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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Review: Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara

Let me start out by saying something really negative, I absolutely detest Maybelline mascara. No matter which kind I've tried, I've ended up both super disappointed and around $10 poorer. There once was a time when Maybelline made a really great mascara, it was called "Illegal Lengths" and it has been discontinued for quite some time. It came in a navy tube and was one of my staple go-to products in high school. The absolute only reason I chose to ignore my distaste for Maybelline mascara and pick up this new one they've released is because I really thought they just brought back Illegal Lengths and repackaged it. And removed the letter "S" off of the end of the name. But actually it's not the same whatsoever. Here's the good news. Illegal Length doesn't totally suck. It's actually quite decent in the lengthening department which I enjoy. You do have to act fast to build on the coats because it does dry rather quickly and the packaging advises that you do not wait for the first coat to dry to apply the second. It's a rather wet formula but I didn't find that it was particularly messy to apply. 

I am not even going to say much about this whole "fiber lash extension" claim that Maybelline makes because I really didn't see any fibers or notice that the formula was really that different than other lengthening mascaras from the drugstore like L'Oreal Telescopic. And it doesn't do anything in the volume department which is actually my favorite department and the one I seek to satisfy when I buy a mascara. But I knew this was a lengthening mascara so I'm not complaining. With that being said, its a pretty good lengthening mascara but I certainly do not agree with the absolutely ridiculous claim that the advertisements make about the power of this mascara. If you will look at the AD below, it may have you believe that your lids will actually produce a ginormous false eyelash by using this mascara. This did not happen to me. Would I repurchase this mascara? No. Would I throw it away entirely? No.
Photo above taken by me
Photo above taken by me
Photo Credit: http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/2011/12/spotted-new-maybelline-illegal-length.html
Keeping it real with the original "Illegal" mascara, Maybelline Illegal Lengths



3 comments:

  1. I'm gonna have to pass on this one. I have a couple mascaras I really love so I find it hard to switch. Also, I just started using the bareMinerals volumizing mascara. It is hard to get back to a regular style brush, but I do like the results.

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  2. I absolutely detest Maybelline mascaras. Always have. They never fail to flake on me, and they never come close to the claims the company makes. Likewise for the rest of their products.

    My favorite mascaras are all drug store brands, though. I've never been totally wowed by anything made by MAC, NARS, or any other more expensive brand. For drug store products, nothing comes close to L'Oreal Double Extend Waterproof & their Voluminous Carbon Black mascara, also waterproof. No flaking, smudging, at all. I use my own spoolies to apply them to avoid clumping. They both give great volume & length. My other favorite is Essence Get Big Lashes, which is also waterproof & ridiculously cheap. I like using it as a first coat to separate my lashes, let it set, and then follow with one of my L'Oreal mascaras. I always get great results using these products together. Although I do have to say that Double Extend still works spectacularly on its own. Best mascara I've ever used in my lifetime, really.

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    1. So funny, the first line of your comment is the first line of my post- totally agree wiht you. I do prefer L'Oreal mascaras as far as drugstore- I just bought their Full Definition Voluminous and its rather nice. Didn't know Essence had mascara, will have to pick that up! Yes, I wrote a post about starting with a separating mascara and then topping off wiht a volumizing, I do that myself! Thanks for the tip!! And thanks again for reading, enjoy your comments.

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