In today's mascara market, there is always a search for the bigger better thing. We hop from product to product; trying to keep up with the new launches and new promises to make our lashes go from wimpy to wonderful.
Up for battle today we have 3 new heavyweights to the Mascara world, Lancome Oscillation (one of the first mascaras with a vibrating wand), Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes (the world's first mascara brush with a round head) and Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash (a new product designed to give you enviable thickness in the blackest black).
So what are they all about, how do they work, for the small fortune they cost- do they cook you dinner, and which one comes out on top? Find out the answers to these questions and more. Read on to find out :)
Lancome Oscillation- Is that your phone vibrating- nope, its just your mascara. Lancome was one of the first high end brands to offer up a mascara application using a revolutionary concept- a wand that moves so you don't have to. The wiggle method need not apply here, and application is fool-proof, if you can get past the fact that this sucker is buzzing at the push of a button and coming to a cornea near you. This brush comes with a short bristled rubber comb which is intended to grab all them lashes and lengthen like crazy.
So how does this one apply? Simply pull the brush out, position it at the base of your lashes, press the button, and drag it up the lashline. Repeat till you achieve your desired affect. Wiggling or rotating are not necessary here, as the brush does all that for you with the push of a button. Using this gave me impressive length and moderate volume with little to no curl.
Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes- Upon first glance, the brush to this mascara is pretty darned scary. I am not going to lie, the first thing I thought of was a medieval weapon. No way did I want that anywhere near me eye. The spherical brush is designed to grab every single lash and hit it from all angles, resulting in lush, gorgeously curled and separated lashes. Essentially, this mascara is intended to fan out the lashes, and open your eyes up wide.
Getting the hang of this one is tricky. It feels counterintuitive to have this coming nears your eye, and the brushes handle it very thick, making it a little bit difficult to maneuver. The best way to apply this (for me at least) was to hold the brush perpendicular to the lash base and drag up. Unfortunately, wiggling here might result in an eyeful of mascara so move slowly! Once you get the hang of it, you really do grab each and every lash, resulting in an impressive panoramic effect with lashes that are beautifully separated and curled.
Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash- This one is the most like what we are used to in the mascara world. The brush on this is dense and full, with the pigmentation of the mascara gel itself being the blackest black. This mascara is touted as being ultra thickening, with curling and lengthening properties as well.
This mascara is very user friendly. Simply drag the brush up the lashes from the base, wiggling while you work your way up. The result is a lush fringe of lashes in the blackest of blacks.
So which one is the best? That all depends on how you view it. Personally, I feel that each one gives somewhat different results. I feel that the Smokey Lash excelled in volumizing (my personal favorite quality to have in a good mascara) while Oscillation excelled at lengthening, and Phenomen'Eyes excelled at curling and separating.
Here is a handy dandy summary chart:
| Smokey Lash | Phenonmen'Eyes | Oscillation |
| Lengthening | A | A | A |
| Curling | B+ | A+ | B |
| Thickening | A+ | B | B |
| Price | $22 | $28 | $34 (ouch!) |
| Ease of Use | A | C | C |
| Delivery System | A | B+ | B |
| Overall Rating | A | B+ | B |
And because pictures are louder than words, here are some photos for you :)
All are labeled, but in case you can't tell 1st is Givenchy, followed by Lancome and Make Up For Ever. Front and side views provided ;) 2 Coats used :)
I am not going to lie, these are all pretty pricey. I know many of you are devoted to your drugstore mascaras, but I don't get the results I want from those and I am the adventurous sort who needs to be up to date with the latest and greatest (and sometimes most expensive).
Do you need to shell out the big bucks to try these new bad boys and be in the loop? Nah, I do that so you don't have to :) I do recommend you checking these out in person if you are curious, because they are all excellent mascaras, and fun to play with too ;)
;) :winks:
