Favourite Mascaras

petek, avgust 26, 2016


I get asked what my favourite mascara is a lot and I always answer immediately listing three mascaras that are just made of pure awesome. Before I start with listing I'll note my preferences when it comes to mascara. I have relatively long lashes that refuse to stay curled, mostly because they spent half of my life squished behind glasses (an actual split formed believe it or not) and that's actually the reason I started using a lash curler so early in my teens. So top priority for me is that the mascara holds a curl, which so far I've only found waterproof mascaras that do that, so this list is mostly made out of such formulas, but I did include a couple of regular formulas that impressed me at the end. I love big lashes, but I'd never replace definition for a clumpy look.


This is without a doubt my favourite budget mascara and there is very little that sets it apart from my other favourites. It's a mascara that starts performing perfectly the day you open. The brush is very big and bushy, so it's a classic volumising mascara, but since it's a waterproof formula, it's not messy, which means there is much less chance of clumping that at regular formulas with such a brush. It makes my lashes look massive, separates to a degree, it doesn't smudge or flake and best of all it hold my lashes curled all day. Like all the mascaras on this (waterproof) list, it looks pretty much just like applied at the end of the day. It's only minor minus is the Barbie packaging, but I can live with it.


Years ago Helena Rubinstein Lash Queen Feline Black mascara was the only one I found that managed to hold my stubborn lashes curled, but it wasn't the easiest to track down at the time, so I once decided to try Lancome's version instead and I found a dupe for my favourite. So far this is my top choice in mascara, though the formula is about the same as Essence's, so very volumising and lengthening, but the main difference is the brush, which is more manageable and separates a lot better. It is very expensive though, so it's more of a perk than something I'd repurchase regularly since I found cheaper mascara options that work so similar.


I despised this from the start because the formula was so thin that it didn't do anything other than stuck my lashes together, making it look I have just a half of them. But on a random 8th day, it just started performing like a proper HG mascara. It has a plastic comb which has longer bristles on the outside of the arch and shorter on the inside, and the idea is to use the shorter bristles first, however, I do it the opposite, so I define the lashes first with the outward bristles, only then use the shorter bristles to add volume. It gives me massive lashes, though despite the plastic brush not perfectly defined, but good enough and it holds the curls amazingly well. Now that it's drier I often use this one to define the lashes first and then apply Essence's mascara.


REVLON Ultra Volume waterproof mascara 
Over the last few months this mascara truly grew on me. Despite the name it's a very defining mascara that makes your lashes look like they are naturally perfect because it catches every individual lash, but doesn't coat them with too much product and doesn't clump them together. It holds the curl all day and it's another mascara I use first before adding a very volumising coat. The brush is the most classic one of all, so no flashy design and yet it works similarly to plastic ones.

Two honourable mentions:

While I use waterproof mascara on days when I need to look good, on down days, I use regular mascaras and so far this one is my absolute favourite. Many mascaras give plenty of volume and length (the budget of budget versions' Essence Princess mascara is excellent), but very rare ones are actually able to lift the lashes at least a bit and this one is one of them. The brush is absolutely massive, so this is not a mascara for those with short lashes and it's a plastic one, so naturally you'd expect a light, defining formula, but you'd be wrong because this is a super volumising and defining mascara. I never thought I'll truly love a regular formula mascara, but this one is pretty impressive.


Max Factor's and this one works similarly, but more people might like it because the brush is smaller and less harsh. Again is a very volumising, lengthening formula and it also manages to lift my lashes about half-way, which is impressive for a regular mascara. The packaging is too die for pretty as well, but neither Max Factor's nor Physicians Formula's are cheap for drugstore mascaras.


Another question I get often is how I remove waterproof mascaras. It's no big deal, you just use an oil-based remover, but it of course takes more effort than regular mascara. Any of those two-phased ones (every skin care brand has them - Maybelline, L'Oreal, Clarins, Green Line, Afrodita…) or even a regular oil will work (I use coconut oil, but you can use any body oil you might have or olive oil). Oil cleansers are also an option, such as L'Occitane Immortelle or Shea cleansing oils, The Body Shop's, L'Oreal's, Balea's and many others.



My lash curlers also deserve a mention in this post. I use Shiseido's the Makeup Eyelash Curler and they've been my trusted companion for a few years now. I have small eyes that have big arch on the top, so most eyelash curlers miss the ends of my lashes, but these are excellent despite being a flatter shape than for example Tana's than  used before. The quality is outstanding, after years of regular use nothing is loose and I still have the same pad, while on Tana's they got cut after a few months. They are an investment, but are completely worth it. 

