones recently!
I thought I’d show you a high street one that’s grabbed my attention thanks to it’s light formula but lovely dark pigment.
Lash Extension Effect Mascara contain’s Max Factor’s longest mascara brush ever, which they claim helps you to reach every lash to deliver dramatic length. Personally, I still struggled a little to reach those outer corner lashes…. L’oreal Telescopic Explosion still wins the “coating every lash award” for me.
A lengthening mascara as opposed to a volume or curl-giving product, it lengthens well. The smell is quite off-putting and chemically… I notice this often with Max Factor mascaras, it’s an irritation but ultimately doesn’t stop me buying them.
One of the things that I really like about this mascara is how easy I find it to remove. I own the non-waterproof version and this rinses away nicely with a cleansing oil. I sometimes have to massage the oil into my lashes to shift stubborn mascaras, but this dissolves readily despite not smudging on me during the day.
Priced at £10.99 I’m almost loathe to call this a high-street mascara, it is… but it certainly isn’t budget friendly.
What do you think about the prices of high street mascaras nowadays? They just keep going up and up!
My lovely cousin A. is 8 weeks in to her Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer challenge!
Let me refer you lovely people to this post for the background info.
I’m a week early on the photo because she’s on holiday this week… but I thought it was worth taking anyway and my next update will be at the 12 week stage, by which time… results should be fully apparent according to the blurb with the product.
Anyway, enough gassing… have some pics:
Two months in means that she’s halfway through the £89 tube. It’s on a par price-wise with other lash-enhancing products on the market, but backed by the reputable name of Trish McEvoy.
A. (who hasn’t seen these photos) believes that she’s experienced a change in the volume of her lashes… to her, they feel thicker and more luxurious. She doesn’t believe that her lashes have grown in length though.
Giddyup lashes! Week 12 awaits!
What do you ladies reckon judging by the photos?
When I saw the Clinique High Lengths Mascara wand a few months ago…
It gave me a shiver. And not in a good way. It looks freakin’ terrifying! Organic… like it’s gonna whip me or bite me or something slightly kinky. And I repeat, not in a good way!
Still… yano… I had to buy it anyway *blush*
I generally find Clinique’s packaging a bit fud… am I the only one? My Mum has skirts with those big floral prints on ‘em.
You can see the extent of the curve to the wand… it’s serious… and takes a little bit of positioning to get it to align with my lashes. Infact, it doesn’t align THAT well at all on me, it’s obviously something that’s going to be hugely dependant on the shape of your lashline…
The green bit is flexible and despite it’s odd curvature, doesn’t cause me any problems taking it out or pushing it back into the tube. It’s also worth noting that the brush seems to pick up a perfect amount of product each time it appears from the neck of the tube.
Once I’ve got the wand positioned the best I can manage, things get a lot more interesting!
Those spiky little teeth grab my lashes and I can FEEL the pull as I wiggle the wand through from root to tip. There’s some proper resistance there as I comb the wand through… it’s almost poetic. The effect is beautiful separation and definition. I’ve never used a wand that does this so well.
Clinique High Lengths Mascara is a lovely lengthening mascara that (after a couple of run throughs) coats each lash with just the right amount of product and really does allow you to get right to the root of the lash without splodging product allover your eyelid.
We’re not talking false lash effect mascara superstardom here, but it’s a great product for lovely long lashes and one that I’ll happily repurchase.
Clinique High Lengths Mascara is a very reasonable £14.50 (considering high street mascaras are approaching that figure now!). You can buy online or on counter.
As previously threatened, I went and picked up the new Bourjois Elastic Mascara yesterday. I ended up going to Superdrug to make the most of the £2 off promotion and ended up paying £6.99 for mine.
I know some of you think it’s daft.. but I kinda love the packaging! I have a billion mascaras, so being able to spot the one I want immediately is always useful. It does look a bit like a toilet brush holder though (well spotted Rhamnousia!)
