We try before you buy! This week, Dose.ca editors put four popular brands of mascara to the test. Find out which ones we loved – and which ones will never come near our peepers again!
Lancôme Hypnose Drama (suggested retail price: $31)
"This one delivers on length, as well as volume. And while I can say that three out of the four we tested can provide that same combo, the Lancome was the sole mascara to plump my lashes without the threat of clumps. The mascara itself, however, is much more fluid than the others -- which for me meant a very messy first application. You'll want to have something ready for blotting if this one's in your make-up bag. One extra odd detail: this stuff is scented (because apparently eyelash odour is something I need to be worried about now). Rating: 4/5" – Leah Collins, music editor, Dose.ca
"The Lancôme certainly enhanced the length of my lashes more than any of the others, but it doesn't volumize my lashes so much as look like they're coated in way too much mascara – and that's after only one coat. I had to fix a few clumps, too; I'd hate to see what it looked like if I reapplied. Rating: 1/5" – Kat Angus, TV editor, Dose.ca
"Hypnose Drama gave me a very dramatic look, though it seems to enhance length rather than volume. I've used the older version (Hypnose) and the only difference I could see with Drama is the brush, which is now curved. The product is slightly watery, making it a bit difficult to apply (maybe I'm just a klutz, but both times I tried it I ended up smudging some on my top lid). Rating: 4/5." – Jen McDonnell, managing editor, Dose.ca
"The Lancôme was my second favourite; while some others said that theirs was too watery, I found it to be quite thick. It helped me achieve thicker looking lashes with a few coats. While it did leave a few clumps, that was easy to overlook with my new, pumped up lashes. It lasted all day but when it came time to take it off, it was a cinch! Rating: 4/5." – Miranda Furtado, style editor, Dose.ca
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Joe Fresh Waterproof (suggested retail price: $6)
"If you want drama, you're probably not going to be buying something called Joe anyway, now are you? This formula may go on clean, dry fast and live up to its waterproof promise, but it offered next to no effect for me -- a little bit of length, and barely noticeable volume. As for the wand, it seemed flimsy and in peril of snapping from the lid as soon as I first opened the bottle. Rating: 2/5." – LC
"They're really not kidding about it being waterproof – getting the Joe Fresh mascara off of my face took a lot of scrubbing with my eye makeup remover. But I can't deny that my eyes really popped and it was nice that I didn't have to worry about rubbing the mascara off if I needed to scratch the corner of my eye or something. Still, I worry that the vigorous removal process could result in some missing eyelashes if done regularly. Rating: 4/5" – KA
"This mascara featured the most basic-looking brush of the bunch, but it gave my lashes the most dramatic length of all the products I tested. It was easy to apply and it only took one or two coats to make my lashes pop. The most impressive thing about this one was that it didn't flake or bleed, even after I put eye drops in. Of course, I was not so happy with its durability when it came time to take it off. It didn't even budge when I applied by usual, water-based makeup remover. I had to break out my intense, cream-based remover, and even that required extra rubbing. Still, the dramatic length makes this mascara my favourite of the ones we tested – well worth the extra elbow grease required to remove it. And if I didn't remove it before bed, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't have woken up with raccoon eyes. Once this sucker is applied, it's not going anywhere! Rating: 5/5." – JM
"Joe mascara was once my go-to choice and at $6 it's a pretty easy investment. However, I've owned 3 tubes and each one of the brushes have come unglued from the cap -- leaving me trying to hold just the stick of the wand. That fact alone cost it some points. Rating: 3/5." – MF
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CoverGirl Lash Blast (suggested retail price: $10.99)
"The applicator on this one is as close as you're going to come to applying your mascara with a toothbrush -- and it turns out that's not a bad thing. My eyelashes achieved the same totally popping length and volume with the Lash Blast as they did with Lancome's Hypnose Drama -- but unlike that formula, the Lash Blash dries quickly, so you don't have to worry about instant-raccoon eyes after applying. Its thickness can cause it to gum up your lashes at times, but that's nothing a little practice and care can't fix. Rating: 4/5." – LC
"As far as low-priced mascaras go, CoverGirl Lash Blast is probably the best – it enhanced my eyelashes just fine, and while I got a few clumps with a brand new tube, that stopped after I'd used the wand a few times. The final look was acceptable; not incredibly dramatic, but it didn't look bad either. Lash Blast wasn't my favourite of all the mascaras I tested, but considering the price, it's probably the one I'll use on a regular basis. Rating: 3/5" – KA
"This is usually my daily go-to brand (I switch it up between Lash Blast and Maybelline's Falsies), so I knew what to expect with this one. The brush is huge and does a great job boosting the volume by separating your lashes. One caveat: makeup artists recommend throwing out your mascara after three months, but you're usually able to push it a little. Not with this product; I've found that after a few months, it becomes clumpy and harder to apply. Luckily, the price point makes it easy to replace frequently without hurting your wallet. Rating: 3/5" – JM
"While the Lash Blast did a fabulous job of separating my lashes, I really couldn't get the pumped up look that Drew Barrymore sports in the commercial. Rating: 2.5/5." – MF
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L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen - Extreme Volume (suggested retail price: $14.49)
"This one promises lash-plumping, but all I got was clumping. I partly blame the unique brush. Fat and twisted in a spiral shape, it's difficult to remove the excess mascara you don't want mucking up your perfect lashes. Rating: 3/5." – LC
"Out of the four mascaras, I found the L'Oreal to be the best overall. While it may not have given my eyelashes the most volume, it did give them a definite boost – but, most importantly, my lashes still looked completely natural. There were no clumps and I didn't have to do any post-application eye-lash separation. It wasn't difficult to remove, either. Rating: 4.5/5" – KA
"The brush on this one is shaped like an hourglass and dumps a lot of product on your lashes with one stroke, making it difficult to apply without getting clumps. It certainly amps up the thickness of your lashes (though it doesn't do much for the length). Even though it lasted throughout the day and didn't flake much, it was my least favourite because I could never quite master the application. Rating: 2/5." – JM
"This was my favourite by far. It was easy to apply; it was thicker -- which gave me lush, long lashes with only one swipe of the wand. I decided that if one coat was going to give me such an impact – why not try multiple coats? The result almost made it look like I was wearing false eyelashes! If L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara was a man, I'd propose to it. Rating: 5/5." – MF
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