Lately I have been on a mascara kick. I have been buying all kinds of mascara that I don’t really need, in order to prove something to myself. Or it is just the sign of a truly compulsive spender. Regardless, I have discovered Cover Girl Fantastic Lash. I have truly been happy with the fantastic results and easy application have made it one of my new favorite mascaras.

The Cover Girl website (www.covergirl.com) states two things about this mascara. These are:

It’s volumizing: The smooth, separating formula puts an end to clumping and spiking, and helps create a full fan of thick lashes.

The Fanning Brush: It works like a comb to evenly space lashes and keep them separate.

The tube itself retails for about $6.00 (give or take. I paid $5.98). It can be purchased at anyplace Cover Girl cosmetics are sold (think basically any store you walk into). For this price, you get a big tube, and you will never run out (especially since you should throw out old mascaras every three months anyway). Very Black, Black and Brown Black are the three shades of this mascara that are available. Currently, there is no waterproof formula available.

Application is easy, simply open the tube, and apply as you do any mascara. The “fanning brush” honestly doesn’t appear to be anything special. It looks no better or worse than any mascara brush I have encountered (it’s straight if that helps). Yet the mascara applies really evenly. I have had no trouble with any clumping with this mascara (even after putting on multiple coats). With this mascara, I have never had to comb my eyelashes (which is great, my eyelash comb scares me). The clumplessness of application makes this mascara a definite winner.

The one problem I have with the application is the fact that the mascara cap is extremely fat. This makes it a lot more difficult to get a good grip on the product, which just makes things a lot harder. It hasn’t been all that much of a problem for me (granted, I have freakishly long fingers and good control, so for some people, it might be more of a deal).

The mascara does a lot more thickening than it does lengthening. The lengthening aspect of the mascara is good, not among the best I have ever seen. But the thickening is truly wonderful. I love the way my lashes look with this mascara on. They look full and defined. Perfect for basically anything that I do. It doesn’t provide the most dramatic, full, almost perfectly fake lash look. It does provide a nice look for daytime (or even nighttime if you like a more natural look).

This mascara lasts all day without flaking or wearing off. The one problem that I have encountered with this mascara (as I do with basically all non-waterproof formulas) it that as the day wears on, it will smudge underneath my eyes. This is the biggest problem that I have with the mascara, as I am out a lot all day long, and I don’t have time to touch up my makeup. Once I wipe it off with a little water and a tissue, it will come off.

While this mascara won’t last through swimming, a shower or crying through a really sad movie, it is fairly water resistant. A few tears won’t make it run down rivers down your face.

The mascara is also extremely easy to remove with a normal eye makeup remover (I use Ponds Cold Cream and have never had any troubles).

I really like this mascara. The results are good. I can apply without any clumping problems, even if the tube is not the easiest to hold. My biggest problem with this is that there is no waterproof formula available, which makes for some smudging under the lower lashes as the day goes on. While this mascara lasts all day, that smudging is what makes it imperfect. Yet if you can deal with that minor imperfection, this mascara is truly a great one. Cover Girl has really been improving their products lately, and this one is a must try.

Recommended: Yes