Product Rant: Mascara

I have a very cut and dry relationship with my mascara, you're either in the drawer or in the trash.

High standards?  Absolutely. 

When a new mascara comes on the market, I always approach with a high level of skepticism.  Products ranging from 5.99 at the drugstore to 30.00+ dollars at Sephora and Department Stores always tout lofty promises like "fatten lashes by 120%" or create "5x the length" with a single coat.  More often than not, they disappoint.

Then there is the issue of staying power, smudging and waterproofing.  Don't get me started.  Lofty claims indeed! You can swim in me, cry with me, and then NEVER get me off!

I don't use waterproof mascara, ever.  Waterproof mascara makes me feel like a claustrophobic person, stuck in an elevator.  At the end of the day, when it's time for the magic to be washed off, I practically break into hives thinking that after a soak with makeup remover and a good washing, my delicate lashes may still be coated with whatever chemically induced cocktail was combined to create the chosen mascara formula.  Do you see how as I talk about it I become more melodramatic?  Just as the claustrophobic person becomes more hysterical the longer they are trapped between floor two and three.

My rules for mascara are simple. I want:
-Rich inky black color
-Completely coated lashes, in ONE coat
-Soft and approachably separated lashes (no spider lashes need apply)
-A non-waterproof formula
- NO smudging even on the hottest days
-Affordable price tag (which I would define as under 20.00 or so)

I would fear that my standards are too high, that I ask too much, however, I have found a choice few mascaras to live up to these standards - more on that later.

What are your mascara make or break mascara rules?

Product Fail: Eve Pearl Liquid Liner

Due to increasing brand competition and saturation in the market, today's cosmetic and beauty market offers a LOT of options.  Sephora offers 100+ brand names, and a trip to any department store will provide you the same number of options.  Not including drugstore and indie brand options, there is NO reason for a consumer to accept a product which does not fully satisfy their expectations. 

Enter today's product fail: Eve Pearl Black Pearl Liquid Liner

Eve Pearl describes this product as follows:

This long lasting liner has a uniquely tapered brush for a precise smudgeproof application. The highly pigmented formula offers all day wear with rich, luminous results.

I picked this product up during my first visit to the IMATS 2011 show in Los Angeles, California.  Lucky enough to meet Eve Pearl personally, I heard about her experience as a celebrity makeup artist and also received first hand information on some of her most popular products.  The Black Pearl liquid liner was created to fill a hole in the market, making black liner portable, rich and easy to apply.  

Convinced, I took this product home immediately (along with a handful of Eve Pearl's other popular products).  Unfortunately, my displeasure with this product started with my first use and has continued until today's ultimate product disposal; please see below.   

Every time I apply this product to my upper lash line it ends up as a watery mess IN MY EYE.

*Cue the EWWWs* 

To be clear, in the picture above, I have applied the product just as I would any liquid or pencil liner: above the lash line.  This is no photoshop trickery, I did not apply to either my upper or lower waterline, and this is a repeated result not just a "one-off" or fluke. 

I do feel it's important to disclose that I have watery eyes, 12 months a year; That said, I have NEVER had any other product produce this result: gel, pencil or liquid. 

Maybe the product is defective, maybe Black Pearl and I were just not meant to be.  I know that there are many other beauty bloggers in the industry who love and praise the Black Pearl liner; I, sadly, will not be one of them.

Can't win 'em all.  For me TOSS IT!