I'd love to hear about your favourite mascaras. Have a great day!

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24 comments

  1. Super objava! Sama sem pred kratkim kupila mini verzijo Better then sex maskare od Too faced in je fenomenalna! Se nikoli nisem imela tako velikih in opaznih trepalnic. Naslednja bo waterproff verzija... Janja

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    1. Hvala <3 Za Too Faced mascaro sem slišala ogromno pohval in me mika, ampak menda je samo originalna dobra, vodoodporna pa ne da toliko volumna. Upam, da to ni res oz. da ni večje razlike :)

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    2. Očitno sem bila jaz edina ful razočarana nad njo, pa sem imela original. Sicer pa ko boš naslednjič pobrskaj še malo za Kiko maskarami, nasploh me precej navdušijo!

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    3. Nisi bila edina :) Sem brala nekaj slabših ocen, ampak seveda je vseeno velik hit :) O Kiko maskarah pa sploh še nisem kaj dosti slišala. Hvala za priporočilo :)

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  2. Tvoj trepalnice so omg dolge :D. Luck you ;). Moja HG je trenutno še vedno Maybelline Lash Sensational, ampak kar navadna verzija. Edina do zdaj, ki mi lepo drži zavihanost. Pred leti sem oboževala L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes (zlata embalaža). Trenutno se navdušujem nad Catrice Lash Dresser Comb maskaro, ki ima čudovito definicijo in dokaj dobro drži zavihanost. Naključje, da je embalaža istih odtenkov kot Maybelline Lash Sensational?! :D Preizkušam še Benefit They're Real, pa se še ne morem odločiti če mi je všeč ali ne.

    To Essence imam še vedno doma, pa se kar ne morem spraviti zraven. Mislim, da sem jo dvakrat preizkusila pa mi ni bila všeč. Premalo volumna. Pa odstranjevanje teh vodoodpornih maskar je zame nočna mora. Že tako sem nestrpna pri odstranjevanju makeupa :).

    Jaz imam še vedno Shu Uemura eyelash curler. Mi zajame vse trepalnice, čeprav mi tiste v kotih nekako vedno upadejo, ali pa jih ne zaviham dovolj. Sem že razmišljala, če naj preizkusim Shiseido. Imam nekje podobno obliko ok kot ti, vsaj zgornji lok.

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    1. No, vsaj nekaj imam v tem lajfu :D Čeprav ko sem primerjam z nekaterimi drugimi blogerkami, se mi zdi, da nimam kaj specialno dolgih. Sensational bi pa res lahko preizkusila navadno, sploh ker je malo cenejša od MF, samo ne vem, če si želim res tvegat. Million Lashes sem tudi jaz uporabljala leta in mi je bila odlična, edino trepalnice mi ni držala zavihanih. Od Catrice je res nekam sumljivo barvno podobna Maybellinovi :)

      Od Essence je kar suha v primerjavi z navadnimi maskarami, ampak na meni še vedno ustvari veliko volumna. Odstranjevanje je pa bitch, to je res :)

      Shu nisem nikoli videla v živo, ampak so bile v ožjem izboru ko sem kupovala klešče (plus še od Kevyn Aucoin). Če se mi kotički zdijo premalo zavihani uporabim Panasonicov električni curler, ampak je to zelo redko :)

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  3. I loved your choices! I didn't know that essence one was so good, I'll definitely give it a go xx

    Sofia | www.theglamchapter.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you :) Essence has some of the best budget mascaras, both regular and waterproof versions. The ones that impressed me the most so far are from the I <3 Extreme line (their pink one and this blue one), my cousin loves Get Big Lashes and I also like Princess Lash :)

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  4. Meni pa se zdijo tvoje oči nadpovprečno velike.
    Tudi meni je essence maskara super.

