June 15, 2006

Natural-Looking Mascara

Since my makeup fast is now over, not to mention I haven't bought a mascara since last summer, I am now in the market for a new mascara. Last summer I was into the whole dramatic eye look. This summer, I've decided to go for the ever elusive natural look. Some inspiration:

I love the natural look from the Derek Lam SS06 runway.

Marc by Marc Jacobs and Lanvin SS06 runways also have fantastic natural looks. To make the face look 'natural' instead of 'plain', lengthening mascara is a must. So I have been doing a bit of research to see which mascara people think are good for everyday use:

The No. 1 favourite mascara for natural-looking lashes seems to be Shu Uemera Mascara Basic. I am very tempted to try this, but at US$27, it was a bit too pricey.

The Shiseido Natural Finishing Combing Mascara is one of the quite-good mascaras I have used before. It's great for lenthening lashes to look naturally long. Unfortunately it wasn't as water/oil-proof as I would have liked it to be.

When I tried the Maybelline Sky High Curves Mascara, I thought it was another quite-good mascara. It gave some length and slight volume, which means the lashes weren't quite natural-looking. But it also left me with racoon eyes at the end of the day.

Another pretty good 'natural' mascara MUA users seem to think is the Clinique Natural Glossy Mascara. This one I'm considering at the moment.

When Lancome L'Extreme was launched last summer, Barneys Girl and I went to try it out, and I thought it was one of the best lengthening mascaras I have ever tried. Obviously my lashes didn't look as amazing as the lashes in the L'Extreme ad, but the lengthening was still pretty darn amazing. So L'Extreme is high up on my possible-buy list.

If you have any favourite mascaras for lengthening lashes and the natural-look, or you have used a mascara I wrote about, please let me know what you think!

61 comments:

  1. I love Lancome L'Extreme!

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  2. I bought the clinique mascara because I liked the name of it, and was disappointed. It is not "naturally glossy" at all!

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  3. maybelline lash discovery. waterproof. holds a curl. not that my lashes need any more length -- but it does add length.

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  4. I just recently bought Max Factor's "masterpiece" mascara, and I love it. Depending on how many layers you put on, it can go from natural to party. Def. recommended.

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  5. I swear by Maybelline's Great Lash, they have a nice brown-black which is very natural-looking. I have naturally long eyelashes, but it makes my eyes look great. In addition, I use the curved brush, which makes them look fab, and I have no need to use any eyelash curler at all!

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  6. I have actually tried Maybelline Great Lash before and didn't really like it. It clumped my lashes a bit, and didn't really lengthen.

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  7. Since you are in Hongkong right now, i suggest you get the RMK double sided mascara. IT IS THE BEST!!!! i stock up on tubes of it when i am back in Hongkong. Its white on end and black on the other. It lenghtens and thickens and gives a real pretty full set of eyelashes. You won't need eyeliner ever if you use this. The mascare when applied last all day and never ever smear or smudge( common problem with asian eyes)
    Only drawback it doesn't last that long and the mascara (in the tube)dries up exactly after 5-6 months

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  8. I'm using the Lancome L'Extreme now and I agree, it is one of the best lengthening mascaras ever! I think the length is so amazing, my lashes sometimes hits my sunglasses when I wear them!
    Downsides are: of course, makes my stubborn lashes hard to curl and also may smudge by the end of the day

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  9. Thanks for the tips!
    I'm also looking for a new maskara, not the type which is too dramtical.

    Kine :)

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  10. i like lancome defincils-- great if u wear contacts too!!

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  11. Shu Uemura's mascara is the best. The waterproof stuff stays on forever and it looks quite natural. Absolutely NO globby bits.

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  12. I agree with 5:41, Lancome Definicils is amazing :) Its a bit pricy but every bit worth it, and it's very easy to go from 'why yes, my lashes really are (almost) naturally this gorgeous' to 'they're not fake! I swear!' with it. Plus it holds curls very well. I would just suggest wiping the brush slightly for the first few applications; the new bottles of it tend to be a bit heavy! Otherwise it's great.

