Most of us know at least one person that was blessed with natural, gorgeous lashes. You know what I mean by this, those long lashes that naturally curl up creating that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed look we all long for. The majority of us, however, were not blessed with those lash gams. We unfortunately have to work very diligently behind our make-up mirrors to create that same effect. What I find to be unfair about this is generally it’s the male species that is blessed with these beauties. What possibly could boys and men need gorgeous lashes for?

Recommending a mascara to someone comes with its own set of challenges, as we all deal with different issues when it comes to our lashes. Many of us also may be looking for a different effect. Some desire volume or some length, while others want both. Some desire dramatic, while others may long for natural looking lashes. With such an abundance of options out there and constant new releases, it makes the mundane task even more difficult. We waste so much time blithely strolling down several cosmetic aisles in search for that ONE holy grail mascara.

Before sharing what my Holy Grail mascara’s are and why I love them so much, I want to share what type of lashes I have, what effect I desire, and what type of product I prefer .. from type of brush, to how wet the product is. Again, I have said many times, I am a performance person. If a product doesn’t perform, it’s gotta go. I have no problem returning an item that does not deliver for me what it claims to do. I recommend you do the same. Hanging on to products that are only so-so probably aren’t going to end up getting used, and are going to continue to create clutter, which is something I think we are all trying to avoid.

MY LASH DILEMMA

I was not blessed with nice lashes. They’re not pathetic or anything like that. I would classify them ‘average’ or ‘normal’. What I mean by this is they are not too light in color; I am naturally dark brown haired, so that makes complete sense. My lashes are not super short, but definitely not long either. They really just aren’t anything, except for one thing …. poker straight! When I say ‘poker straight’, I don’t mean poker straight as in upward … if this makes sense. Mine are poker straight going outward, as in towards the person I’m face-to-face with. There my friends, lyes the love for the eyelash curler. Which by the way, I use two; yes, you heard right, two! Daily, as in one makeup application. Two curlers in one makeup application probably seems pretty high maintenance. But if it’s not broken, you won’t see me trying to fix it. Remember, I am a PERFORMANCE-based gal! Whatever it takes.

MY LASH GOALS

As for the lash effect I am trying to create. In a nutshell …. DRAMA! Anyone surprised? If you watch me on Snapchat, you are well aware that 90% of the time, I have some type of falsies on .. whether it be full or half-strip. In the future, I will do a blog post on my false lash + application method. I do periodically show that on Snapchat. If you don’t follow me there, you may want to until I get my YouTube channel launched. When it comes to my Holy Grail Mascara, what I am looking for is non-clumpy, but thick, long lashes that STAY curled upward all day! Believe me when I say that is a hard feat to accomplish for many mascara’s out on the market, at least it is for my lashes. Throughout the years, I have found some that clearly delivered when it comes to my satisfaction and I will mention all of them below. But because I do enjoy trying new beauty items, sometimes I get away from a product I love just for the sake of trying something new. That is the main reason why I no longer use those ‘oldie-but-goodies’. Other times, it may be that I am trying to save money in the mascara department and opt for a less expensive drugstore mascara. Today, I am showing you the mascaras that are currently in my make-up stash and have been for at least the past year, or longer. I am loving these products, have no desire (at this point) to try anything new, and find that these tubes I currently am using keep me in a budget-friendly territory. As a side note, I’d much rather put my dollar towards active-ingredient skin care or treatments than make-up products, if at all possible.

MY PREFERENCE TYPE

First of all, I do not like a wet mascara. If you don’t know what I mean by this, let me try to explain. There are some mascaras that need to be what I classify as ‘broken-in’. What I mean by ‘broken-in, is they need to be used several times before they are the right amount of wetness. For me to like a mascara from the get-go, it has to be broken-in right from the tube on the first application. None of this extra goop coming off the wand. Trust me, there are both types out there. Let me also say that just because a mascara is ‘broken-in’ or less wet, does not by any means make it deliver less product as a whole. It will last just as long as its ‘wet’ friends. The second thing that I like in a mascara is a straight (not curved) wand. The curve has never done anything for me to begin with. In my world, it’s ‘gimmicky’. But that is my lashes, not necessarily somebody else’s. If your wand is curved and it’s performing for you .. you know my philosophy … keep the product, and don’t turn back.

As for the bristles on the wand, I can’t say my lashes are greatly affected by that feature. For instance, Cover Girl The Super Sizer is a plastic wand with barely-there bristles, but don’t be fooled by the ‘barely-there’, this stuff is the bomb. On the other hand, my Mac False Lashes mascara is made up of hair-type bristles that are tapered towards the tip (no taper at all on the Cover Girl). Completely different brushes, but both perform the same and most importantly, hold my lashes in a curled position all day.

BOTTOM LASHES

I have used the Maybelline Lash Discovery mascara for so many years, I can’t even remember when I first purchased this. I heard about it from the very first Youtuber I followed and she’s still one of my favorites, emilynoel83 from Beauty Broadcast. I love this mascara because it has a mini wand, so it is perfect for those little lashes on the bottom lash line. You can get right up into the tear-duct area with no problem. The wand is more natural bristled but it is straight (no taper). Clinique has one here that is similar, and a lot of people rave about it.  I have never tried it myself because I love this Maybelline one so much, why spend the extra money if I don’t have to?

APPLICATION

1. On non-false lashes days: which are not often. I curl my lashes using the Shu Uemura lash curler, then I apply either the Cover Girl or the Mac. It makes no difference which one. They both perform and get the job done. I would say on these non-falsies days, I probably use the Cover Girl more, as it is a less expensive mascara. Why not go through that tube faster than the more costly one. On False Lash days: I use the Cover Girl mascara first.
2. After applying other make-up and waiting a few minutes, I curl my lashes again, using the same Shu Umera lash curler. If this is a non-falsies day, I apply the same mascara as I did in the first coat. If it is a falsies day, I apply the ‘Mac False Lashes Mascara’.
3. If I am not wearing falsies, I end here. If I am doing falsies, I do a third round of eyelash curling, using the e.l.f. Eyelash Curler. I know this seems like a lot. But like everything in life, once you have something down, you can get the job done relatively fast. I never sit and do NOTHING while curling my lashes. I am always multi-tasking for the few seconds it takes, whether I’m replying to a blog or Instagram comment, or writing something on one of the kid’s task lists .. this is not wasted time in my world. I don’t pay attention to how long I actually curl each time, I just have a feel. It’s probably a good 30 seconds or so, maybe longer.
4. If I am applying these False Lashes, or the Red Cherry #43, this is when I would generally put them on, but not always. Again, I don’t pay much attention. I may wait until I am completely ready, or whatever works. There is no rhyme or reason. Regardless, I always do it after the other three steps.
5. I apply my lower bottom lash mascara after I have my eye make-up completely done, generally two coats. If I am going with a natural eye and no falsies, I generally do not wear any shadow, liner, or mascara on the bottom lash line.

MASCARA: Mac ‘False Lashes’, Cover Girl ‘The Super Sizer’, for the lower lashes: Maybelline ‘Lash Discovery’. Mascaras that I have used & loved in the past: ‘Clinique High Impact Mascara, sold here from Sephora, or here at Ulta, CoverGirl LashBlast Volume, and Chanel Le Volume | LASH CURLERS: Shu Uemura, this one here by Shiseido is the exact curler, and I buy the Shiseido refill pads because I don’t believe Shu Umera makes them. The Amazon link I insterted for the Shu Uemura has a Shiseido replacement pad with it. The second curler I use is this e.l.f one here |  NAILPOLISH (shown above): O.P.I. Look At My Bow | CANDLE: Diptyque ‘Bais’