Lashing Out: The Best Mascaras

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Last week I blogged about my first Birchbox and I mentioned that I’m really picky about mascaras. Since I have like ten lashes on each eye-lid, I’m always on the prowl for the latest greatest mascaras. With help from my friend and make-up artist, Lisa Ryan, the Internet and some shout-outs from you, my readers, I’m going to tackle the best mascara for lengthening and volumizing those sexy lashes.

Lisa Ryan, owner of Love My Results Beauty, is my go-to for everything beauty. Lisa is a licensed esthetician, makeup artist, beauty educator and product researcher. At Love My Results Beauty, Lisa concentrates on skincare and cosmetics research in order to find the “best of the best” in terms of ingredients and benefits.

Here are Lisa’s “best of the best” mascara recommendations. These are private label mascaras, so you won’t be able to find them at your local drugstore or make-up counter, but you can always get them from Lisa! I personally use both of these mascaras in combination, and they take my sparse barely-there lashes and pump them up into glamorous luscious lashes. What until you see the before and afters!

Intense Lash Mascara

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Test results for Intense Lash Mascara indicate it provides up to a 60% increase in lash volume and a 50% increase in lash curling in each application. The secret to the volumizing is the formulation. It’s made with fine mineral powder and natural polymers to make lashes look fuller and more plentiful. In addition, it contains Vitamin A, C and E to keep lashes supple. There’s no clumping and lashes hold their shape for hours.

Here’s a look at my lashes before and after a one coat application of Intense Lash from Love My Results Beauty (I’ve got guts moving this close-up on my eye wrinkles!:)):

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Seriously, my lashes went from bland nothingness to vibrant “glamness” in one application. To pump up the volume for a night out, I add two coats:

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The application wand is my favorite feature. It separates each and every lash.

HD Mascara

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If you’re one of those lucky women with thick lashes, this lengthening and defining mascara is for you. HD Mascara is made with panthenol, wheat proteins and vitamin E to not only lengthen and define, but also condition your lashes. The mini brush delivers unbelievable results without clumps. The bristles are close together, so the mascara glides on cleanly-combing, separating and building even the finest lashes.

Here’s a before and after look with one coat of HD Mascara on my eyes:

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You can see the dramatic increase in length and separation. Since I don’t have an eyelid plump with thick lashes, I like to use Intense Lash first and then top off with HD Mascara for even more dramatic length.

Looking for a brand you can find at the drug store or make-up counter? Here are some MLWS reader favorites:

Cynthia’s Fav: They’re Real by Benefit

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She says this mascara is great for thick, long lashes with no clumps.

Karen’s fav: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash (also one of my long-time favorites!).

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She says they make her lashes bushy, but still natural looking.

Want more mascara reviews? I searched the web and found two great articles reviewing mascaras. The first is by Harper’s Bazaar: 10 Fabulous Mascaras We Love and the second is by Elle: Beauty Top Five: The Best Lash Lengthening Mascaras.

Once you find that magical mascara, use these tips from Lisa Ryan at Love My Results Beauty to get the most out of your mascara.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post on mascara. Next up: self-tanners (because I cannot take how pasty white I am right now!!!).

 

Posted on March 6, 2013 by in Beauty

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  • Betsy

    Wow, you ARE brave, doing that close-up with no make-up!! Can you add a bit of info on a recommended brow-pencil (or whatever brow product you usually use). I have heard that mascara AND filling in the brow can really make such a huge difference. I have one little problem…I’m always sweaty in the brow area (even when not working out) so I imagine anything I use there will just get smudged.

    • MyLifeShopping

      Yes, I’m either gutsy or stupid! Oh well…Regarding the brow product, she recommends (and I use, although I didn’t have any on in my close-up mascara picts) brow putty. You put it on with a very fine brush. I love it. I will never go back to a pencil. This looks so much more natural.

  • Elizabeth

    Boy, I wish I lived somewhere closer to Lisa, from Love My Results Beauty. She is fantastic. I have seen all the products you use from her when we get together for Girls Weekend, and they always are perfectly suited to your complexion and personal style. I started wearing foundation the past 2 years and I find it impossible to get just the right shade. I ALWAYS let the make-up counter person chose the color, and when I use it at home, I still always feel as though the color is either too dark, too orangey, or too pasty and ashy. So far I’ve only tried Chanel and YSL. I’m sure if I could hook up with Lisa, she could find me something perfect. Tell her that if she is EVER in the SF area, please let me know!!!!

    • MyLifeShopping

      Hi Elizabeth! She actually goes to San Francisco a couple times a year! I’ll tell her to look you up!:) She is wonderful. I love that I can totally trust her and I always know she isn’t trying to pull a “sales” job on me like some of the make-up counters at department stores. Foundation is the most difficult make-up item to purchase I think. She custom blends all of my liquid foundation, and I always feel so fab with it on.

      • E

        Great. Can you give her my email address: ehrisch@yahoo.com.
        I’d also like a recommendation for something to fade dark spots (hopefully she does not need to see me in person for that)- I would buy it from her.

  • Betsy

    P.S. Can I leave just ONE more mascara comment?! I started wearing plum-colored mascara last year. LOVE it. It’s not the ’80′s gaudy colored mascara we wore back then….it’s very subtle (Chanel and YSL). I like to try to craft a “who, me? I’m not wearing make-up?” look when I’m just running to school to pick up Amelia (but the au-natural look is just too scary). The plum is less obvious than black, and if it bleeds a little at the end of the day it looks like a bit of eyeshadow. It’s a nice color with brown eyes. I’ve tried clear mascara…useless…too subtle…it just was not eye-opening at all.

    • rneats

      Betsy, I love the plum colored mascara idea. I’ve never seen that. I like that for daytime too. I’m going to look for it next time I’m out and give it try. I’ll also ask Lisa about it. I can see where it would be more subtle for day/casual/work-out wear (that I’m usually in when I’m not taking pictures for the blog or going out and about on the weekend!)