Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara

So it's no secret that I like a bit of oomph from my mascaras & I loved the sample of Roller Lash by Benefit that I had in last month's Elle magazine (reviewed here.) but I'll be honest, I don't like forking out nearly £20 on one!  I kept reading online that the new-ish Maybelline Lash Sensational was a very good dupe for the Roller Lash, I though I'd give it a shot for £7.99.

It's the familiar Maybelline bullet shaped packaging, which I'm not that fond of as I find them too bulky & has a similar curved wand with much shorter plastic bristles on the inner curve.  Whilst I find the wand grips the lashes really well, it's probably not quite as good as the Roller Lash wand but it still does a fantastic job!  It just takes a bit of practise to learn which side of the brush is best for what.

This is a side-by-side comparison to the roller Lash wand.  Maybelline is on the left & as you can see, is quite a bit fatter so there is a tendancy for a bit of smudging on the lids - nothing a cotton bud can't sort out though!  You can see the results below.....

This was just with one coat so it's pretty impressive & is my mascara of the moment I think - well, until I crack open my Lancôme Hypnôse that I have stashed away for my holiday!  My daughter loves this mascara too & it's getting great reviews online.  It doesn't smudge during the day & removes easily without next-day-panda-eyes *punches the air!*

Have you tried Lash Sensational yet?

Benefit ~ Roller Lash Super-curling & Lifting mascara

Unless you've been living under a rock these past few weeks, you will/may have noticed the huge amount of press for the newest release from Benefit, the 'super-curling & lifting' Roller Lash mascara.  This is not yet available to buy but you can however, grab a freebie mini version with the March edition of Elle magazine right now!

Now, I wasn't overly impressed by the blogger favourite They're Real mascara by Benefit (read my post here) so I was pleasantly surprised to find I much prefer this one.  The plastic curved wand is styled on velcro rollers with tiny wee hooks that grab, lift & curl the lashes.  I can't comment on the curling effect as my lashes are naturally curled but I will agree that the brush grabs & lifts the lashes with ease.

Unlike the They're Real wand though, the bristles aren't sharp & spiky so it's very comfortable to use & although the formula is quite wet, it's very light-weight & doesn't spread all over the eyelid - result!  It visibly lengthened my lashes but didn't offer a huge deal of volume as you'll see by the following photos but it is super-black.  I've taken shots before, with one coat & with 2 coats so you can see the difference for yourselves!

The burning question is, would I buy the full-sized version when it's released?  To be honest, probably not which is bizarre seeing as I think it's a pretty darned great mascara.  I think someone with straighter lashes would benefit (sorry!!) more from this as I can get the same results from a mascara half the price (L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic, in case you're wondering!)  I will say though that the formula does last 12 hours as it promises, it doesn't flake or smudge & hoo-bloody-ray, it removes very easily, which was my biggest bugbear with They're Real!

Roller Lash will launch in March & will cost £19.50.  Will you be trying it?

  

Benefit ~ They're Real

 

A couple of months ago, I had a mini Benefit They're Real mascara freebie with a magazine (was it Elle?  I can't remember!!)  I've been wanting to try out this blogger favourite for a long time so was eager to try it the next day and......... hmmm, this really didn't live up to the hype for me I'm afraid.

 

 

*Please excuse the cruddy bare-faced photos, I really should've redone them!!*

 

 

Now, to be fair, this mascara offers exactly what it promises & it made my usually short lashes realllly long & separated & for that, I was seriously impressed.  However, it offered no more or better effect than my beloved L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic does but it costs nearly double!  But I had a huge problem with the brush....

 

I'm now more a fan of plastic brushes than before but I found this particular one to be really sharp & spiky.  I like to apply my mascara by getting the bristles right in at the root & wiggling the brush right through the lashes as I find it gives great uplift this way but I'll just say it, this brush bloody hurt!!!  And the bit on the end did nothing except for get in the way & smudge all over the skin at the outer corners of my eyes.

I found the formula overly wet & it seemed to take forever to dry which meant tiny black specks under my eyes & on my eyelids unless I sat for 30 seconds with my eyes shut to let it dry!

However, I could've forgiven these two bugbears as like I said, the result was great but the one thing I couldn't forgive was the complete nightmare in removing it!  This stuff just didn't want to come off & I had to scrub at my lashes to remove - not the best thing for either your lashes or your skin!

I tried 3 different types of eye makeup remover, all of which struggled to remove it (when they are normally excellent at removal) & no matter how clean I eventually though I'd got my lashes, I ALWAYS woke with panda eyes the next day.  Meh!

So sadly, Benefit They're Real has been relegated to the 'disappointing products' drawer & I won't be using it again.  I'm so glad it was a freebie though & I hadn't forked out for a full sized version or I'd have been gutted!!

What are your favourite mascaras?  Have you tried They're Real & loved it?