Lashes for Less

We all know we're in a tough economy. But when the going gets tough, rather than sacrifice our beauty regiments, we fashionistas adapt. We morph into super-shopping recessionistas looking for a deal at every turn. Mixing old colors to create new colors; opting for gloss instead of lipstick for everyday use; buying cheaper products--these are some of the ways a recessionista stays fabulous without breaking the bank. To that end, I tried a new, relatively inexpensive (approx. $8) product recently--Revlon's Beyond Natural defining mascara in black--to see if I could get luscious lashes for less than more expensive mascaras.

I have to say I like this product a lot. It glided on smoothly, the brush lifting, curling and separating my lashes easily. One coat was more than enough to darken my lashes enough to stand out, but I applied a second for a little more drama. It even managed to define the thinner lashes under my eye. The product was soft and didn't clump my lashes at all during application. A big plus!

Another fun thing about this mascara: staying power. It lasted through my watery "I've been staring at this computer for too long" work eyes, my "Gosh I'm tired. When will this end?" eye rubbing during my son's 2-hour football practice and right on into the mad dinner/homework dash before bed. (All proof to me that it can withstand a fabulous evening dinner with the honey or a couple of hours out for cocktails with the girls as well.)

The final "do you measure up to your expensive counterparts" test for this product was the removal at bedtime. While I had to scrub twice to remove it completely, it wasn't messy--no black smears or raccoon eyes—just clean, soft lashes.

So, my overall rating of Revlon's Beyond Natural defining mascara: 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up. I recommend you run right out to your nearest drug store or visit CVS Online and get it.

Happy recession beauty shopping!