Going Batty

Photo by CoverGirl

As my husband can tell you (while rolling his eyes and sighing heavily, I'm sure), I have recently been on a borderline-obsessive hunt for something that, apparently, did not exist: a(n inexpensive) mascara that BOTH lengthens and volumizes. Seriously, you would not think this would be that hard. You would be wrong. I can find tons that do one or the other, but very few that do BOTH! For a while, I used Rimmel Glam Eyes ($7.79, Walgreen's)for length, then put on a coat of the CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe ($7.79, Walgreen's) for volume. It worked, but that's a real pain, and you're paying for two mascaras. I also tried the Fresh Magic Wands Mini Mascara Duo ($10, Sephora), and they're fabulous--I look like I have on fake lashes!--but they're super tiny, and the full size set is really expensive ($51 total, Sephora). Plus, it's still two mascaras. That said, they're totally worth it because they're gorgeous, I'm going to replace mine when I run out, and I could write an entire post devoted to their fabulousness, but this is a search for ONE mascara that does both, so moving on.

So far, the best I could find (on the recommendation of an uber-talented cosmetologist friend) was Buxom Lash ($18, Sephora). It's pretty darn wonderful at lengthening and volumizing, and the price isn't terrible. It's the mascara I ended up using all through the Night Shift shoot, and I've been very happy with it. You don't get the false eyelash look you get with the Fresh Magic Wands, but you do get defined, long, full lashes. It's a very pin-up girly look (appropriate, since Buxom names all their products after pin-up girls), since it makes your lashes really pop. It's great for a night out, theatrical performances, or any time you really want your lashes noticed. My only gripes with it are that the wand is too big and cumbersome, and it's not waterproof, so I do have to stay on the look out for raccoon eyes. Both things I can live with.

However, the nice people at BzzAgent asked me if I would be interested in trying the new CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion mascara. It's billed as "COVERGIRL'S first ever volume+length mascara", so I figured, why not? Let's see how the $9 mascara stacks up to the one that's twice the price. Plus, it's a free sample, so I'm not out anything except possibly looking a little sleepy one day if it doesn't work.

Wow. That's really all I can say. This stuff rocks. Now, before I go any further, let me remind you that BzzAgent doesn't require that I advertise the products I try. If I don't like them, I can either voice my opinion (of course) or keep my mouth shut (not bloody likely). Doesn't matter. If I do like something, though, I'm encouraged to let folks know. I like this. I'm letting you know. This. Stuff. Rocks.

The Pros: Doll lashes. Long, full, flirty, seen from across the room lashes. I curled mine, and they actually look like they're touching the brow bone. I kid you not. Also, I've had it on all day, in crazy heat and humidity, through a grueling voice lesson, and I'm not Rocky Raccoon. Amazing.

The Cons: The tube is huge and takes up a ton of space in my make-up case. It's also not the most comfortable thing to hold.

The In-Between: It's not waterproof, but it is "smudgeproof, flakeproof, and rubproof" according to CoverGirl. As I said, I haven't had any smearing or running. It's also not the darkest mascara ever. I got the darkest shade, Very Black, and it's nowhere near as dark as Buxom, but really, that can be too dark for everyday wear, so it's really your call on that.

All in all, I give it about an 8/10. $8.99 suggested retail price, available at drugstores, grocery stores, mass retailers and online.