Maybelline Lash Stilleto Washable Mascara

4.14.2010

Maybelline Lash Stilleto Washable Mascara

Finally, part two of the Maybelline mascara series has arrived.  I've been looking forward to trying this one the most out of the three mascaras in the set.  This mascara came out about the same time as CG's Lash Blast Length if memory serves. I remember the ads being quite extreme, with lashes practically touching the model's eyebrows!  I admit that I crave longer lashes, but not that long.  My big question was if this could out-perform the LB length who's promise of 80% longer looking lashes still leaves me a little 'bitter'...

A while back I spent a decent chunk of my afternoon reading review of this mascara, because I was thinking about trying it, and that seems to have become part of my pre-shopping ritual lately; after reading many dissapointing reviews, including a woman who said she could "smell her eyelashes all day".  Indeed, almost every review mentioned a strong "paint" like smell, which probably has something to do with the shellac in the formula.  A few reviewers even reported that it broke off their lashes. 

Then again, it also got really great reviews that praised it's brush and amazing length, stating "it did just what it said it would".  That's the problem with trying to rely on the internet for decision making, eh?  Certainly I want to have long, shiny black lashes!

Well, as they say, curiousity killed the cat, and I still wanted to find out for myself.  Would this really be a bad apple, or just misunderstood?

Claims:
 "Why You'll Love It:
-The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs.
-The Grip & Extend brush grasps each lash and coats from every angle
-Elastic formula stretches lashes for provocative length
-Pro-Vitamin B-5 formula conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine
-Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested"
Source: Maybelline.com
 
That's a hefty amount of claims, way to go Maybelline marketing department!  The best part is that there is actually a great deal of truth in the comparison of this mascara to stilettos; you get what you ask for, but you still have to suffer the consequences. 
 
But I'm getting ahead of myself here so I'm going to break into the narrative part.
 
There are two things that you notice immediately upon taking the brush out of the tube.  The first is the big spikey-cone bristle wand that actually looks impressive.  The second is the smell.  Even after reading all those reviews, I wasn't quite prepared for the smell.  Paint thinner would be accurate, though it doesn't quite match.  It reminds me of something vintage, like I picked this up at an antique store or found it in an attic.
 
Being a sort of vintage 'nut' anyways, that didn't deter me a bit.  Application was surprisingly easy with this, and it indeed coated my lashes from root-to-tip and even seemed to 'grab them' though I couldn't quite get the wand to hold on to them all the way through.  I didn't experience any clumps and the formula went on nice and wet, giving me dark, full, and long lashes.  I was actually so surprised by how well it lengthened I had to take a snapshot of how it looked beside my 'regular' eye! 
 
I felt like I had doll lashes with this stuff on.  It dried to an almost waterproof finish (though I did experience mild flaking since it was not waterproof), and held my curl better than my lash curler acheived alone.  I'm not sure how shiny my lashes were, but I was in love.
 
Consequently, that's how my relationship with high heels always starts out.  But heels aren't everday shoes, and I shortly found out that this wasn't an everyday mascara.  After the second or third day, I started collecting longer flakes than usual below my eyes.  After brushing a few away, I went to the bathroom to make sure nothing was in my eye.  Much to my surprise, the eye that had been flaking was about half as short as my other eye.  My lashes had snapped off at the top!  I've been putting my lashes in 'rehab' ever since with my trusty Full 'N Soft, but admittedly I love the look this gives me so much I still apply it once or twice a week.  My lashes seem to handle this mascara as long as I give it at least a 2 day break or so in-between applications. 
 
Yep.  That tendency stilletos have to leave your legs and feet screaming at the end of the day (or night) applies here too.  There's the truth in the "The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs." campaign.  Well played and aptly worded.
 
It's a great mascara for special occasions or occasional use, though.  In fact, with a little TLC you can work around the pitfalls in the formula and get incredible results. 
 

*Application*

Before:

Comparitive:

(left lash curled; right eye curled + mascara)

After:

Were my lashes eyebrow high? No, and they weren't "70% longer" either. However, they were at least 40% longer, maybe even 50% and that's a better rating than I expected to give it. I love getting to have "Doll eyes" and this stuff made me crave white lined inner-rims and a vintage eye look. I could argue the same for heavy, smokey eyes, or as an excuse to minimize every other feature. This is a great product for stand out lashes. Be aware of the consequences though, and make sure your lashes are in good condition.

The formula goes on creamy, but dries a little brittle.  I think the waterproof formula might yield better results, and I will probably end up trying it someday.  The formula shouldn't cause eyelashes to break out, and while it can be a good mascara for occasional wear, a good mascara should be able to be worn everyday.  This gets great points for looks, but loses some for it's formula.  It removed easier than my waterproof formulas, but was still a little tricky to get off. 

The brush is fantastic, like Martha Stewart fashioned it out of a Brillo pad.  It's genius what this does for my lashes. And  without clumping or ending up on my eyelid either! Maybelline is off to a great start, but they need to work on the conditioning ingredients some more.  I might repurchase, but I will probably just look for another lengething mascara.

Rating:
3.5
Consistancy: 4/5 (goes on great, dries to a curl-sculpting finish...but becomes brittle and hard on lashes over time.)
Coverage: 4.5/5 (I would give this a 5 if my lashes hadn't have broken off...)

Clumping: 5/5
Smudging: 4/5
Flaking: 3/5
Waterproof: 1/5
Lasting Ability: 3.5/5 (4/5 dry, 2/5 wet)