Drugstore Mascara Review

Back in 2020 when I did my Sephora Mascara Review, I had always planned on doing some sort of drugstore mascara review as well. I just didn’t anticipate it being two full years later but here we are. I tried 17 different drug store mascaras so you don’t have to! Some of these were requested by you guys and some were just ones that I had read good things about or heard about on TikTok or saw in an end cap at the store. So for each mascara, I wanted to share the price, how many colors it came in, what it claims to do to your lashes and what my thoughts were on it. SO, without further ado, here is a very lengthy drug store mascara review!

www.tarynintotravel.com | Drugstore Mascara Review | Revolution Mascara | Essence Lash Princess | Loreal Lash Paradise | Maybelline | Elf Makeup Mascara | Milani Mascara | NYX Mascara | Honest Beauty | Makeup Review | Honest Makeup Review | Through M


PRICE: $7.99

PURPOSE: Lengthening, Volumizing

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: This was literally the messiest mascara I have ever put onto my eyes in my life. The box was also ridiculous to open. Initialy I wasn’t dissapointed with the application but then throughout the day it was down my face and around my eyes looked so smudgy. THEN, on top of that it took THREE days for it to fully come off of my eyelashes. I tried so many things to get it off and then when I thought I had it all off, I would wake up the next day and it was still showing up under my eyes. This mascara is truly the worst.


PRICE: $11.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Curling, Lengthening

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: I honestly hated this mascara, halfway through I was in actual pain because the bristles are so tough. They were hurting my lash line, they aren’t bendable at all and it made it very painful. Besides that, it was a fine mascara but the pain to me was not worth the price or mascara at all, I know there are better ones out there!


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing

COLOR: Black

REVIEW: I had really high hopes for this mascara but it took a lot of effort to put it on and there was really nothing to show for it afterwards. It took a lot of time to even get a little bit of product onto my lashes and it was really messy. I also had a hard time cleaning up the mess around my eyes after putting it on. It did lengthen them but it didn’t make them any longer or fuller. Then throughout the day, I felt like it was irritating my eyes. The longer that I had the mascara on the more I just wanted to take it off.

PRICE: $3.19

PURPOSE: Lengthening

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: I thought that I was going to like this when I first put it on, but I think I was trying to force myself to like it because of the price point. It honestly flaked off my lashes within a few hours of wearing it which is so frustrating. I reapplied mascara before the afternoon was over! Such a bummer because I wanted it to be a good mascara for just over $3, but if you go up $2, you get my favorite one out of the whole experiment.


PRICE: $10.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing Waterproof, Lengthening, Curling

COLORS: Black, Blackest Black, Black Brown

REVIEW: I had never heard of this before purchasing it but wanted to give it a try because it was on an end cap! It is waterproof and honestly pretty awful. After putting it on I felt like I knew why I had never heard of it before. It took a TON of effort to put on and it felt like after all of that effort I had no mascara on my eyes. Another thing that was a fail for me was that it was so hard to get a grip on my lashes to even put the product on. As a result of it being so hard to put on, it was just completely messy from how many swipes it took to get the product onto my lashes. I was excited because. the brown shade this one came in wasn’t great at all. Even after JUST putting it on, it looked smudgy under my eyes


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Lengthening, Thickening, Volumizing, Waterproof

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: I was not impressed with this mascara really at all. I felt like there was no product on the wand and I couldn’t get my lashes to do what I want. I did mention in the video of my initial thoughts that I thought it would be a good layer over your regular mascara because it separated my lashes nicely and it is waterproof so that could be nice. But I wouldn’t repurchase this mascara by any means, it really just wasn’t that great. Even though it had a good wand shape, It was also messy to put on. It didn’t lift or lengthen or anything it just colored my lashes.


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Curling, Volumizing

COLOR: Black

REVIEW: This is a very light and natural mascara that went on very easily. It’s not what I am looking for in an everyday mascara because it is much too light on my lashes because I tried really hard and it wasn’t buildable. But towards the end of the day, my thoughts were that the serum that was in the formula made the mascara come off of my lashes all day long and gave me that super awesome raccoon look. I wouldn’t recommend this.