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  13. I found naturally glossy too natural...so natural that i don't really see a difference except for a slightly defined/darkening effect, so if that's what you're looking for, i recommend it..but on my short/thin chinese lashes...it looks no different than having no mascara/makeup on...in a bad way
    -Lash Exact by Cover Girl is affordable and the brush is amazing! I really like it, but if you find out you don't like it, it won't be a waste of $ even if you dump it in 3 months.
    -I also like Lancome's Hypnose.I know..it's a volume mascara but w/ my short and thin chinese lashes, if you just use one coat of it and skip the eyeliner, you will still be able to look 'prettier' in a natural way.

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  14. CoverGirl's Lash Exact is amazing at lengthening lashes. They look natural and have absolutely no clums.

    Good luck!

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  15. having tried some brands, HR (helena rubinstein) is so far the best!

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  16. I held back from buying the Shu Uemura basic black mascara for the exact same reason... it seems to be the priciest in the group. I went ahead to try on maybe about 5-6 other different mascaras, disappointed with each. Finally I gave in and bought the Shu Uemura and it really stood above the rest. It was easy to use, no clumps, perfectly natural look and didn't smudge. I really wasted my time with the others.. I tried Maybelline, Smashbox, Stila, Vincent Longo, Bourjois and a whole bunch of others.

    If only I had bought it in the first place!

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  17. Oh, I love MUA too! Such a helpful site. As for lengthening, I use the Shiseido mascara base before applying Lancome's Definicils. The combo definitely makes my lashes longer but it's also somewhat dramatic and not a very "natural" look at all.

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  18. Fasio! I am not too sure if HK has it, but Fasio's mascara never gives me racoon eyes when every other mascara I've tried does. The lengthening+curl mascara is more natural whereas the volume+curl mascara gives a more dramatic look with 2 coats. The latter is my Holy Grail.

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  19. I disagree I hate Lancome Definicils! My eyelashes clump together so much and they straighten out with it! I'm very disapointed with it

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  20. I use Maybelline "Volum' Express" mascara which is really good at lengthening (when applied properly) but still maintains the naural look! Sounds perfect for what you're looking for...

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  21. You must try Maybelline XXL...it is freaken amazing! If you're going for the natural look....this is the only make-up you need. The white side is for lengthening and the black is for volume. Just put it on and your eyes become the focal point and no other make up is required...I absolutely love it.

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  22. I thought maybelline's XXL mascara is pretty good too! (:
    On the other hand, fasio was really bad. I had racoon eyes in a matter of hours! And its not even the end of the day. Caused me so much trouble, ughhh >:\

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  23. all the max factor mascaras are divine! i'm using lash perfection right now but i've used 2000c before too and both are really good - no clumping, no smudging, stays put all day but easy to remove. great stuff. plus comes in dark blue ^_^

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  24. I'm all for the natural look! Great post! I have a request...Could you do something for us girls who can't wear heels because of short boyfriends? I'm dying because I miss my variety of shoes!

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  25. In the fall I went on a quest for new mascara after falling out of love with my former favorite. I tried tons of brands and discovered Maybelline Full'n'Soft is great. For a natural look, I use it in brown. I like that it's cheap because I'm going to toss it every 2 - 3 months anyway.

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  26. When I am going for the natural look I use my Paula Dorf mascara. I love it!

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  27. I love Max Factor masterpiece - it's the best ever- i got so many compliments about my lashes when i used it (even from girls:) They advertise it here in Romania as the one used in the Memoires of a geisha movie...

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  28. I really like Lash Excact. The comb is pretty cool to touch. Well anyway-just a few swipes and... voila! Natural lashes! Kudos! My life would end if I forced myself to be on a makeup fast. :)

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  29. can you do a bit on concealer? i have the worst time finding a concealer that actualy sets in my eye area. thanks!!

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  30. i've found that after a certain duration of wear, lancome mascara affects my eyes. it makes them itchy and irritated. another friend agreed. however in response to the comment above about concealer... lancome has pretty darn good concealer.

