Lashes and Brows Showdown -- Drugstore vs Luxury

Anyone who wears makeup has their favorite products. This usually applies to your skincare but with trickle into your foundation to lipstick. There's nothing wrong with that. I, too, have many faves. But this also means that I haven't given anything new a chance.

My challenge.... My favorite brow products are IT Brow Powder, MAC eye brows, Benefit Gimme Brow and Estee Lauder Double Wear Brow Lift. All prestige brands. So.... I'm looking for something that won't kill my wallet.

Challenge #2.... My favorite mascaras are Too Faced Better Than Sex, Smashbox Full Exposure, Urban Decay Perversion, MAC Zoom Lash, Ulta Plush Drama, and Rimmel Scandel Eyes.

I have gone out and purchased several mascaras and brow products in an effort to find some that I love as much as my luxury brands. We will go from E.L.F. to Catrice. What will pass the Mali test......

I am extremely particular about my brows so I'll start there. My brows somewhat survived the ultra thin trend and now I'm struggling to get them back. In the interim I am very extra with the amount of time/product I use to make them look the way I want.

When I was at CVS I bought 3 brow pencils similar to my #1 favorite (IT Brow Power). They all have spoolies and they all swatch similarly. The 3 are:
Milani Easy Brow ($7.69)
E.L.F. Brow Pencil ($3.00)
Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow ($4.19)

#3 -- I don't know why I'm having such miserable feelings about this brand but, so far, in this challenge Milani is 0 for 2. The color claims to be taupe. It swatched a little lighter than the taupe shade I usually use but one my face it almost looked like dirty blonde. I thought maybe it needed a little push and I tried to build a little. Don't go there. It turns into a mess. The color is patchy and choppy. The spoolie is a really good quality but that's it.

#2 -- The only thing I don't like about the Wet n Wild pencil is its shape. It's a triangle! What the.....?! It was so hard to get the shape I like. The color was perfect. It has a waxy texture so I was able to make everything look natural quite easily. I just can't get past the shape! If it needs to be something other than pointy, make it a slim oval. Those work too.

#1 -- Again, I am shocked by the one I love most. This swatched the darkest of them all and, quite honestly, scared me a little. It almost looked black. But in my brows I was blown away by a $3 pencil. Way to go E.L.F!! This pencil is firm but smooth. It starts creamy and dries down to a powdery finish. I am really impressed.

On to mascara..... I bought several.
Wet n Wild Lash Renegade ($5.99)
E.L.F. Mineral Infused Mascara ($3.00)
Rimmel Wonder Lash with Argan Oil ($8.79)

Essence I ❤ Extreme ($4.99)
Catrice Rock Couture ($7.99)

Essence Volume Stylist ($4.99)
Maybelline Total Temptation ($8.49)

I'm going to break these down into categories since some claim to volumize, while others claim to lengthen and others have no claimed super powers.

The basics:
Wonder Lash has always been a staple in my mascara collection so I thought the argan oil would be a nice touch. And I was right. It didn't make my lashes look any different but I am hopeful that the oil in it was good for my lashes. It's a nice mascara for an every day look.

E.L.F. started out nicely. It enhanced my lashes a little for a no mascara look. I was having a natural look day and these fit the bill. However it turned into a flaky mess that irritated my eyes beyond belief.

I don't know where to begin with Wet n Wild. The want was weird. It has a ball shaped tip that's a little bigger than I'd like. Needless to say, I got mascara everywhere I didn't want it when I attempted to detail my lashes in the inner corner. But this, too, flaked everywhere and was a mess. Nothing hot about it.

Volume:
I actually did a side by side with these two.

I ❤ Extreme vs Rock Couture
They looked identical. Both increased the volume of my lashes and looked nice. However, rock couture dries quickly so if you want 2 coats, do it fast.

Lengthen:
I did a side by side of these as well.

The one on the left is Volume Stylist, the right is Total Temptation. Maybelline definitely made my lashes longer and looks really good. Essence is clumpy (which is somewhat expected with a fibrous mascara) but the want is so skinny it makes it hard to brush them out properly.

In the end, I like (and will continue to use) Total Temptation, Wonder Lash, I ❤ Extreme and Rock Couture. The rest don't do what I need them to.

Note: I did not include Lash Paradise intentionally. While this mascara is beautiful and a true dupe for Better Than Sex, it dries out too quickly. I hate spending $9.99 on a mascara that I will get maybe 5 uses out of before it's dried out.

So..... There you have it! My thoughts on a lot of items.

As always, if you want more of these types of posts let me know. If you want me to try something new, let me know. I'm always happy to try something new.

(A peek at my desk and maybe a few things I'm working on. 🤔😉)

Thank you for joining me here today. I will see you all next time!