Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Washable

4.15.2010

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Washable

The final contender in the Triple Threat Series has has arrived!  This mascara promises volume galore, "9x" the volume even!  Advertisements show full, long lashes that could put Betty Davis to shame.  It seems bold advertising claims are par for the course as usual, and it's at last time to bust or back-up those claims.

Case in point: I decided to go ahead and throw up the pic. of the lash model so you can see just how "colossal" this mascara claims to be.  Oh, if only... IMO, those are falsies.  Or lots of lots of layers applied by expert make-up artists.  Even as a Maybelline fan, I've been nominally impressed by this trio of mascaras.  I'm not sure it was entirely worth the $10, as I really only like the Lash Stilleto, and that is not an everyday mascara. 

I think this series is ready for its finale.  I saved this mascara for last because this wasn't my first encounter with it.  Years back, when it very first came out, my mom bought a tube of this and loved it.  Naturally, when one of us gets excited about a product, we have to let the other one try it out.  I remember the formula being very wet and clumpy.  It ended up all over my eyelid and therefore ended up retiring on the back of her bathroom counter for months, and then years, until finally it had amassed a thick coat of dust and was thrown out. 

That was a long time ago though, and now this happy little yellow tube would get a second chance.  I promised myself to erase all past experiences from my mind in reviewing this mascara and to try and be as un-biased as possible.

Claims:
"Why You'll Love It-
-Creates 9X the volume, instantly.
-Patented MegaBrush + Collagen Formula plump lashes one by one
-Dramatic Volume with no clumps
-Washable
Source: Maybelline.com

Hmmm, no hypo-allergenic claims?  Odd.  In fact, not a lot of claims at all compared to most of their website descriptions.  What there is is that one REALLY big claim.  I suppose they made it to fit the really big brush, or is it vice versa?  Yes, the brush is "mega" which isn't really surprising for a volume formula.  The brush wasn't the first thing I noticed about this mascara though, the smell was.  It has a *very* similar smell to Lash Stilleto.  It's not quite as strong though, and fades a little faster.

My lashes have been in a fragile state lately, so I was really looking forward to finding out how the collagen formula would treat them.  Normally, I depend on my OF (Ol' Faithful) Full 'n Soft for not only lash conditioning, but volume as well.  Colossal volume sounded even better, but unfortunately this mascara did not deliver.  In fact, I got better results with more Full 'n Soft in regards to volume than I did with this formula.

*Application*

Before:

After:

As you can see, the only thing colossal about this formula is my disappointment.  There was almost no volume, and the formula was somewhat dry.  I thought that the dryness was strange, because the first time I tried this formula, it was too wet.  My belief that this set is "old" is really taking shape.  My lashes (obviously) look nothing like the lash model, or the box, for that matter. 

The one positive thing is that it washed off very easily.  It also flaked, smudged, and clumped easily.  I know a lot of people really love this formula, because I have seen numerous positive reviews out there.  Unfortunately, I am not one of them.  There are a lot better mascaras out there, IMO.  I will not be repurchasing this formula.

Well, that's all folks.  Bottom line?  If you already know you love one of these formulas, or you don't mind spending the mere $10 to experiment yourself, then this set may be for you.  It was fun to play around with, but only 1 of these made it to my make-up bag (Lash Stilleto) and I have my issues with that formula as well.  Oh well, stay tuned for the next edition!

Rating
3

Consistancy: 2/5
Coverage: 2/5
Clumping: 3/5
Smudging: 4/5
Flaking: 5/5
Waterproof: 0/5
Lasting Ability: 2/5