Finally, the Perfect Mascara!

Confession time: Back when I was a major makeup novice (which included the bulk of my high school years, sadly), mascara probably scared me most of all. In fact, a shrink probably would've diagnosed me with mascaraphobia because I was too afraid to actually try the stuff, let alone figure out which was my favorite. So I'd wear eye shadow, foundation and blush, but not a single swipe of mascara. Sad, huh?

Given that I'm a bit of a klutz, I was irrationally convinced I was going to stab my eye with the wand or end up looking like Tammy Faye Bakker with those scary thick spider lashes.

And when a friend of mine said it's best to curl your lashes before applying mascara, that didn't exactly help the cause. After all, I was convinced the eyelash curler was a medieval torture device, and I was its next victim.

Given my love of beauty products these days, (and trust me, my makeup trunk overfloweth) it's hard to believe that I was ever afraid of an eyelash curler, let alone mascara. In fact, if stranded on the proverbial desert island, I'd definitely include both in my survival makeup bag's must haves because it does so much for your overall look. Whether you're sick, tired or just need a little perking up, everyone looks 900% better with curled lashes and mascara in my opinion.

But I must say, finding the perfect mascara has been something of a 16-year quest. Talk to any of your  girlfriends, and chances are, they have major mascara convictions. While some swear by Great Lash (you know the ubiquitous pink and green tube from your favorite drugstore), others strongly prefer Clinique, Lancome (and those free gifts with purchase certainly don't hurt their cause) or the Estee Lauder variety with the crazy vibrating brush.

But after trying a gazillion different kinds over the years, (yes, even the ones with the funky, funky brushes) I thought I'd finally found my mascara soulmate with DiorShow's very black. But after a few weeks, I started noticing some major skid marks under my eyes by the end of the day, so I decided we weren't meant to be after all. Sigh.

Funny enough, I wasn't even really looking for a new mascara when I came across Sephora's Atomic Volume. See, I'd ordered some Smashbox Primer and a new lip gloss, and it just happened to be one of the free samples. So naturally,  I couldn't resist giving it a whirl.

And I'm so glad I did. Not only does the clever little brush separate each and every lash and make them super, super long without being Lady GaGa-esque, but you can even use it on your bottom lashes and not see a single clump. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.

Before I decided it was absolutely perfect, however, I gave it a three-week test run. And each and every day, after a quick curl with my trusty Shu Uemura, it looks absolutely perfect—all day long—whether your day includes a workout, Texas humidity, rain, whatever. And while it's certainly more spendy than Maybelline ($15), it's not Dior expensive, so that makes it a winner in my book, too.

Comments

[Chris Neblett]

Ok, this post makes me so happy- someone else who also loves mascara (although I think it probably does apply to most women), but has had trouble finding "the perfect one"- Years ago, I was in love with Maybelline Illegal Lengths, which they sadly discontinued, and have been in the hunt for a new favorite ever since. My current favorite has been CG Lash Blast in the yellow tube, and even though I like it, it has not stopped me from cheating on it with various others on the side trying to find one even better. Cue your blog. :) I was at the mall today and stopped by the Sephora counter all excited to buy the Atomic Volume and. . . they were sold out! The word has gotten out, this stuff must be good! :) I'll let you know how it goes when I do get my hands on it. This long winded comment was all just to say--"Thanks for the tip!" :)

[Christa]

Love, love, love your long-winded comment. Always great to meet fellow mascara enthusiasts. And trust me, the Sephora Atomic Volume will change your life. I'm pretty sure they are still available online if you didn't have any luck at the store. :)

[Cherry]

Ok, so I got here by chance!! I read your review of Karate Kid and really enjoyed it. So I said to myself, "who is this person"? Then I clicked on a link that led me to your blog. I'm thrilled about the mascara write up. I go through so many bottles of mascara that I don't even know whose I'm buying anymore. I also use it til the bottle is crack dry empty-I think because I fear buying a new one and having to take the time to determine which brand will make them: thicker longer,fuller, extended and staying separate. whheew! anyways, thankyou, I think I'll subscribe now!!

Cherry

[Christa]

So glad you're reading, Cherry!!! :)And I'm with ya, it's not easy finding the perfect mascara to do all those amazing things...