Mascara--Should I or shouldn't I?

Not that long ago, I found a fabulous drug store mascara that made my lashes long, dark, kinda thick, and didn't bother me with my contacts. I've tried many drug store brands (Lash Blast, L'Oreal Voluminous, One by One is the newest one I like), I've tried direct marketing kinds (Avon's lengthening and body building, Mary Kay's Endless Performance). I've even tried a couple from Sephora (Sephora's Atomic Volume as well as Buxom). 

Recently, a friend who works at Macy's gave me a sample of Lancome's Hypnose Drama Mascara. When I used it, I went "WOW!" It made my lashes uber-long, deep dark black, and gave them nice thickness without looking gloppy. It stayed put all day (and it wasn't a waterproof formula) and was easy to remove.

The only drawback?  It's $25  I have never paid that much for a mascara before in my life.

So my question to you, MakeupTalk friends.... would you spend $25 on a product that you most likely have to replace every 3 months? Do any of you splurge on your mascara? Do you consider it a good investment.

Go ahead, throw your two cents in. I want to know what you think!!

I honestly couldnt see paying $25 every 3 months on any one product let alone a mascara.  Even all the gurus use drugstore for that.  Nope in my book. 

I just couldn't spend that much on mascara. Like you said, you have to re-purchase it so often. Eyeshadows and blushes I feel a little differently because chances are you'll have them and be able to use them longer.

I think it depends. If I'm feeling flush, I'm willing to spend on Faux Cils - if it's the #8 Sublime Grey. I hate the way brown mascara or black-brown looks on me. The Grey is 'softer' than Black, but still doesn't look like a cop-out on me, or make my lids look ruddier if all I'm wearing is mascara. But TBH, there are very few HE mascaras I've tried (not that it's been a tonne - but DiorShow Unlimited, Lancome Hypnose, and Clinique Naturally Glossy are some of my absolute favourites) that can't be bested, or at the very least, matched by Full n Soft, Volum' Express Collosal (newest favourite) or Prestige My Biggest Lashes. For just a basic, black mascara, I'm not willing to spend on HE the way I used to.

The only department store mascara's I use are the free gift one's, wait for one of those free gift baggie promotions and then buy something!! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Mascara is the one thing I buy strictly drugstore....to me, you can find a mascara that will do the same thing a department store one does, in a drugstore.  That is alot of money to spend every 3 months on one product, but if it works for you and you think it's all worth it, then by all means.

Well - its important to note here that she's already tried a couple drugstore formulas and they didnt satisfy here.

If this mascara is really giving you that wow factor after you have already spent $25.00 (or more) trying out all these other products, why not buy the one product you absolutely love?

Its on you and how you feel about letting go of $25.00.  If you are going to continue buying drug store brands to test them out and find the ONE (that can easily reach up to $10 a bottle) then buy the brand you love.

If your situation changes down the line and you cant afford it anymore, then go back to drugstore brands.

Thats my opinion.

It depends...If it's a mascara that does better than what I already love, then yes, I would pay the $25/tube.  I love Cliniques High Impact Mascara as my fave non-drugstore brand and it's around $20/tube.  My fave drugstore brand at the moment is CG Lashblast. Gotta love that little orange tube!  I have about 6-7 tubes of mascara that I have purchased, but haven't tried yet. I may find a new one that I like better, but I'm really doubting that.  I have the Falsies to try yet, and that one has such mixed reviews, I'm not sure I'm going to like it.  I really  like the brush on the Lashblast and the Falsies has a "scoop" type brush. Not sure if I've ever used one with a brush like that. Once i try more, I will have to write a review on them.

Also, you could do this:

Purchase the travel size for "special" occassions and use a close comparison for every day?

Look up:

Lancome Hypnose Drama .135oz/4 ml Promo Travel Size

I think if you have the money to buy it every three months you should. Its only $25, its not like its $50, you know.. $25 divided by three would only amount to $8.33 a month, which is nothing, especially since you'll be getting plenty of use out of the product. I think if you like it, its worth it.

I would definitely buy it! Besides, who's telling you you won't get bored of it one day? If you're anything like me, you'll probably buy it a couple of times and then will move on to the next one. LOL.

I'd buy it if I were you! I'm interested in this mascara too but I haven't tried it yet and your post just made me wanna try it even more 

And I don't understand why so many say you have to throw mascara away after 3 months. I have mine for 5 or so. Still good.

I really don't like to spend more than $10 for mascara, but if I did it would be on Lancome. I had their Oscillation mascara and it was OUTSTANDING. I think it's okay to splurge on a product now and then.

My favorite mascara is $25, Fresh Supernova, and even though I don't like paying that much for it, it is the best I've used so I'll continue buying it.

The most expensive mascara I've ever used was Estee Lauder's TurboLash (it was a gift from my mom), and while it was nice, I can't justify spending that much on it haha

If I loved it enough I would spend $25 on mascara.  I've tried lots of mascara's over the years, high and low end, and have always found drug store mascara's I liked better. 

Go for it. It's hard to find a mascara that does exactly what you want it to do without hurting your eyes. I think you could keep it for longer by using disposable wands. My SIL who loves Lancome mascaras still uses the one she got for Christmas, so i know it doesn't dry quickly.

FYI -

How to keep your mascara feeling like it did the first time you used it? Instead of using a "pumping" action, "swirl" the brush around in the tube to gather makeup.  Pumping allows air and air born bacterias to enter the tube and possibly dry out/damage the makeup.

Mascara should be replaced every three months, not so much for the consistency of the makeup - but for health issues.  Our bodies produce new bacteria/skin, etc. regularly and exposing yourself to the same wands/brushes/etc. without consistent cleansing will expose your new "self" to old bacterias that are harboring in your tubes/containers and brushes.  Because its difficult (and not recommended) to clean your mascara wands/brushes - the best advice is to replace the entire contents of your mascara regularly.

I guess this is why its better to use disposable wands for each application.

Originally Posted by BombDiggity /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I think if you have the money to buy it every three months you should. Its only $25, its not like its $50, you know.. $25 divided by three would only amount to $8.33 a month, which is nothing, especially since you'll be getting plenty of use out of the product. I think if you like it, its worth it.

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I agree with this thinking.  Most people waste way more money than that a month on junk they will never use.  And usually will never miss that amount of money each month.  GO FOR IT! I would!

First, I look at what's in the formula--lengthening mascara tends to have fibers in it, which can flake and drop into your eyes and become irritating for contact lens users. 

My favorite brand of mascara is Maybeline's blackest black. It does a killer job. I've been let down my too many higher end brand mascaras that don't deliver.

I am thinking about posting two photos tomorrow... one with the drugstore mascara that I normally use now, and one with the $25 mascara (I have the sample still) and not tell you.  Let the jury decide the fate of my lashes!  LOL