PRICE: $7.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening

COLORS: Glam Black, Classic Black, Glam Brown

REVIEW: I have used this before! It is waterproof so I wouldn’t use it every day. One downside is that it transferred a lot to my lid which with it being waterproof, I struggled to get it off and then had to redo parts of my makeup. This honestly could have been a “me” thing though. I had this mascara on for a whole park day it did last the whole time, it’s just not my favorite overall.


PRICE: $10.99

PURPOSE: Lengthening, Curling, Thickening

COLOR: Black

REVIEW: I don’t know if I just picked to do all the worst ones first or what but I feel like I have really only liked one I have tried so far. This mascara wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t spend my money on it again. I did mention that I am trying another version of this mascara this month so maybe it is like the new and improved version? This one just took so much time to get a normal amount of product on my lashes and it really felt like there was zero product on the wand the whole time. It is $10 and not worth it, IMO.


PRICE: $6.00

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening

COLOR: Black

REVIEW: Its not bad, and I was surprised to see both of the Elf mascaras that I tried right next to each other in the line up. This mascara definitely lengthened them but it didn’t really lift them. It took a lot to put the mascara on but I didn’t mind it on once it was on there!


PRICE: $8.00

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening

COLOR: Black, Pitch Black, Deep Brown

REVIEW: My first reaction I was excited about the wand but when I was using it, it took a TON of swipes to even get anywhere near having enough on my lashes.  Originally I thought that it was $3, but it is $8 and not worth that money.  I was impressed with how well it lengthened my lashes but there was definitely no lift to them. It also seemed like there was a ton of product n the wand but there really wasn’t! It wore fine throughout the day, it didn’t have much fall off but I wasn’t THAT impressed. I would say it’s a nice everyday mascara.


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening

COLOR: Black

REVIEW: I think this is the new and improved version of the Milani Highly Rated mascara. Initially I was worried about the bristles being painful, but they weren't! I did feel like I had to put the wand in the tube over and over to get more product out of it. That could potentially cost you more money in the long run. But I really like how it lengthened my lashes and it did lift them as well!



PRICE: $17.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: My first thoughts were really impressed by this mascara and pleasantly surprised! I didn’t have to stick the wand back into the tube to get more product, there was enough just on the wand. I couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t fair because this mascara has a primer and mascara in one. It made me think I should use a primer with all of them but ultimately decided it didn’t matter because of the price point difference between this and the others. This one is $18 but I do think that it is a very nice everyday mascara. The primer lengthened my lashes, and then the mascara went on so well over top. It didn’t lift my lashes but if you were to use a lash curler, I think it would be nice. Apparently, I don’t have an eyelash curler anymore! It also looked nice throughout the entire day!


PRICE: $8.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Curling

COLORS: Blackest Black, Brownish Black, Very Black

REVIEW: I was initially excited about this mascara because of the shape of the wand and let me tell you it did not disappoint me. Even days after testing this mascara I found myself grabbing for this one! I love that it lifts and lengthens, I am a big fan! It lasted all day long and I am more than happy with the results of it!


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening

COLORS: Blackest Black, True Brown, Cosmic Black, Very Black

REVIEW: I feel like this one was popular with a lot of people so I had high hopes and it did not disappoint! I was so impressed and it felt like I had tried so many duds in the process so I knew when I really liked this one because I didn’t have any complaints. It went on really easily, it lengthens my lashes really well. It didn’t transfer all over my lashes so that was good. The wand was pretty bendable but I felt like I got used to it by the end of the application process.


PRICE: $9.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening

COLORS: Black, Blackest Black, Black Brown, Mistique Black

REVIEW: I mentioned this in my review video but I have tried this in the past and it used to be one of my go-to’s until I found It Cosmetics Superhero! It lengthens, lifts, and is definitely buildable. You can make your eyes as dramatic as you want. I love this mascara and how easy it is applied and stays completely put throughout the day while not being hard to get off at the end of the night! I think this mascara will always be one I keep on hand as a backup or something I use when I run out of my others! It does a great job of lengthening while making my lashes look fuller and it’s perfect.


PRICE: $4.99

PURPOSE: Volumizing

COLORS: Black

REVIEW: WOWOWOWOW. I am impressed with this mascara. My first reaction within the first couple of swipes onto my lashes I knew it was going to be good. It lasted all day long without falloff and I can’t even believe that this mascara is less than $5! Like seriously that is insane. I like it just as much as my It Cosmetics mascara from Sephora. One thing that someone did mention to me was that when the tube is half gone it doesn’t apply as well. But I will defiantly make an update to this review when I finish half of it and let you guys know. But WOW. So so good!


