CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara

I’ve now tried both the waterproof and regular formulas of this mascara, and I have to say I do like it overall.  There’s been so much hype about this mascara that anyone who sticks their pinky-toe into the cosmetic pool even occasionally has probably heard about this stuff.  I have heard that there was a mad rush to find it when it was newly released, leading to product shortages and bare shelves in drugstores for a while.  Since I live in a miserably behind-the-times area, I did not have to worry about this problem–instead I had my first (non-waterproof) LashBlast imported from Philadelphia.  The store I shop at regularly has just NOW begun to stock this, in both waterproof and regular.  See what I mean?  The release date was months ago!  I found it on the shelf next to pet rocks and troll dolls, both of which were advertised as ‘new’ in my store.  Okay I’m just kidding about that part, but seriously WTF?  Get with the times, South Carolina.  You’re making it hard for me to keep my street cred.

The packaging for this product has to be my least favorite part about it.  I’ve seen it referred to in many unflattering ways, and it really is true that the fat neon orange tube is not the most attractive or streamlined packaging.  I’m really not sure why CoverGirl chose this.  I know they have R&D departments for this kind of thing, and I can’t imagine that they had any shortage of budget when it came to figuring this out.  Why then did they make the tube so clunky and unattractive?  It looks…well, cheap.  That’s saying something for a drugstore mascara, since they all look more or less cheap.  And it’s not easy to maneuver, even if you’re a mascara-applying master.  I do have arthritis in my hands, but I don’t think that’s a factor here since I don’t have problems with any other mascara.  I find myself stabbing the side of my nose with my LashBlast wand more often than I like to admit, leaving really unattractive black blotches.  And since I never pay attention to that ‘rule’ that says you’re supposed to do your eye makeup before your foundation, it usually means I have to redo part of my makeup. 

So how does it make my lashes look?  Fabulous, darling, fabulous.  No, really.  It’s probably the best drugstore mascara I’ve used, and better than a lot of high end mascaras that cost twice as much.  It adds fullness, thickness, and length to my lashes without looking too Tammy Faye-ish.  It doesn’t really add any curl, but that’s not surprising since my lashes curl about as easily as steel pipe.  I’ve accepted that curly lashes just aren’t happening for me, and it’s not the mascara’s fault.

As far as waterproof vs. regular formula, I say definitely go for the waterproof.  I loved how thick and full the regular formula (which I tried in Black) made my lashes look, but I really hated that it smudged so easily.  It was a pain in the ass to wash off, too–it always left big raccoon circles.  The waterproof formula (which I have in Very Black) is much better.  It gives the same lovely thickness and fullness to my lashes, but doesn’t smudge and actually seems to wash off easier too.  One other thing–I heard tons of hype about the Very Black formula versus regular old Black, but I have to say that part of the hype just didn’t pan out for me.  I have both colors, and they don’t really look any different to me. 

The bottom line: Great drugstore mascara in the waterproof formula, sucky packaging.  Since the end result is the most important thing (at least for me) this is definitely worth checking out and has made its way into my regular lineup.  Good for you, CoverGirl.  This is the first product you’ve made that I really, really like since my high school days when I didn’t know anything better than CoverGirl existed.