"Curl & Volumize. Condition & Nourish. 100% Natural Origin. 100% Recyclable Sculpting Brush. 24 Hour Wear! 1st Ever CC Curl + Care Mascara. Curl Booster Technology."
Having recently had a bad run of luck with mascaras (a couple needed to be tossed out because they were old and dry, one had what I have to assume was a manufacturing error of an applicator, and one that was barely noticeable on), I was hunting for suggestions. I read other bloggers favorites. I read reviews. I read lists. I was confused. How do I know they want the same look I want? So, I tried vloggers, hoping they would SHOW me the differences. That was a tough one. Few show close ups, and even fewer review drugstore makeup.
Eventually it occured to me to check and see if my favorite silly fun beauty vlogger grav3yardgirl had ever reviewed drugstore makeup, and she DID! In fact, she even did one specifically comparing four popular drugstore mascaras! Perfect!
I watched her video (more than once) as she applied and provided close-ups of all four, and then again with her favorite two. I looked closely to see which of the four applied I liked best. I decided to try Physicians Formula CC Mascara, and off I ran to Rite Aid to buy it for $9.95.
As soon as I got home I plunked down with a mirror and tore it open to apply it, and I was immediately surprised. The wand was caked full to the very tips of the bristles with what looked to be rather dry, clay like mascara. This looked NOTHING like the video I had seen.
I scraped it back into the tube hoping it was a settling issue, pushed the wand back in and spun it a couple times. It did seem better when I pulled it out, so I started brushing it on. It was still more dry than I am used to, but it went on. It took 3 coats for me to decide something really just wasn't right. Yes, It made my lashes black. No, it did not curl them at all. And, it certainly didn't give me anything near the dramatic improvement over my natural lashes I had hoped for. It wasn't really any better than the old ones I had just thrown out for being old. I also found out later that night (thank you cheezy romance movie) that this mascara runs super easily and stings my eyes a little bit if I tear up.
I couldn't find any expiration date on the package (wondering if maybe it had just been in the store too long... this happens in small towns), so I decided to call the company itself. They were, of course, closed for the weekend. Just my luck.
On Monday I called again. I have definitely got to say the representative I spoke with was super friendly and helpful. When I described my experience, she agreed that it did not sound right. The product itself is new this year so it couldn't have been expired, but she agreed it should not have looked as I described or apply the way it did. Any number of situations could have caused this from temperature problems in shipping to a manufacturing error, and she did take the lot number for reference. She let me know that if the store would not take the return, Physicians Formula would replace it for me.
I did return the mascara with no problems and would be willing to try it again, but I chose not to that day under the assumption that the 4 in my store probably came in the same shipment from the same lot, just in case those were the cause of the problem. Having seen how nice it looked in the video, I will likely buy it again for one more try in the future... from a different store. ;)
All in all, I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it enough to make me want to stay with that tube when better results supposedly can be found with others.
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