I always give myself only one month to do these reviews, and having such a tight schedule makes it more complicated for me to finish them. Going forward, I will just start a review and finish it in a more reasonable timeframe. I set this one for one month and it ended up taking almost four months instead. I would love to hear your thoughts or if your favorite mascara is on this page, I want to know about it! If there is anything else you think I should add to any or all of them, let me know that, too! If you have any questions, drop them below or you can email me at tarynintotravel@gmail.com!


WHAT TO READ NEXT!


Sephora Sale Picks | 2022

Sephora Sale Picks | 2022

| MOROCCAN OIL | SUPERHERO MASCARA | MARACUJA JUICY LIP ROSE | MARACUJA JUICY LIP ORCHID | CONFIDENCE IN A CREAM | GIMME BROW GEL | KERASTASE SERUM | THE ORDINARY PEELING SOLUTION | ALL NIGHTER SETTING SPRAY | OUAI LEAVE IN CONDITIONER | BB HEAT SHEILD BLOW DRY SPRAY | OLAPLEX NO 3 | C TANGO MULTIVITAMIN EYE CREAM | NARS CLIMAX MASCARA |

Moroccan Oil - I use this hydrating hair mask and I leave it in for 2-3 hours and then wash it out in the shower and use shampoo and conditioner after it is rinsed out! It works really well and doesn’t leave my hair feeling really heavy the next morning which is huge for me and one of the things I look for most in a hair mask!

Superhero Mascara - I can’t say enough good things about this mascara, it is hands down my favorite and I have repurchased it over and over again! I did EXTENSIVE research to find the best mascara and this was my top favorite! I will link my Sephora Mascara Review here for you guys to read but I just love this mascara so much!

Maracujá Juicy Lip - I have this lip balm in about 8 colors and I want literally every color! I love Orchid and Rose but some of my other favorites are Coconut, Hibiscus, and Guava! Its not a lipstick but its not sticky like a gloss which is the perfect combination in my opinion!

Confidence in a Cream - I am still using my first container and will definitely be buying it again, even at full price! It moisturizes, reduces the look of fine lines, smoothes, and evens tone which I really like all of those things about it! I have maybe like 3 weeks left of this tub and should probably just order the next one now so I don’t miss a day!

Gimme Brow Gel - I love how easy it is to use Gimme Brow gel on my brows. I literally don’t grow eyebrow hair somehow to its easy to just basically brunch my brows out with this tinted creamy eyebrow brush and move on with my makeup routine! It takes two seconds and I love how easy it is. I get the shade 3 Medium for reference!

Kerastase Serum - I have had this same bottle for over a year now and it still feels full! I got tone of the first times that I went to see Kristina at Educe Salon here in Orlando. It literally makes your hair feel like you just got a fresh haircut! It heals hair ends, acts as a heat protectant and nourishes damaged hair. It honestly just makes your hair feel so good, I feel like I share this product with everyone that comes into my bathroom, plus everyone on Instagram stories haha!

The Ordinary Peeling Solution - This is new to me and I have only used it once but I wanted to add it here because its usually only $8 but with the discount it is even less! Once I use it a couple more times I will share a more thorough review of the product!

www.tarynintotravel.com | 2022 Sephora Sale Picks | Makeup Sale Picks | Sephora Sale

All Nighter Setting Spray - I can’t even count how many times I have repurchased this but I really love this setting spray. I don’t use it every day but I do use it when I need my makeup to stay all day, like if I am going out or going to have a park day! It works really well and it only takes 2-3 sprays for your full face! They also have a travel size that you could try before committing to the big bottle, just to see if you like it!

Ouai Leave in Conditioner - I use a purple conditioner to keep my blonde, blonde and it can be a little bit drying so I spray this in on my wet hair before I brush out my hair it is so great. I just got the little size to try but when I run out I will be getting the bigger size. But surprisingly the small bottle has lasted me since the beginning of February!

BB Heat Sheild Blow Dry Accelerator - I’ve used this blow dry accelerator for about 4 years now and I have repurchased it like 3 times! I love it so much, it takes about 6 sprays and it makes my hair dry so much faster. it also acts as a heat protectant from the blow dryer and whatever other hot tools I use that day!

