Maybelline Great Lash Real Impact! Mascara Review

Maybelline's line of Great Lash mascaras is undoubtedly a drugstore icon. The original has been a staple in women's handbags for over half a century. I, myself, have been an addict of the little green and pink tubes for 5 years. My favourite in the collection(and trust me, I've tried them all!) is the Great Lash BIG, whose over-sized, fluffy natural brush yields full, fluttery, fanned-out lashes with serious volume! So when Maybelline brought out a new version of it called Real Impact!, I was pretty excited. Okay, super excited. Okay, I squealed like a piglet! I am definitely a mascara junkie and collect and go through tube after tube of the stuff, so there's nothing more exciting than finding a cheap, but amazing quality new mascara at the drugstore,,,without them I'd be broke. I have a problem, okay!

Here's the real impact that Real Impact! had on me(hahaha, oh so clever...)

The brush is spoolie-style with natural bristles clumped fairly closely together. It is quite skinny and long and is straight with no tapered end (making it more difficult to get the inner corner lashes). The mascara has a cream-gel formula and is made with beeswax, which Maybelline claims is gentler and less drying on lashes than traditional synthetic waxes. The colour is a shiny, deep black (shade is called Blackest Black) and very intense.

I find that, despite it's claims, the formula is still quite dry. It is very thick and clumps and flakes quite a bit, with little black specks fluttering down on my cheeks like snow by the end of the day, though I have found that this can be reduced a bit by brushing through lashes with a clean spoolie or comb after application. However, it does not smudge, but still washes away easily at the end of the day. It also does build up a lot of volume. The colour is so intense and deep that it definitely draws attention to the eyes, even with just one coat making a dramatic difference. This mascara seems like it would be a good option for people who like a lot of volume, despite having a few clumps. However, if you prefer a really smooth or natural-looking mascara, I'd recommend some of the other Maybelline Great Lash mascaras instead.

Bare lashes with light brown eyeliner

One coat of Real Impact! mascara

Two coats

All in all, it's a good volumizing mascara from the drugstore, but it flakes like snow.

-Maggie May