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Wayback Playback: The Battle of the Mascaras

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It’s been almost four years since I conducted “The Battle of the Mascaras”.

Eek! Where did the time go? Other than the date stamp reminder – the post was first published in October 2008 – I am also quite horrified to acknowledge that I look four years younger in the photo.

Paging Doctor Botox.

But since I receive approximately 10 e-mails per month from readers asking about my preferred beauty brands (especially mascara), I thought now would be a splendid time to dig “The Battle of the Mascaras” out of the vault. Of course, the title is terribly misleading; I don’t actually conduct an epic battle between a variety of mascaras. Just two: a drug store brand and a department store offering. But, they still happen to be two of the most popular products on the market. So without further ado, here you go!

Original Post, circa October 2008:

Since I love trying new face candy, I couldn’t help but snap up a tube of Dior’s DiorShow Iconic Mascara. Touted as the best mascara on the market, I dismissed its $34.00 price tag with hopes of lashes galore. Yet as I walked away with my purchase, a tidal wave of doubt flooded my senses. Did I really need to spend close to $40 on mascara? Is it really so superior to drugstore counterparts? Couldn’t I just be happy with tried and true Maybelline? Will they ever remake Dallas?

So I decided to put my “eye” where my money is and compare DiorShow right next to a leading drugstore mascara. The battle would be fought at 18:00 hours, East eye vs. West eye. The winner was to forever hold the title “Queen of Lash Candy”. The challenger: Cover Girl’s LashExact Mascara. I had heard many good things and concluded it would be a worthy opponent.

(1) Marketing Verbiage

What the two brands have to say about their product:

LashExact: Get no clump, no glob, beautifully-defined lashes. The LashExact brush is a patented technology with bristles that are aligned and clean, so you get the Exact look you want.

DiorShow: Iconic mascara features an oblique cut brush that gives an extra lash-curling effect. With its long, skinny teeth, the plastic comb brush allows you to precisely coat each lash one-by-one-creating a long, separated fan of lashes that usually takes the skill of a makeup artist.

(2) Application & Results

Both mascaras applied surprisingly easily – no clumps, no smears, no tugging. While I was surprised at how precisely CG’s brush coated the lashes, even more shocking was Dior’s ability to bring all my lashes out of hibernation, coaxing each and every one to come out and play. I had almost double the amount of little flirts winking back at me.

(3) Conclusion

Both mascaras lengthened equally, and overall I am happy with both contender’s dramatic effects. But Dior’s ability to seemingly multiply my lashes has me hooked, and in my humble opinion, I concur that it truly is the better mascara. Queen of Lash Candy has been crowned!

Will I re-purchase the mascara at its posh price? Probably not. But I will cherish the tube I have, and save it for those occasions when I want to knock ’em dead at 40 paces.

DiorShow: I Love this Freakin’ Mascara

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It’s been almost two years since I conducted The Battle of the Mascaras, in which I declared DiorShow my clear favourite. (Click to enlarge photo.)

Since then, I’ve lapsed back to drugstore mascaras (Cover Girl LashExact, L’Oreal Double Extend, L’Oreal Telescopic) because frankly, I can’t afford to drop $30+ on something I use so sparingly.

Then, this past April, the lovely Lotus gifted me a tube of the iconic mascara for my birthday (yes, she does rock!) and I coveted it for months before I opened it, doling it out like a stingy lunchlady doles out pasta to make it last.

And it’s still my favourite.

Why do I love it so? It lengthens, thickens, and, ahem, has staying power. Here’s a great example:

This past weekend was the Canadian Thanksgiving. Anticipating an eventful day, I applied my makeup, including DiorShow mascara, early in the morning (about 6:30am). Then, between rushing around, spending time with family and eating WAY too much food, my eyelids were drooping before the sun set. Couple that with a baby who’s going through a growth spurt, and I pretty much fell asleep at 8:30pm. I was knocked out.

I woke up around 4:00am, realizing that I still had my jeans on (thanks for waking me up, Mike) and most of the remnants of my makeup caked to the pillow. I roused myself and went to the bathroom, half heartedly dragging my feet as I changed into PJs. And that’s when I saw my reflection – tousled hair, red, blotchy skin, and PERFECT FREAKIN’ EYES. I love this mascara.

Don’t believe me? Ahem, here’s my 4:00am mugshot…

With almost 24 hours staying power, I can see why it’s worth every penny.

The Stocking Stuffer Series

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This year I’m going to try something new… drum roll please… it’s the Listen to Lena! Stocking Stuffer Series!

Since shopaholics tend to justify every purchase with “I can use it as a stocking stuffer” – regardless of the time of year – I figured it’s the right time to start blogging about fabulous stuffer-type goodies I come across. I’ll keep the prices low and the selection varied since I know we all have many loved ones to shop for, big and small.

I’m a HUGE fan of inexpensive but thoughtful gifts, so this is going to be FUN!

First things first, let’s define stocking stuffer:

1. A relatively small present, usually under $30, placed in a stocking at Christmas
2. A multi-purpose gift that can be presented to colleagues, friends or “just because”
3. A gift you purchase with the intent of giving someone else, but actually keep for yourself because it’s so kick a** you can’t bear to part with it (even though it will sit in your vanity for 2 years untouched before you eventually gift it to your dry cleaner or hair dresser)

The first item in the Stocking Stuffer Series (SSS) would have to be anything from The Body Shop’s 2 for $10 sale. Seriously, you can’t go wrong, especially if you’ve got a teacher, teenager or televangelist to shop for.

Next up: this bounty of makeup candy I found at Sephora.com, on sale for USD $27:
LashStash Mascara Deluxe Sampler ($104 Value)

What it is:
A kit featuring Sephora’s most “wanded” mascaras for the lash results you desire.

What it does:
There is no need to wish upon a star this holiday now that Sephora is making all of your beauty-full dreams come true. With five new limited edition sets of deluxe-sized essentials – all for a pretty price less than $30 – we are creating holiday magic! Whether you are shopping for the gal pal who loves the glam or the little sis who needs an accelerated makeup lesson, Sephora Holiday Favorites are guaranteed to please.

This set contains:
– 0.16 oz Hourglass Superficial Lash
– 0.09 oz Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara
– 0.13 oz Korres Abyssinia Oil Volumizing and Strengthening Mascara
– 0.14 oz Benefit A Little Bit BADGal Lash Mascara
– 0.20 oz Smashbox Lash DNA
– 0.03 oz Laura Mercier Thickening and Building Mascara
– 0.07 oz Fresh Supernova
– 0.10 oz Sephora Lash Stretcher
– 0.14 oz Tarte 4 Day Stay Lash Stain
– 0.12 oz Cargo LashActivator

Okay, straight up, I would die if I found this in my stocking. I can’t think of a single makeup junkie who would not love to experiment with all these different mascaras. HOT.

I believe this item is available in-store as well, but don’t think it will stick around until Christmas at that price. Hurry.

Click here to shop at Sephora.com.