Olaplex No 3 - I use this in the shower about once a month, I put it on before my shampoo and it just helps with reducing breakage and split ends, strengthens my hair and restores texture. It really threw me off that I use it before shampoo but it works well!

C Tango Multi Vitamin Eye Cream - I have rebought this and I really like it, I have been using it for about four years now. I feel like it really tightens and brightens my under eyes! Its a part of my skincare routine and I like the vitamin c addition! You can read more here!

Nars Climax Mascara - This was the second runner up in my mascara experiment to find the best mascara at Sephora. Its another great one that last all day long, thickens and lengthens the eyelash and over all great. The only thing I found with this one is that it takes more brush strokes to get the mascara on my lash the way that I like it.

I know it was a lot of info in this post but if you have any questions about any of the products I would be more than happy to answer those for you! There are so many of my favorites in the sale, these are all things that I have been using for a very long time and truly love them! You can comment below and I will get back to you or if you want you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will respond there as well!

March Beauty Finds

I feel like I have been saying this a lot lately but I have really been trying to find my go/concrete makeup look that. There are many “hole” so to speak in my makeup routine. Meaning that when I run out of something I just buy whatever brand I see the next time I am at the store. There are a few things like foundation, concealer, eye brow pencils… things like that, where I am really trying to find permanent products to use from now on. With that being said- it is a lot of testing and taking a lot of time for a couple of reasons. 1. I don’t want to waste product.. if I buy it I am going to use all of it. 2. I want to make sure I get the full effect before I review a product or decide to add it to the mix for good.

Www.tarynintotravel.com March Beauty Finds Makeup products Ulta finds Sephora finds new lipstick Spring Foundation

There are 5 products that I wanted to talk about this month and then a few {okay fine.. A LOT} new lipstick shades/colors/brands that I have been trying! Let’s be honest, lipstick is one of my guilty pleasures to buy. I usually don’t buy expensive brands - if I do it was on sale when I bought it! It’s just one of those things that I wear a different shade every single day. I’m not the person to have a go to color by a specific brand- I just wear whatever I like for the day! I had also realized that a lot of my lipstick was OLD. I know that it doesn’t go bad really but I wanted some shades that were newer that were still being made. Lol

Www.tarynintotravel.com March Beauty Finds Makeup products Ulta finds Sephora finds new lipstick Spring Foundation
Www.tarynintotravel.com March Beauty Finds Makeup products Ulta finds Sephora finds new lipstick Spring Foundation
  1. Tarte Shape Tape - I have been testing two concealers this month and actually will be testing a whole lot more in May. It’s my May review project… But for now I am testing this one and another one that I will share in a second. The Tarte Shape Tape is worth the hype but it is still pretty drying on my skin. I like it and I like the coverage but I am honestly loving the next one even more. I use the shade “fair-light neutral 16N” and I think I could do a shade lighter- especially now in the winter before I have any sun on my face!

  2. Milani Powder Brush - I started using this blush in the beginning of February and I never really shared it! I use the shade Blossomtime Rose and it is a nice pinky blush! It stays on well! I prefer powder blushes over creamy blush because I have pretty oily skin lately and I like that it sort of has that setting powder effect.

  3. Born This Way Sculpting Concealer - I freakin’ love this stuff. It was recommended to me by a friend and it is SO good! I just got the tester size but I love it so much that I want to get the full size. It has close to the same applicator as the Shape Tape but its more angled it the tip to really get into the corners under my eye. I use the shade “Snow” and again I think I could really use a lighter shade for the winter. I get this at Ulta or Sephora, which ever I am ordering from when I need it!

  4. Pacifica Alight Foundation - I found this dfoundation on a random Target run. I needed a lighter foundation because my current foundation was really dark for my skin tone {only took me 7 months to figure that one out *face palm*}. I was browsing the beauty isles and was really drawn to the packaging of this foundation! I bought it and I have actually really like it. It’s more watery than my previous foundations but I like it! It’s easy to apply and stays on really well. I am in the shade 40NF.

  5. Too Faced Pineapple Paradise Strobing Bronzer - I found this at Ulta and again I was drawn to the packaging! The cover is gold sparkles with pineapples which is so stinking cute! I love both the bronzer and the highlighter. I know I just mentioned the Becca Highlighter a couple of months back but after having my THIRD highlighter compact break within days on buying it- I got really fed up with that. So I decided to try something new! I have the “Pineapple sun” shade and I love it!