The brush is one of those spikey bristle affairs… ideal for separation and lengthening, not so good for volume. The emphasis on the Bourjois Elastic Mascara is on lengthening, so I wasn’t surprised to see this brush design.
What I was surprised to see was the amount of product the wand picked up in those reservoirs. Too much. Combine this with quite a wet formula-ed mascara and I knew I was going to have issues with application before I’d even lifted the wand past my nose.
I was right. It actually reminded me a lot of the issues I had with the last Bourjois mascara I bought (1001 Lashes). Admitedly, 1001 Lashes has actually grown to become one of my favourites… but it took 3 months for the formula to dry out enough for me to fall in love.
I love the brush on this Bourjois Elastic mascara. It actually ‘grabs’ my lashes. I can feel the pull as I drag through from root to tip. It keeps hold of them like no other brush I’ve tried. So if that formula thickens up a bit after a couple of months, I could have an winning combination on my hands!
Having said that, once dried… it’s a slightly crusty mascara, this doesn’t really bother me – but I know some of you prefer more flexible and soft finishes. It doesn’t actually *look* crusty… but you can feel the crispiness going on!
The weird handle is actually another thing I love about the Bourjois Elastic Mascara. It makes me more ‘light handed’ with the wand and I find myself applying with fluttery light but sweeping strokes as opposed to my usual ham-fisted, poke yourself in the eye efforts.
Another cool thing about the handle is that you can ‘twizzle’ the wand whilst applying to get maximum coverage. Didn’t think about that did you?! Rolling the wand between my thumb and forefinger feels quite a natural action as I’m pulling the product through the lashes. Unfortunately, the action just encourages this damn formula to clump… I’m still clinging to the hope that with a bit of age, the formula transforms into something amazing.
Definitely lengthening… not volumising or even very defining (I’m blaming the formula).
I’m on the fence with this one.
Something I’m not on the fence about?
This promo image:
Seriously? Just. Sod. Off.
Bourjois, you may be my favourite high street brand… but you hands down win the sucky Photoshop bs eyelash promo image award.
EDITED TO ADD:
The above promotional image shouldn’t be on the website under Elastic Mascara apparently, some kinda mistake as it’s a few years old.. here’s the correct model image!:
New out this week is Bourjois’ Elastic Mascara… complete with rather funky packaging!
They were putting these out on the shelves of my local Superdrug last Friday but I couldn’t see any testers so was unable to check out the wand and brush – boo!
I was also on my way back from my sk:n appt so I didn’t wanna hang around too long with my uber-flushed red bits on show, but I’m going back into town this afternoon to check it out.
They say…
The new Elastic Mascara achieves 130% more visible length to the lashes with its innovative, ultra-lengthening elastic formula and lash-extending brush.
The brush is the essential partner to the mascara and has two parts: the reservoirs which release the formula along the whole length of the lash, and the long, fine bristles to stretch the formula and visually increase the length of every single lash. All lashes, even the shortest and finest, are stretched to the maximum leaving them intensely smoothed and coated from root to tip.
I do love me a bit of lengthening mascara, there haven’t been too many new high street mascara releases recently have there?
Boots are currently offering a 3for2 on all Bourjois or you can head to Superdrug for £2 off!
Price: £8.99 / €12.99
****
I’ve recently had a bit of a mascara purge (threw away 7 of the damn things)… so I think I can treat myself to some new mascara love.
In other mascara news, I keep reaching for my YSL Singulier in an attempt to finish it off… I’m just not that keen on it especially considering it’s price tag. I’m kinda loving my L’oreal Telescopic Explosion (controversial choice?) but it’s a bit of a faff to apply…
I think I should get back on my ‘mascara series‘ wagon, I’ve been through so many tubes and forgotten to review them – bad blogger!
What are your current mascara favourites and will you be checking out this latest offering from Bourjois?
A girl with too many lipsticks.
And a blog about them.
