Maybelline Volume Express waterproof mascara: A review

My first love, makeup-wise, is with mascara. I wasn’t born with long, thick lashes. Mine were of average length, with not much thickness, and without any hint of a curl. And when I started wearing makeup in University, mascara was the one thing I would always put on. Blush and lipstick, I didn’t bother much with. But mascara is a must. Having thicker and longer lashes made me (coughs) ‘naturally’ better looking. (I was at that stage when I wanted people to think the ‘Is she or is she not wearing any makeup’ question.) My eyes look bigger with it on. It’s an illusion, granted, but an illusion I love.

Through the years I’ve used and road tested so many mascaras, from expensive to cheap. And one of the main brands that I’ve always gravitated towards is Maybelline’s. Even before Maybelline achieved the fame it now enjoys here where I live, its mascaras have always been topnotch (although I still grieve that they took ‘Lash Discovery’ off the Asian market…sob…).

The mascara I’m currently using is a present from a good friend (*waves to Mama Talve, ‘Thanks, Te!’). It’s the Volume Express waterproof mascara. I think this is the classic version. If you check out the Maybelline website you’ll see that this particular mascara has spawned an army of other versions. It promises to give 3x the volume of your lashes. I’m not particularly sure if it also promised to curl lashes since I’ve thrown the cardboard packaging, but it does say ‘hypercurl’ on the tube. 

Maybelline's classic volume express (waterproof)

the brush 

Does it live up to its promise of giving 3x the volume of your natural lashes? Well, in my experience it did make my lashes look thicker and fuller (like I have more eyelash hairs) rather than giving me five (5) big, fat clumps of lashes. Another thing I liked is that it gives my lashes definition (I do use the black one) without looking unnatural. Since my skin tone is quite light, and my lashes not that thick, they have a tendency to be invisible. By the way, I’m of Asian decent, so I have black hair as well. This mascara, when applied, gives them definition. However, you cannot layer this mascara. Once you’ve fully coated your lashes with the product and it had dried, you can’t put on more. That’s it. I tried to put on another layer once and I ended up looking funny, like I have spider legs for lashes (Ack!).

As for the hypercurl claim, I’m not sure I’ll stop using my eyelash curler and rely on this solely. I did find that if applied on curled lashes it doesn’t take away the curl but sort of enhances it.

When you first use it, you might find as I did that the consistency of the mascara is quite thin. You’ll need to put on more coats. It does ‘age’ well, which means that in a few weeks the consistency becomes thicker. In my experience, I need to re-dip the brush into the tube once I’ve applied the mascara to one eye. It must be because it’s waterproof (waterproof mascaras dry faster, especially the curling ones). Brush-wise, the curved shape doesn’t make much of a difference to me. In fact, since the brush bristles are denser, I often get some product on my lid. I also reverse the position of the brush when I’m applying from one eye to another (the concave form on the right, the convex on the left). But that’s just me. =)

See below for more pictures.

before mascara

after (mascara applied)

another after picture

This product is competitively priced. At PhP 250.00, and with Maybelline holding 20-30% off discounts every couple of months or so, this is one of the cheapest, imported (and effective) mascara you’ll find in the market.  

‘Til my next post!