Review // Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara

Hello there!
I have been using this mascara for about two weeks so I decided it was time I did a little review.
I picked it up as part of the 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug whilst I was having a bit of a Rimmel overload. I decided to save myself a little bit of money and not buy Maybelline's Falsies. I buy it every single time I buy a new mascara and I just wanted to change brands to see if I could find something cheaper that I love just as much - I am a student after all!

Well, here is my opinion!

Maybelline ‘Volum’ Express The Mega Plush’ mascara review

I picked this little guy up in Target during my trip to America over a month ago. At the time it had not been released in the UK and it was only $5.50. I couldn’t pick it up quick enough! It was a bristle brush (which is fantastic for me – I hate plastic brushes) and of course seriously cheap for a Maybelline mascara. Now I’ve finally run out of my last tube of Falsies, it’s time for this mascara to have a run.

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush mascara - isn't the packaging gorgeous!?

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush mascara - it's a pretty big brush. I'm not quite sure it's as big as Scandal'Eyes though.

According to the Maybelline website:

“Our first gel-mousse mascara with 40% less hard waxes for massive volume with a supple touch. Extra-soft, patented Flexor Brush caresses lashes. Lashes never brittle or flaky.”

            http://www.maybelline.com/products/eye-makeup/mascara/volum-express-the-mega-plush-mascara.aspx

That is a lot to live up to isn’t it? Honestly – I was a tad skeptical. I am a fan of Maybelline mascaras so I guess I was expecting something amazing. Amazing is not what I got unfortunately.

Thinking back, I think I am being a little bit harsh on this mascara – but when you have to pay £8 for it in the UK, I will expect something fantastic.

So first, it has a huge brush – much like Rimmel’s Scandal’Eyes which I found difficult to control. It means that there is a lot of coverage and in theory, only a few strokes are needed for a good effect. The ‘flexor brush’ means that there is very little pressure actually put on your lashes as you apply it. That has got to be good right? Sadly it takes a lot more than a few strokes to get the effect that I want – long, full lashes without clumps.

On the Maybelline website it says ‘do not let dry between coats’ and by God do NOT! If you let it dry it just clumps more. In my opinion this is a very clumpy mascara. Sure, it isn’t as bad as Benefit’s ‘They’re real’ but for a bristle brush it is very clumpy. Due to the mascara actually being a gel, rather than a runnier consistency, you can only work with it when it is wet. I suppose the thicker consistency means it is more prone to clumping too – sucks huh?

However, the one thing I do love is the fact that my lashes are supple and less flaky! Falsies does tend to make my lashes a tad stiff and I do worry about them breaking/falling out when I use an eyelash curler on them but I seriously do not have that worry with this mascara. My eyelashes feel softer and maybe even a little stronger.

Okay, so this mascara does give volume and length (if you work quickly and carefully with it). You have to be so careful at where/how you apply it. If you are, you can get a relatively clump free, long, plumped lash look. If you don’t – well welcome to clump city.

Like I said, I think I’m being a tad harsh on this mascara. It isn’t dreadful. It does what it says on the bottle. I’m just an avid falsies girl. If they could improve the formula so it clumped a little less and put it with the falsies brush – I think they’d have a winner.

Have you tried this new Mega Plump mascara? If you have comment below with your opinion/tips for best application!

Rachael xoxo

Review: Maybelline Falsies Volume Express Mascara

Hey guys!

This is just a quick one but I have a spare ten minutes in between lab work and dying from a god awful cold! I know Maybelline Falsies has been out for ages but I have recently bought it again after a stint with Smashbox's Full Exposure mascara (thank god I ran out). I remember buying the mascara when it first came out and loving it.

The RRP is £7.99 and it is very rare that it is on offer. Luckily, Superdrug have their 3 for 2 offer on so I got three products for £16. I can't really complain about that. Anyway, I love this mascara and keep coming back to it so I thought it really was time I did a review and told everyone how bloody brilliant it is!

The first thing about this mascara is the curved wand. It is still a large applicator but the curve makes it easier to control in my opinion. For example, comparing it with Rimmel's Scandaleyes - half of the mascara was around my eyes from lack of control! I have not had this problem with the application at all with my falsies.

The consistency of the actual mascara is great for me. It is quite runny when it is new, which makes it so easy to put on incredibly quickly. One coat of a fresh bottle will last you all day. After about two weeks or so, the mascara dries out considerably but it is still very usable. It may take slightly longer to apply but I get even less mess when applying it. It takes a lot more layers but in general, the mascara still lasts about two months (for me).

In the plain 'Black' colour, it is very dark. As it is not a smokey black, it looks more natural than perhaps the 'Black Drama' edition of falsies. I find the mascara is very versatile in the fact that if you are pairing it with a smokey eye, it does not look pale in comparison to the rest of the eyeliner/shadow. If it's dark enough for Chanel, it's dark enough for me. (That is a reference to the Chanel eye shadow my flat mate has that I am borrowing way too much. It's such an interesting texture and super pigmented).

Overall, it is a fantastic mascara that I keep coming back to, time and time again. it gives long, full, volumised lashes that do look false - yet natural. It could be improved if the formula could add a little more curve to my eye lashes, but this is fixed with the use of eye-lash curlers before application. This really is a fantastic mascara with great staying power at a reasonable price.

If you are ever stuck on what mascara to get and you want one that will transform your lashes - this is definitely for you!

Rachael xxxx