Two mascaras : Regrets

I think that one of the best things about cosmetics companies and beauty subscription services is that they absolutely love to send out mascara samples. I have so many mascara samples that I will probably never have to buy mascara ever again. I love it because it gives you the opportunity to try out lots of different types of mascara and find the really really good ones. Unfortunately, these two mascaras are not ever going to enter my category of favorite mascaras and keep reading to find out why.

 

GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara : Josie Maran

This mascara is definitely the better of the two mascaras and it's downfall is actually something that can be changed if you're willing to put a little effort forth. Let's start with the one of the good things about this mascara and that would be the GOGO part of the name; it stands for Get One Give One. For each of these mascaras that is purchased, they give one to a cancer patient/survivor and after they've donate 5,000 units, they'll donate $1 of each sale to City of Hope for research and treatment of women's cancers.

Another good thing about this is the formula, which I really genuinely enjoy. It is nice and black and it stays on my lashes all day. It's also made with Argan oil which makes me feel like it's probably a little bit better for my lashes than other mascaras.

Now for the bad: the brush. I do not like this brush whatsoever. The picture does not show exactly how much space is between the bristles, but it's a lot. Whenever I think about volumizing mascaras, I think of a thick brush with strong bristles that gets in between your lashes and coats each individual lash. This brush does not do that... at all. It's decent enough, it works, but it's not a brush that delivers on the volume part of the name. The way to fix this is to take a brush from another mascara and just use it in this mascara. I wouldn't buy this with the recommendation of switching the brush, but if you already have this mascara (or something similar) and hate the brush, try a good ol' switcheroo.

 

Perfect Mascara Full Definition : Shiseido

Another sample that I got through a Sephora order and was really, really excited about. This brush is supposed to have a dual fiber brush that helps reach all of your lashes and defines, gives volume, blah blah  blah. I have a lot of issues with this mascara, the brush being the least of the issues.

Even though the brush is the least of the issues, let's discuss it. It is really weird looking and when coated with mascara, it looks like it's just clumped onto the brush. All of the bristles look like they're touching each other and there is no definition to the brush.

But the formula, the formula is where this mascara really loses me. It's thick, but when I apply it to my lashes, it only looks like a tint and doesn't do much to lengthen or give volume. It also flaked on me! It's been a long time since I had a mascara that flaked and granted it was a bit later in the day, but I looked in the mirror and saw a whole scattering of mascara flakes under my eyes. And the thing that really got me about this formula is that it burned my eyes. I cried while wearing this mascara and I thought maybe it was a mixture of my tears and the mascara, but when I wore it again and washed my face, it burned my eyes again! 

Of course, these are just my opinions and you guys may find out that you absolutely love these mascaras and swear by them for the rest of your lives. What do you think, any of you own one of these mascaras and think differently? Let me know in the comments below!

(all photos by Allison Richardson Photography and not available for use without permission)