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  31. YSL Faux Cils Volume Effect mascara is amazing even on my stumpy bown eyelashes. Even my boyfriend noticed something was different.

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  32. People diss Dior for Mascara but I have nothing but praises for it. The Maxi-eyes mascara is great for subtle day time look and my favourtie is the DiorShow Mascara the waterproof one is amazing! Sienna and Kate are fans x

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  33. Prescriptives Beyond Long Lengthening Mascara works very well! It lengthens my lashes a great deal, while still keeping them soft and natural looking. It's 18 dollars I believe, which is a bit pricey but it works so well that it's worth it!

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  34. i love Lancome L'Extreme and my girlfriends love YSL. but get lash extensions, they are so fun!

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  35. I've tried the SHU, it's really clumpy on me, but it's all personal. The never ending mascara dicussion ;)

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  36. Hey, I agree on the Clinique mascara, I have never been disappointed with their mascaras (especially the Long Pretty Lashes!) I am obsessed with getting my lashes insanely long and I recently discovered:

    Prescriptives Beyond Long False Eyeashes Mascara

    It totally does what it claims, long, beautiful lashes, AND it totally stays put - its worth the US$20!

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  37. i have been using dior sow for over a year and i love it!!! lengethening but NO clumps!

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  38. maybelline unstoppable is pretty good, no clumps, no racoon eyes after 12 hrs... easily washed off

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  39. did you see the globby mess that was miss britney's lashes on NBC with matt lauer tonight? eek!!

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  40. hi :) theres this great mascara that i tried recently,it really gives a natural look..its called Kate Natu-Lash its from japan, i dont know if its available in your country.the best part is that theres no clumping at all because theres no brush,i dont know how to describe it but its like more like a spiral wand.hope this helps.its only about usd6.try it :)

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  41. Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I ended up buying Lancome L'Extreme anyways and the saleslady even did this mod-looking eye shadow thing for me. It was fun. I started wearing L'Extreme last night and it totally lengthened my lashes and did not smudge. I totally recommend it for people looking for a lengthening mascara.


    Lauren: I haven't bought a mascara for a whole year, but I didn't open my last one till December. So technically, I still only used it for 6 months.

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  42. Lancome's Hypnose is seriously the best. you can't go wrong. I picked mine up at a warehouse sale. AUD$10!! brilliant.
    It looks natural on me, and I have pretty long eyelashes.

    no clumps and best part is that my eyelashes are still soft after applying and curling.
    Esp good cos i love to flutter my eyelashes on my boyfriend's cheek. :-P

    I've tried the Definicils before. but it wasn't as great as this one.

    Maybe try a clear one if you wanted a seriously natural look.

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  43. Hmm good question. I just curl my lashes since they are natuarally black. You could always try a lash tint. You can get them tinted at a salon or buy a tint in a tube. I would like a new mascara though, for when I want to look a little dressier. But I hate the feeling of dry crusty (ew) lashes at the end of the day.

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  44. I have tried so many different mascaras looking for the one that does it all- lengthening, defining, volume, and natural looking- and i've finally found THE ONE! Covergirl's Lash Exact is the best, and actually lives up to its advertising. It really does leave your lashes looking naturally gorgeous, and there are absolutely NO CLUMPING, whish is why I LOVE IT!!!! I definately recommend trying it!

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  45. Cool post! Also, check out this expert advise on the best mascara. Mascara recommendations from the real pros!

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  46. Thanks to whoever recommended the Hot Lashes mascara and the Hot Lashes heated eyelash curler! I got it, tried it and loved it! Best by far...
    My eyelashes stay curled and beautiful looking for along time. My husband noticed a difference.
    I love this product.
    Sarah

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  47. This mascara created much more volume than I would have anticipated. Previously the natural mascaras I have tried have coated the lashes in a heavy coat of smudgy, color which didn’t really aid to volume and length but this is very light and really stretches the length out equally to its mainstream competitors which use artificial fibers and other ingredients. Thanks for join with us.
    best natural mascara

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