L'oreal Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara Review

My current mascara is starting to dry up (who knows how long I've had it...certainly longer than the recommended 3-5 months) so it was time to buy a new one! I watched a few overviews and read a few reviews but didn't find anything particularly helpful as far as which one to buy. Past favorites include the Sexy Curves, Glam'Eyes, and Scandaleyes from Rimmel London. Scandaleyes gave the best volume, but I wanted to try something new (I'm not a fan of how thick the grip portion of the wand is).

The biggest problem I run into with mascaras is that the majority of them focus a lot on lengthening. As you'll see from the pictures below, I don't need any length beyond my natural lashes. I do however, need quite a bit of help in the volume department since my lashes are sparse.



I skimmed the beauty aisles in Target after work and ended up picking L'oreal's  Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen mascara in Waterproof 695 Blackest Black. From past experience, I find that non-waterproof mascaras seem to do better in the volume department. Unfortunately I'm stuck with wearing waterproof mascara for the foreseeable future since my eyes water quite a bit.

if you're interested in what the back packaging says...

I'm just going to throw this out there: I'm a huge sucker for packaging. I love the sleek, minimalistic, and modern design of the tube! The grip is on the large size but not as big as some other mascaras

The clear blue plastic is a nice touch

As you can see, the brush is not completely even; there is some contouring reminiscent of Rimmel London's Sexy Curves or the Fairy Drops mascara.

Bare lashes! I wasn't kidding when I said they were long. (say hi to my big forehead lol)

Right eye: No curling (forgot to take a picture of my bare lashes for this side, oops)

Left eye: Curled 

Uncurled vs. Curled

Right eye: curled after mascara application

I really want to like this mascara, but I know I can do better. There is a bit of flaking during application but it didn't appear to flake throughout the day. Removal is the same as other waterproof mascaras that I've used. The formula is wet, but dries quickly. A big turnoff for me are those tiny little clumps at the tips of my lashes. There isn't any clumping, even with curling my lashes after applying the mascara. I think this mascara could be good for someone with shorter lashes, but it gives my long lashes a spidery look which I don't care for. It did hold the curl  fairly well throughout the day, so that was nice. I will have to curl my lashes each time I wear this mascara to get the best look, so I'm bummed about that.

Overall I give this mascara a 3/5 ; it does the job but I can certainly find something better for the price I paid (~$6USD).

-Mary