Prestige: My Biggest Lashes!

I may have found my HG mascara. Exciting, right!? Mascara is one of those things that for some people is a no brainer; they buy a drugstore favorite and love it as much as any higher-end mascara they've ever tried, or can't tell the difference. I have always been envious of those people! I don't know if it's a difference in body chemistry or the natural state of my lashes, but I have bad luck with popular formulas. The Maybelline and Cover Girl stand-bys have never worked for me; they get clumpy or flaky or they just don't make my lashes look volumized or longer. DiorShow is beautiful on, but (aside from the obvious issue: the cost) it flakes on me! Benefit Bad Gal was a long-time favorite, but after awhile I realized it wasn't giving me lashes that were as impressive as I wanted. I tried one of the Sephora sets that had 15 or so trial-sized mascaras in it, and fell in love with Fresh Supernova mascara. It's still a favorite of mine; it gives me lightweight, soft lashes that are defined, but more natural looking than I prefer. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes gives me gorgeous, dramatic lashes, but it flakes when it's new, and my lashes are pretty crispy with it. Likewise, Lancome Hypnose, a favorite from years ago, didn't do it for me once I returned to try it out again.  I've been bouncing around between formulas for quite awhile, unable to find one that had it all.

What exactly was I looking for in a mascara? I wanted one that would lengthen, define, and volumize without flaking, clumping, or getting crunchy. I was also hoping to find one at a drugstore price-point; I know a lot of people say it's something you shouldn't have to spend department store prices on, even though in the past I'd had better luck with pricier formulas. Finally, I have somewhat sensitive eyes, and a lot of drugstore mascaras would make me feel like I perpetually had something in my eye. I read a rave review of Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara on Nouveau Cheap's blog and decided to give it a shot. Prestige isn't a brand I'd paid much attention to, but I had recently bought an eyebrow pencil from them on a whim that I loved, so I thought I'd go for it.  G. (the blogger behind Nouveau Cheap) seemed to have the same concerns regarding mascara that I did, which made me really think that this was a mascara worth trying out if she loved it. Lo and behold, it's amazing! I think it's very comparable to Fresh's Supernova mascara, or Clinique's High Impact mascara with just a hint more drama. It might not be false-eyelashes amazing, but it's everything I want and need in a mascara. Although I probably should figure out how to use false eyelashes one of these days!

You can find Prestige at Rite-Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond; I got my tube of mascara at Rite-Aid, but realized it was about a dollar cheaper at Bed Bath & Beyond. Oh well, live and learn! It comes with .46 ounces of product, and you should be able to find it for right around $6, depending on where you purchase it. I bought mine in Very Black, and it gives me soft, defined lashes that are lengthened and volumized. They also have formulas specifically for lengthening and darkening lashes; if I get bored with My Biggest Lashes, I might try layering their formulas for an even more dramatic look! The brush is pretty big, and it has fibrous bristles (as opposed to a rubber wand), which I like. I always poke myself in the eye with rubberized wands, and I don't think they tend to give the most dramatic effect on my lashes. The brush itself is pretty big, on par with Benefit's Bad Gal.

Here are some pictures of the tube and the brush!

Prestige My Biggest Lashes

Very Black! 

My Biggest Lashes' brush

Here are some after eye makeup, before mascara photos: 

And here I am after applying My Biggest Lashes:

Here are some other posts in which I've used Prestige My Biggest Lashes, if you'd like to see how it looks from different angles, or on different days when I may have applied it slightly differently:

You can see more Before Mascara and After Mascara here: http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/01/urban-decay-book-of-shadows-vol-iii.html

And here are more photographs of this mascara, applied more heavily on the lower lashes as well http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/01/lotd-bette-davis-eyes.html

Finally, if you want to see more photographs of my lashes without mascara, you can see some here: http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/02/loreal-infallible-never-fail-makeup.html

Summary:  I really love this mascara! The price is right, and it has all the features I was looking for; it doesn't clump or flake, it leaves my lashes soft, not crispy, and it gives me volumized, lengthened, and defined lashes! If you're on the hunt for a new mascara, I'd really urge you to give this one a try. Even if you aren't looking for a new mascara, but you think you were going to be buying expensive mascara for the rest of your life, this might be a good one to check out! Like I said, I find it pretty comparable to Fresh's Supernova Mascara and Clinique's High Impact mascara formulas. That being said, different mascaras work for different people, so if your mascara concerns are significantly different from mine (or if your body chemistry/ before mascara lashes are significantly different!) you may have very different results. Luckily, lots of drugstores will let you return beauty products that don't work for you; if this is a concern, research return policies before you buy!

Have you guys found a HG mascara, or do you find yourself bouncing around between formulas? What do you look for in a perfect mascara?