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    1. Res? Meni se ne zdijo nič posebnega :D Ja, Essence ima kar nekaj biserov med maskarami, ampak tale je pa res odlična :)

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  5. Thanks for suggesting a mascara from Essence. I'll definitely look into that one. :)

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    1. Essence has some great mascaras and they are worth checking out :)

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  6. Aaah. <3 Vedno znova občudujem te tvoje krasne, dolge trepalnice. <3 Se strinjam s Petro - lucky you! :P
    Tudi jaz od maskare vedno zahtevam, da mi trepalnice drži zavihane in da mi jih podaljša. :) Nimam sicer zelo dolgih trepalnic, niti krajši in res izgledajo precej dolge, če so privihane,tako da mi zavihanost pri trepalnicah nuuujna. :) Se strinjam s tabo - kar se tiče privihanosti mi vodoodporne naredijo daleč najboljši efekt. :) Edine nevodoodporne, ki so mi res všeč so od L'oreala. Daleč najbolj zavihane mi zaenkrat drži ta rdeča verzija - Volume Million Lashes Excess. :)) Sem pred kratkim porabila tudi L'orealovo vododoporno Volume Million Lashes in sem dejansko ugotovila, da mi navadna rdeča bolje drži zavihanost in je tudi bolj vzdržljiva kar se tiče roka trajanja. Tako da me L'orealove vododporne zaenkrat ne prepričajo. :/

    Pri vodoodpornih pa mi zmaga Avon Big&Daring in trenutno se navdušujem nad ta novo od L.O.V GuiltEyes fan effect. Pred dnevi sem jo ravno začela testirat in mi naredi noroooo dolge in privihane trepalnice. :)) pa lepo jih loči in ni nobene zlepljenosti, tudi če nanesem kakšno plast več. :) Ponavadi mi trepalnice po tuširanju (verjetno zaradi pare) pri večini vodoodpornih kar začnejo dol padat. Pri L.O.V pa ostanejo cel dan privihane. Zaenkrat sem navdušena. <3
    Se pa tudi meni zdi, da uvijalec res naredi občutno razliko, si ne morem predstavljat, kako se lahko pred leti živela brez njega. Edina težava, ki jo imam včasih je,da si ne morem tako lepo zavihat trepalnic v zunanjem kotičku in se moram malo bolj potrudit. :P
    Me pa na splošno pri vodoodpornih maskarah moti, da se občutneje prej posušijo, napram navadnim in jih moram po 2eh, maximalno 3eh mesecih zavreči. :/
    Po tej tvoji objavi me mika še Lancome Hypnose. <3 Na Salmi so njihove maskare malo cenejše, tako da si jo enkrat zagotovo privoščim. :)

    Sorry za dolg komentar, o maskarah in trepalnicah bi res lahko klepetala tam v tri dni. :P

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    1. Hvala <3 Ja, zavihanost tudi pri meni naredi ogromno razliko, ker ko so ravne izgleda kot da nimam trepalnic. L'Orealova Million Lashes WP tudi meni ni bila všeč, rdeče pa še nisem preizkusila.

      L.O.V maskare sem gledala samo na press releasu, sem pa opazila, da je par vodoopornih opcij. Še čakam, da pride stojalo k nam :)

      Meni se pa vodoodporne maskare ne sušijo tako hitro, ne vem zakaj :)

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  7. Oh, uau, kakšne trepalnice <3 Sama trenutno uporabljam Lancomovo, pa... me ne navduši =/ Vse jo hvalite, mene pa pusti hladno. Saj ni slaba, ni pa, da bi dol padla od navdušenja ;) Ena izmed boljših, kar sem jih preizkusila je W7, tale ;)

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    1. Hvala :) Lancomova je sicer zelo priljubljena že desetletja, ampak ni za vsakega.
      Od W7 jih pa še nisem preizkušala :)

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  8. Great choices! I love Maybelline Lash Sensational too, I went through mine really fast, gotta get a new one :) x

    | www.noirettediary.com |

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    1. Sensational really was a hit from Maybelline, but their recent one, the Push Up Falsies, is the worst mascara I tried.

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  9. Nujno moram poskusiti od Revlona :D

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    1. Kolikor so mi bile za časom pred prenovo, me je tale res prijetno presenetila :)

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  10. Hvala za tako super objavo! Vodoodporne maskare so res PITA za odstranjevat, ampak brez njih ne morem. :D Sem dodala Revlon pa Essence na WL. :)

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    1. Revlonova celo ni tako težka za odstranjevat kljub vodoodpornosti :) Me je prijetno presenetila :)

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  11. I enjoyed the post :). I`ve got Lash Sensational and I really like it, it makes my lashes look thicker and longer, in other words - this mascara does its job very well. Maybelline`s Rocket is also excellent in my opinion. Kristina

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    1. Thank you :) I always planned to try Rockets version, but so far I hadn't had a chance

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