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A real mom of 4 reviewing various products & services with honesty & integrity. From natural beauty products to household items to groceries - the truth - so you can save dollars, time & sanity. No flames, no games, just a real mom reviewing.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Is Essence Mascara ($3.49) From Ulta Any Good?

So, I have this affliction:
I love makeup but I hate spending money on it.

Many a time have I shelled out pocket change hoping to find the holy grail:
inexpensive yet fabulous makeup.
Many a time have I been sorely disappointed.
But, sometimes, just when I'm ready to give up my treasure hunting days,
I'll find a wonderful product that works like a million bucks,
without the status price tag.
Few & far between, yes...
but it's just enough to keep me hooked!
So, one of my latest acquisitions is
Essence Multi Action False Lashes Mascara
which I bought at Ulta for only $3.49.

What do I expect from mascara?
To darken lashes and make them look longer and thicker
without clumping or leaving me with tarantula eyes.
My dream mascara would make my lashes look significantly longer
and help my lashes to curl better.
Ummm, like so:
*sighing with jealousy*

Well, I figured with this newest wave of
"fiber"-using mascaras I've been seeing that claim
"Like False Lashes Without the Hassle!", that maybe
the powers that be just might have stumbled upon new technology that would
enable my expectations & dreams to come true...and without a makeup counter price. Maybe?

So, like a gullible fish, I bit.
Here are the results of my latest "treasure hunt".

 Above & immediately below,
pics are with 2 coats, slowly & carefully applied for max benefits.
The next 2 pics are with a less carefully applied single coat. 


So, you can look at the pictures yourself to determine if you like the way this mascara looks.
After all, some people like a more "obvious" mascara look, while some prefer a more natural one.
As for me, I didn't like the look with 2 slow, careful coats (top pics). Too much like "tarantula eyes".

The bottom two pics were better, but didn't "wow" in length like I had hoped.
Let me say, however, that this mascara held up great all day long.
It stayed where it was supposed to.
It didn't flake or smudge.
So, for $3.49 it's a GREAT, cheap, everyday mascara.

And if you happen to like very noticeable mascara, this is an inexpensive way to achieve that in 2 slowly, carefully-applied coats.
But it didn't supply me with the ridiculously long, yet non-clumpy look I dream of:
(is it just me or is this obviously air-brushed?)

So, I will use it all up, eventually,
and continue my treasure hunt like a good little pirate.

In the mean time,
I've already bought a new waterproof mascara
 that also promises my dreams will come true. 
After all, I *needed* new waterproof for church (yeah, I cry a lot at church).
But that's for another review! 

Do you have a recommendation for me?
I've had Benefit Cosmetics' "They're Real" ($22) recommended to me,
as well as Tarte's "Lights, Camera, Lashes!" ($19).
What do you think?

Comments are the heartbeat of blogs, so show me the love ;)

 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Almay has one that is VERY good! It called Eyelights or something. Get Black Steel (has small silver flecks in it) If you wanna pay over $20 Stila has one in a silver tube called like Major Major Lashes. Surprisingly New York Color at Rite Aid is good. Collosal Lashes (yellow tube either Maybelline or Covergirl works well if you apply it over their lennthing mascara [orange tube?] its faboluous!

The Real Mom said...

Wow, you must be a product junkie too, LOL! Thanks for the recommendations. I got some almay one time (white tube, forget the name) that was horrid. I only used it a handful of times and trashed it. It may have been old or something. I wonder if the Almay you recommended is better than the Collosal Lashes you also mentioned?

Super Frugalette said...

You take amazing pictures and you definitely captured that mascara. Awesome.

Beloved said...

I am so very product challenged that I genuinely appreciate someone else's efforts. I'm a fan :o), thanks.

The Real Mom said...

Thank you for your compliment, Super Frugalette...I'm inexperienced with the camera, so it means even more to me...thanks!

The Real Mom said...

Beloved, welcome to the Blog! I hope I can help you find things you like & avoid things that are a waste of your hard earned money. Stick around!

Anonymous said...

I like it better than The Colossal Volume Express by Maybelline. Its called Almay Intense i-color. Also if you feel your mascara goes on thick or clumpy putthe tube in hot water while you do the rest of your make-up. When you get to your mascara it will be a nice smooth liquid. Both of these mascaras are good and Hard Candy is also good. It really really stays on.... but you can only get it at Wal-Mart..

The Real Mom said...

That's awesome advice to put the tube into hot water. Never would have thought of that. Also, thanks for the recommendation. I just got a fab deal on a sampler size of Benefit's They're Real, so that will be my next "try"...but maybe later on I'll get to the Almay you recommended. And I'll probably have to try out the water trick very soon on this Essence, because it seems to be getting clumpy quite quickly.

Unknown said...

Hi thanks for stopping by my blog. I didn't know they had Essence in the states. They have Essence here and there are like 6-7 different kinds of Mascara. I also used the one you tried, and it was my least favorite of theirs. Have you ever tried Lancome Precision?

www.notimefortea.com

The Real Mom said...

I've actually not tried *any* Lancome in ages. Wish I could score some of their products for reviewing. Maybe some day....
;)

Ang said...

I think the mascara looks good on you and yes, the ad pictures are way overdone--clearly not human at all!
BTW I used to homeschool all my kids, now it's just the 3 youngest at home--well, 1 is a baby. I do miss it, but with 8 (yes, I have 8 kids!) it was a bit much for me with the other stuff I had to do! But glad you can do it--homeschooling rocks!
Following you back from VB!
Ang

The Real Mom said...

Thanks, Ang, for the compliment. And yes, homeschooling rocks, although it takes a lot out of me. It wasn't too hard when there was only one, then when there were two, I found I could still handle it handily. As the older one made it into high school, the middle one into upper elementary, and the 3rd child was added into the mix via preschool learning, it got more challenging. Now there's a senior, a middle schooler, a 1st grader, and a preschooler & sometimes I feel like I'm running in circles and nobody is learning anything! I don't know how ppl with large families (such as yours) do manage to homeschool. God bless 'em!