Beauty Feature: Mascaras Battle It Out!

Ding! Ding! Ding! Welcome to Round 1 of my mascara feature "Mascaras Battle It Out!" With so many mascaras on the market claiming to be the best how does a makeup junkie pick the right one? I've taken it upon myself to test some of the hottest and top selling mascaras - oh the torture! Keep in mind, results may vary and the outcomes were based on my experience only.

My Lashes: stick straight, lacking volume and length
Mission: To find a volumizing, lengthening, smudge-free, non-clumping mascara.
Round 1: Eco-friendly, mineral based mascaras

Mascara: L'Oreal Bare Naturel Mascara in Blackest Black
Rating: 8 winks
Price: $13.89 CAD
Special Feature: Mineral-enriched mascara, 86% natural-origin ingredients, shine-enhancing minerals, and paraben- and fibre-free.
Smudge-factor: no
Clump-factor: no even after 5 coats!
Lengthening: yes after 2 coats
Volume: yes after 2 coats
Lift: yes after 2 coats
Wand: Thick naturally-based soft bristles
For: Gals who are eco-conscious and want a natural but buildable mascara.
Overall: I liked this mascara. The first coat has a natural effect but give it another few coats and you have full, dramatic long lashes. I tried 5 coats and was delighted it didn't clump! The formula also gives the lashes a nice rich sheen. Water-proof formulas seem to be the only mascaras that don't smudge on me. Bare Naturel is not water-proof but there was no smudging even after a nap and a yoga workout. The bonus is that it's a nourishing, mineral-enriched mascara so you can feel good about putting something natural on your lash.
Beauty Stash Worthy: Yes. Eco-friendly, decent price, and a versatile mascara - go from natural to dramatic.

Mascara: Tarte Lash Hugger Natural Mascara
Rating: 9.5 winks
Price: $18 USD
Special Feature: A natural eco-friendly mascara housed in a metalized tube composed of post-consumer recycled aluminum.

Smudge-factor: no
Clump-factor: no
Length: yes
Volume: yes
Curl: yes
Wand: Medium bristle
For: Gals who are eco-friendly, have sensitive eyes and want all the lengthening, volumizing, and clump-free benefits in one mascara.
Overall: I love this mascara and it's not even water-proof which in the past is the only thing that gave my lashes lift. It definitely hugs the lashes. From the first coat my lashes were lifted, lengthened, voluminous, and clump-free. The effect is more natural but just swipe on a few more coats and you get bold lashes without any clumping! The pigment is also a rich black that leaves a glossy sheen on the lash. More brownie points for not smudging. I love that it uses natural ingredients such as water, olive esters, rice bran wax, carnuba wax, and mineral pigments. The recycled aluminum tube is a bonus so you can feel good about protecting the environment. It got 1.5 points more than L'Oreal Bare Naturel because of the recycled aluminum tube and looked lovely right from the first swipe.
Beauty Stash Worthy: Yes! I love Tarte products so I'd be willing to pay a little more. It's rare that I find a mascara I love right away!

Have you tried these mascaras? Love them? Hate them?

www.lorealparisusa.com and www.tartecosmetics.com