MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara

To complement MAC’s multiple upcoming summer collections, the brand plans to add a do-it-all mascara to their lineup of usual suspects. MAC says that Extended Play Lash mascara ($) curls, defines, and lifts lashes for an elevated natural look. The skinny brush supposedly imparts major, pumped-up volume; but in my experience, brushes similar in design to this don’t (the really fat brushes are the best volumizers). The real selling point here is the endurance of this longwear formula; it’s supposed to last 16 hours without smudging, smearing, or quitting.

Personally, I’m not a fan of long-wear mascaras; I feel like most iterations can be really hard on your lashes, and the payoff just isn’t worth it for me (my mascara generally doesn’t smudge unless I rub my eyes). Coupled with the fact that I’m not crazy about MAC mascaras in general, I probably won’t be trying this one. Will you?

It’s available in one shade — Endlessly Black — and hits counters & stores May 24 in North America, and in late May internationally.Images via MAC

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara Is A Disappointment

In the past, I have really liked Smashbox mascaras. But the company recently overhauled their product line and now offer only 3 mascaras, 1 of which is Full Exposure ($19), a mascara that was made to show up on camera and promises the “biggest, longest” lashes. (Smashbox’s other 2 mascaras are Hyperlash, $21, and Bionic, $19, which I have not tried.)

I bought this mascara because of its full yet tapered brush, and its just-right consistency. But when I applied it, the mascara took on a totally different appearance.

MAC Zoom Waterfast Lash

I’m not usually a fan of MAC‘s mascaras (except for Plushlash, which is amazing), and I’m especially not crazy about their Zoomlash line. But I really love this promotional photo for their new mascara, Zoom Waterfast Lash ($15), and wanted to post it!

Here are the quick details on this mascara: it’s water-resistant for up to 12 hours, so it’ll withstand rain, bad weather, laughing till your sides hurt, and your tears, if things get rough. It has a jet-black finish, and is formulated to curl and lengthen lashes.

Zoom Waterfast Lash is available at MAC stores, counters, and online now.

Image via MAC

Batting 1,000 With Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara

It’s been awhile since I was completely floored by a mascara. I’ve been sticking to drugstore cheapies lately, and while some of them work great (like this pick), I was longing for the wow factor of a specialty mascara. I’d read great things about Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara ($22) on Makeup Alley; I never gave it a second thought when I passed it in Sephora, but after reading these reviews, I decided to pick one up. Not since this have I found a mascara so damn fabulous.

Nearly everything about this mascara is pure perfection. Although it says it delivers “instant volume,” the draw for me is more for the length. It stretches out my naturally long lashes and makes them seem impossibly long. They graze my brows when I’m wearing this; they don’t do that with any other mascara. There is a hint of volume in there, too, but you’ll have to swipe on a few coats to get a thicker, lusher fringe.

Lash Out: Sonia Kashuk Lashify Mascara

2005 was a great year. When I look back at photos from that year, I was sporting some seriously long, thick lashes. So, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the mascara I wore that entire year: Sonia Kashuk’s Lashify Waterproof Mascara ($7).

Doing so made me wonder why I ever stopped using this Target staple in the first place.

MAC False Eyelashes Extreme Black

MAC is re-releasing another one of their mascaras in an inky, jet-black hue. False Eyelashes Extreme Black ($19) is a lightweight mousse-like mascara. MAC says it promises “the deepest, darkest, richest look imaginable with full, long-lasting coverage.”

Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara

Sometimes, being a sucker for supercute packaging pays off. I finally caved to the pretty pink tube and girly font on Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara ($6), and the product inside was every bit as gorgeous as the case.

Part of the reason this mascara is such a shining star is because of the big, fat wand with densely-packed bristles and a tapered tip. The wand coats each and every lash with inky black color, and simultaneously fattens them up and makes them look miles long.

I love this mascara almost as much for what it doesn’t do as what it does for my lashes. Here’s a quick breakdown and what you can expect when you swipe this on.

MAC Opulash Optimum Black

MAC has re-released their popular Opulash mascara. Opulash Optimum Black ($15) is a bolder, blacker version of the original. They saturated it with black pigment to give you an inky finish, and they also redesigned the brush to maximize its lengthening and thickening ability. Many hailed the original Opulash as a more affordable version of iconic Diorshow mascara, as it boasted many similarities. Optimum Black also has a similarly fat/tapered wand that builds lush, full lashes.

Now, a quick rant: obviously, those lashes on the model in the promo photo above are falsies. MAC is hardly the first cosmetics company to feature falsies in an ad and claim they’re the result of the latest, greatest mascara. In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to think of even one company that doesn’t regularly do that. But I’m getting increasingly annoyed with this. Promoting an impossible — and literally false — standard of beauty is getting out of control. There is a blatant immorality in advertising a product with results that are clearly altered.

Recession Beauty: Maybelline Great Lash Limited-Edition Mascaras

Three fashion icons have breathed new life into Maybelline Great Lash mascara, a drugstore staple for decades. In honor of its 40th birthday, the iconic pink and green tube got a series of makeovers from fashion designers Vivienne Tam, Max Azria, and Tracey Reese. The designers brought their signature styles to the tubes (Azria’s is emblazoned in black fishnet-style lace).

Inside, the same reliable formula remains. In the kits of thousands of professional makeup artists across the globe, this formula will elongate and fatten your lashes for a full, flirty fringe. And at under $7 a pop, these fashionista gems definitely classify as Recession Beauty must-haves.

 Click through to find out where & when to find it, and how you can help celebrate the mascara’s birthday!

Hey, Doll!

Lancome mascaras have a rabid, cult-like following. Don’t mess with a girl and her Definicils! In September, Lancome is launching a new mascara, Hypnose Doll Lashes, which was 7 years in the making. Inspired by the wide-eyed look on dolls, this mascara aims to give you lashes that open up your eyes and make them look downright huge.

This mascara produces to-die-for lashes with a triple-threat.