  6. Milani Lipstick - this is in the shade “61 Matte Naked” and I am loving this shade!

  7. Almay Lip Vibes Lipstick - this color is the shade “210 never regret” and I have been wanting to try like a brown shade {which is very out of my comfort zone} but really its just like a bit of a darker neutral color!

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Www.tarynintotravel.com March Beauty Finds Makeup products Ulta finds Sephora finds new lipstick Spring Foundation

I have loved reviewing products for you guys! If there is ever anything that you want to test out or are unsure about… let me test it out for you! I love doing this and will always give my {brutally} honest opinion because I want you guys to get your money’s worth for sure! If you have anything you can think of that you want tested - email me at tarynintotravel@gmail.com or comment below!

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Recent Sephora Favorites

Let me just preface this whole blog post with the statement that I am not a beauty blogger nor do I claim to be one. I am just taking you guys along on my makeup journey lol. Over last few months I have been trying to get makeup products that I love and that I want to go back to over and over again. Until recently, I would just buy what ever I could find that was on sale and just go with it because I didn’t want to think that much about it. Another factor with changing up my makeup from drugstore-whatever-I-can-find products to higher end products is that since moving to Boston my skin is SO different, it is so dry and I break out in a rash if my skin doesn’t like what I put on it. I think it could be a combination of the move and getting a little older but nonetheless, I am changing things up. This also hasn’t been a over night process because makeup isn’t cheap.. lol I have been slowly adding things into my routine and testing them on my skin.


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The Products

  1. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - I have heard so many good things about this mask, its literally all over the internet. But it really does live up to the hype. It is a great lip mask! It says that it is for night time but I use it throughout the day when my lips are really dry - it also adds a little pink to my lips which I like. The mask gives my lips a relief that my Vaseline doesn’t always give. It is definitely something I will buy again and again.

  2. Becca First Light Primer - I have never really used a primer before but I got this one in a kit that I ordered around Christmas and I love how smooth my makeup looks when I use it! I could also be crazy but I think that it adds an extra level of moisture to my face before putting on the rest of my makeup. I have a small tube of it and I will be repurchasing it!

  3. Benefit Gimme Brow - I got this in a kit as well that I ordered and I am loving how easy it is to fill in my brows. This is a great product if I am in a hurry and just trying to add some color/filler to my brows. The only downside is that I do still need to use a pencil if I am going for a more dramatic look {lol I sound so official when I say “more dramatic look”} but it does still speed up the whole brows process. I will rebuy this for sure!

  4. Urban Decay Setting Spray - YOU GUYS. I used this a few years ago and its like I blacked out and never rebought it. I have no idea why I stopped using it! I love this setting spray, my makeup lasts so much longer throughout the day. Also, I am not sure if this is the way its supposed to be done but I put all my makeup on except mascara and then spray my whole face with the setting spray and then put mascara on. I don’t know why I do this, honestly it’s probably becuase I don’t want to wait for my mascara to dry before I spray my face so I don’t blink and get mascara all over my eyes. Lol I will definitely NOT black out and forget to repurchase this again in the future.

  5. Becca Hydra Mist Set & Refresh Powder - I really like that this product doesn’t make my under eyes super dry. Around my eyes is one of the places that gets really dry on my skin and I have to be very careful with powder around my eyes. Again, this was a product in a kit that I ordered so I decided to just give it a try and see how it went with no expectations and I love it! It sets my under eyes with out taking away allllll of the moisture. It lets me keep my makeup on longer as well because with other setting powders I am ready to take my makeup off by 4:00 pm because of the dryness.

4 Lip Colors for Fall

By now you guys know that I love adding fun shoes and cute accessories to spice up an outfit weather that be at work or for date night. Another thing that I love to do is experiment with lip colors. I am not a huge eyeshadow person, and by not a huge eye shadow person I mean a 5 year old could apply eye shadow way better than I could. So instead, I love adding a fun lip color! Because I love trying all different kinds, I usually purchase them from Target or Amazon and not usually a name brand. There are some that are name brand but I probably bought it on sale. These are all under $10 and perfect to add to your collection! Scroll to the bottom to see a swatch of them all!

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In order from left to right:

Ariel, Rossetto, Belle, Bordeaux

 
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