Name: Volum’ Express Cat Eyes Mascara
Brand: Maybelline
Price:RM33.90
From Maybelline’s website:
– 5x wild volume, without the clumps
– 18 hour wide-eyed curls
– 75 degree curl
What I liked:
– the wand
– adds volume
– separates lashes
– curls lashes a bit
– long-lasting
– doesn’t smudge
– easy to remove
What I didn’t like:
– doesn’t add much length
– clumps
– can make lashes look crunchy if you apply too much
– not available worldwide
Maybelline Cat Eye mascara, one of the latest members of the Volum’ Express family, is an Asia exclusive. My dear friend Hanna knew how curious I was to try it after reading reviews online about how volumizing this mascara is, so she kindly sent me one tube in a swap. Thanks a lot hun!
The mascara comes in a eye-catching pink and black striped tube which I absolutely love. It’s very pretty and such a cool addition to my makeup stash. But the packaging is not the only funky thing about this brush. The wand is pretty unusual too.
Instead of a brush, the mascara comes with a comb. I was curious to see how well it performs and, once you get the hang of it, it works really well. The first couple of times I made the mistake of using it like I would use any other mascara wand, doing a wriggling motion, but that only gave me kinda “meh” results.
Then, I realised I should have used it as a comb! Doh! That’s what it is after all, right? So, I just combed my lashes from the roots to the tops, without wriggling the wand and I was pleased with the results. My lashes were thicker, defined and somewhat curled too.
While the mascara curled my lashes a bit, and holds it for most of the day which I was very pleased about, I’d suggest you use an eyelash curler for better results. It also added a bit of length to my lashes, but not as much as I was hoping for. However, this isn’t a lengthening mascara so I wasn’t too disappointed about that.
Instead, I like it how it added quite a bit of volume to my lashes with only two coats. One works just as well, but I like a bit more drama to my lashes eheh. Just be careful not too apply too much though, or your lashes will look very crunchy!
Also, this stuff clumps a bit, but I find the wand is really good at de-clumping as well as separating lashes for a fanned out look. That’s why I’m thinking of keeping the wand once the mascara has run out and keep it as lash comb, like Paris suggested.
In addition, the wand coats every single lash and even makes it easy to apply mascara on the lower lashes. I rarely apply mascara there cos I’m so clumsy I always end up making a huge mess, but with this I don’t have any problems at all. It’s completely fool-proof!
And because the mascara is waterproof, it lasts all day, without smudging at all (minor flakes can occur though) but still it’s pretty easy to remove. Any good makeup remover will do the trick quickly and effectively.
Summary
Overall, I’m loving Maybelline Volum’ Express mascara. If you’re looking for a mascara that provides volume, separation and some curl for a dramatic look, you’ll love this too. It lasts all day without smudging, but if doesn’t add much length and clumps a bit.
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: I got this item in a swap. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Whoa, clump city. That’s really disappointing.
Trisha´s last [type] ..Urban Decay Fall 2010 Collection- Vegan Palette
Trisha, yeah, it’s clumpy but I still like how it makes my lashes look as it’s not so easy to find a mascara that actually adds volume. The wand is pretty good at declumping though. I think I should have you used it more but in real life it didn’t look so bad as in pix.
This mascara is meant for asian women with sparse lashes. It is meant to clump. Cat eyes is mainly sold in Japan and China. Thanks and love your blog.
Dana, hi and thank you for your comment. I’m glad you like my blog and I hope to see you around often. I’m not a fan of clumpy mascaras usually but this one is kinda nice as it really adds some drama to the lashes. And I can totally see it working much better on Asian women with sparse lashes than how it did on me.
Sweetie, you already have voluminous lashes. I wish I ahd as much as you. Unfortunately, the result is very clumpy. Maybe it helps to use a lashes comb, who knows… By the way, it’s disappointing that Hanna stops blogging. I like her style of writiting!
Mylanqolia´s last [type] ..The Sleek Series- Copy the Original-
Mylanqolia, I think I should have combed the lashes more with the wand to make them less clumpy, but it didn’t look too bad in real life. Still, this is a clumpy mascara and it’s a shame cos everything else about it is very good.
I’m very sad about that too, she’s such a lovely girl and I love her blog. But I guess things change as you grow old and you don’t always have the time to blog anymore. Real life is more important. Still, it’s sad and I hope to stay in touch with her anyway.