Battle Of The Mini Volumizing Mascaras

It normally takes me quite a while to get through mascara, so I often find that the contents of whatever tube I happen to be using dry up before I've managed to finish. For this reason, I'm quite fond of the handy, mini/sample sizes, which are normally given away with gift with purchases or magazines. I'm currently making my way through a few different tubes, which I picked up last year and thought I'd share my thoughts on them in a mini review/comparison post.

Lancome Hypnose Star

First up is Lancome's Hypnose Star, which promises to deliver intense volume and curled lashes. 

The Brush: The tapered brush design is quite interesting on this one. The shorter bristles are quite handy for getting at those hard to reach lashes in the corners of your eyes, but the longer bristles don't seem to work particularly well at separating, so I’ve had a few issues with clumping. 

The Formula: It's quite wet and takes a while to dry, something I'm normally not a fan of, as I tend to be quite clumsy with mascara application. Applies well with the first coat, but starts to become clumpy with a second, especially if the first coat has started to dry. This also leaves my lashes feeling quite stiff, which I'm personally not keen on. 

The Result: Darkens and lengthens quite well, but doesn't add an amazing amount of volume, as the formula and brush create quite clumpy lashes. On a more positive note though, I do find this holds up really well throughout the day and had no problems with smearing, smudging or flaking. It also holds a curl quite well, too. 

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes

Armani Eyes To kill

Next up is Armani's Eyes To Kill, which promises weightless volume and length. 

The Brush: A pretty large brush with lots of fairly long bristles which do a fantastic job at coating lashes easily and evenly. I'm even able to get to the little corner lashes without any problems. 

The Formula: Nowhere near as wet as the Hypnose, which I like. Dries quite quickly and is definitely buildable. I can add a second or third coat without any problems at all with clumping and my lashes still feel quite soft and flexible. 

The Result: Adds a nice amount of length and a brilliant amount of volume. My lashes look thicker, and even after multiple coats are still nicely separated and don't feel heavy. I've had no issues at all with flaking, smudging or smearing and find this does a pretty good job at holding a curl.

Armani Eyes To kill

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash

Laura Mercier's Full Blown Volume Lash is supposed to dramatically thicken, lengthen and curl lashes. 

The Brush: A moderately sized bullet shaped brush, which does a pretty good job at separating and coating lashes evenly. 

The Formula: Quite wet, but dries quickly to a really soft finish. Feels the most light weight out of the three and like the Armani, is buildable, although slightly less so. A second coat seems to go on fine, but starts to get a little bit clumpy with a third. This is slightly more subtle colour wise, too. Definitely not an intense, deep black, but it still darkens well. 

The Result: Full Blown Volume Lash is definitely the most natural of the three. It gives a decent amount of length, a nice amount of volume and separates well, but the effect is quite subtle. It holds a curl reasonably well and applied with a light hand, gives an almost feathery look to lashes. As with the other two, I've had no smearing or smudging problems. 

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash

And a picture of the brushes together to give a better idea of shape and size. Out of the three, I find the Armani Eyes To Kill brush works the best at evenly coating lashes and separating. The stubbier bristles on the Volume Lash brush don't work quite as well at separating, and I find it difficult to get a clump free application with the tapered Hypnose Star brush.

So, which one do I like the most? Out of the three, Armani's Eyes To Kill is definitely the winner for me. It creates the most volume, separates the best out of the bunch and is the most buildable. I do also like Laura Mercier's Full Blown Volume lash though, particularly for creating natural looks and when I want something slightly more subtle. I think Volume Lash would be a nice option for those who don't really like the look of dramatic mascaras and like their lashes to feel quite soft and natural. If I shell out on a full size one of these though, the Armani would definitely be my first choice. In fact, I think I will be grabbing myself a full sized tube, as it really is brilliant stuff! 

Have you tried any of these? What's your favourite volumizing mascara?