Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara

Some of you have been asking me whether the Estee Lauder Turbolash is worth it, and I've always answered, yes - worth every penny. But, alas, now that the "technology" has been passed along to the mass market, I was curious to try it and see how it compared to its higher-end cousin.

The Maybelline Pulse Perfection retails for about $15USD, which is less than half the price of the Estee Lauder or the Lancome vibrating mascaras. It is available in a few colors: Blackest Black, Very Black and Soft Black. I picked up the Blackest Black; that is actually one of the things I like about L'Oreal and Maybelline mascaras -- that they offer a really intense, deep black color. This mascara is also available in regular or waterproof. Since I don't have the best of luck with waterproof mascaras (I find them drying, and the the formulas are usually thinner) -- I decided to stick with the regular.

The brush is the same as the Define-a-Lash that Maybelline offers -- an hourglass shaped plastic bristle brush. The bristles are thin, and the overall brush is a bit flopsy. I think it's supposed to be more pliable so that it can better conform to the lashes, but I personally have always found that a bit annoying. I do like the Lauder brush better, since it's a traditional bushy brush. In order to get the wand to vibrate, you have to push down a button on the top and hold it down while you are applying. For someone like myself who takes a while to apply mascara, this can attribute to a very tired thumb muscle. :( In that respect, I do prefer the Lauder again.

As for the results... Maybelline makes big promises: 1. Thickness; 2. Length; 3. Separation; 4. Intense Color; 5. Curve; 6. Luster; 7. No clumps. Wow, sounds like a magic bullet, right? I think it does address all of these factors, but is not outstanding on any of them. On a scale of 1 to 5 for each of these "must-haves" I would give it a 3.5 or 4 in each. So, overall, a good result, but definitely not holy grail material. However, for the pricepoint, it does perform better than some department store mascaras, so for that, I do commend Maybelline. If you're looking to try the Lancome oscillation mascara (in which you also have to hold down the button) -- you should try this Maybelline one first to see if you like the technology.