Today I am coming at you with a product review! Mascaras are the one product where I'm always looking for the next best thing, so I was super excited to give this Essence mascara a try after I read all the rave reviews their "I love extreme" mascara was getting. Since I prefer length and definition instead of volume for my lashes, I decided to purchase the brands " Maximum Definition Volume Mascara" which retailed for about 5$.
For those who aren't familiar with Essence, they seem to be a relatively new brand with prices comparable to those of Wet and Wild. So far, I have only seen their products in Shoppers, but that could just be because I live in the middle of nowhere. They have a variety of uncommon products, like a lash volumizing powder (what?!) that seem like they would be awesome to try!
This mascara features bold red and black packaging that reminds me a lot of the new Covergirl flamed out mascara, although I believe the black things on the tube are supposed to be abstract swirls and not flames. The brush is rubber, which typically is my favorite. It also claims to give the ultimate volume and definition without clumps! On the Essence website, they describe this mascara as:
No lash can escape this mascara: the innovative and flexible synthetic brush reaches even the shortest lashes in the corner of your eye for perfect lengthening effects from base to tips. for a beautiful look.
Before I show you my lashes with this mascara, I think it is important that you, the reader, understands what my lashes are like naturally. I truly believe that knowing your lash type is just as important as knowing your hair type, because every product will perform differently on each type of hair/lash! You wouldn't expect a shampoo meant to keep straight hair oil-free work well on curly-haired lady, would you? No! The same logic applies to your lashes as well, and that's why there are so many varying opinions on mascaras.
I have longer lashes that flare out towards the end. For the most part, they have a nice natural curl however it can droop near the outer corner of my eye. I lack volume in both the inner and outer corner of upper lash line, but my bottom lashes are fairly dense. Because of this, I look for a mascara that will fill in the sparse corners of my eyes, lift my lashes at the ends, and give them doll-like length without clumps!
Here's what the Maximum Definition Volume Mascara did to my lashes
I have longer lashes that flare out towards the end. For the most part, they have a nice natural curl however it can droop near the outer corner of my eye. I lack volume in both the inner and outer corner of upper lash line, but my bottom lashes are fairly dense. Because of this, I look for a mascara that will fill in the sparse corners of my eyes, lift my lashes at the ends, and give them doll-like length without clumps!
Here's what the Maximum Definition Volume Mascara did to my lashes
KA-POW! No other makeup product can make the same impact on your face as mascara!
I liked how this mascara lifted, darkened, and lengthened my lashes. It really perked up my eyes - as all mascaras should! It also did a lovely job at defining my bottom lashes, but most mascaras do that. I was particularly impressed with how this mascara handled the sparse lashes in my inner corner. If you take a peak at the top-right photo, you can really see the fluttery, natural look it gave me. GORGEOUS.
Unfortunately I don't have all good things to say about this mascara, starting with the bottom lashes. As I said before it does a lovely job at defining the lashes, but that's it. The majority of mascaras will do that for me. There is nothing unique about how this mascara performs on this area, its just average. Another issue is that although this mascara performed well on areas with nicer lashes, it didn't do well in problem areas - particularly my outer corners! If you turn your attention to the top-left image, you'll see that the lovely definition stops and the lashes start getting clumpy and spidery. This isn't anything like the soft, natural volume I had in the inner corner! Since the outer corners can really make an eye look pop, this is a huge issue! I found that no matter how hard I tried, I could not separate or soften the look of these lashes and they just don't blend well with the rest as a result. Another issue is that its really messy. I am not the most careful mascara applier in the world, and I usually smudge it a bit, but with this mascara it was x10 worst than usual!
I liked how this mascara lifted, darkened, and lengthened my lashes. It really perked up my eyes - as all mascaras should! It also did a lovely job at defining my bottom lashes, but most mascaras do that. I was particularly impressed with how this mascara handled the sparse lashes in my inner corner. If you take a peak at the top-right photo, you can really see the fluttery, natural look it gave me. GORGEOUS.
Unfortunately I don't have all good things to say about this mascara, starting with the bottom lashes. As I said before it does a lovely job at defining the lashes, but that's it. The majority of mascaras will do that for me. There is nothing unique about how this mascara performs on this area, its just average. Another issue is that although this mascara performed well on areas with nicer lashes, it didn't do well in problem areas - particularly my outer corners! If you turn your attention to the top-left image, you'll see that the lovely definition stops and the lashes start getting clumpy and spidery. This isn't anything like the soft, natural volume I had in the inner corner! Since the outer corners can really make an eye look pop, this is a huge issue! I found that no matter how hard I tried, I could not separate or soften the look of these lashes and they just don't blend well with the rest as a result. Another issue is that its really messy. I am not the most careful mascara applier in the world, and I usually smudge it a bit, but with this mascara it was x10 worst than usual!
In summary, this mascara is alright. Really, if it weren't for the whole outer-corner-looks-funky issue, I wouldn't have that big of a problem with this mascara. All the other issues I have are relatively minor! And believe me when I say that I have tried EVERYTHING to fix this issue. I've applied less, applied more, waited time between coats, applied coats right away, brushed the lashes out with a spoolie... and nothing seems to give the end lashes that "wow" factor. Overall, I give this mascara a
Hope you found this review interesting and insightful! What mascaras have you been lately?
Yours in beauty,
Yours in beauty,
Looks like it clumps too
ReplyDeletewow. love this review, and love your name. we are sistas ^^
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