Maybelline Volume Express Mascara > Reviews (34)

As my quest for the latest technology whilst retaining quality at an effective price has always been a mission of mine, I was somewhat surprised to find how the world of cosmetics in particular mascara is keeping in line with the latest hi-tech terminology. Who’d have imagined a ‘turbo boost’ mascara…now my car has a turbo charged engine and I may discuss boost, pressure, performance but does mascara with turbo boost give the ultimate in high-speed performance, does it boost your lashes and give you that die for look?!

My mission was to find a good value waterproof mascara that also enhanced the lashes. There are a huge range of mascaras on the market currently and the sheer types available is mind boggling! Did you know there are over 90 types/brands/models of mascara available at Boots???! In the past I had bought premium branded mascaras such as Lancôme or Christian Dior for special occasions which I used occasionally as a result they dried up due to infrequent use. So, I did not wish to spend in excess of £10 on a mascara which I intended to use daily but in reality may end up using infrequently. Now, browsing the Health and Beauty aisles of shops like Boots I was amazed to see the how hi-tech the world of mascaras has now become you can lengthen, make thicker, add 6x volume with full boost, can add dimension, you can curl your lashes, waterproof or not. Some come with primer layer so you coat your lashes first with a white or colourless primer (a bit like putting base coat of paint on before you put the actual paint -to give a smooth finish) and then apply the actual mascara.

I bought this Maybelline volume express turbo boost waterproof mascara mainly due to its relatively cheap price of £4.99 and its seemed like it had better performance as it states mascara volume is 5x over the other regular Maybelline Volume express which has 3x mascara volume and was also priced at £4.99. Surely 5x mascara volume is better than 3x or so that’s what I thought. The colour I have is aptly named turbo Black! Maybelline is also a long established well known brand that has been around since the beginning of the last century. I will not be writing the entire history of Maybelline to make your reading time longer or to make this review on mascara any longer than it needs to be but will mainly be concentrating on my experience of use , opinion and final verdict, please visit http://www.maybelline.co.uk/about_us/l28​2l283.htm for more details.

So what does this Maybelline Volume express turbo boost waterproof mascara claim to do?
It claims to make lashes x5 thicker by having x5 volume. It also claims to have a long lasting waterproof formula. It’s also supposed to smudge proof and separates and defines without clumping and its supposed to suitable for sensitive eyes.

On first appearances the product looks pretty boring comes packaged in clear basic plastic cover (see photo 1). The product itself is a rather bland looking chunky black plastic bottle with silver coloured chunky lid.

(see photo 2). Inside this chunky bottle you get 8.5ml of mascara. Now the brush in any mascara is the key to the how the lashes will get sculpted; just like using the right paint brush is essential to an artist. The brush with this mascara is a rather chunky looking full brush, it’s not thin or curved (like some brushes that are found in curling mascaras). Being a full brush should be a good thing as it means you should get full coverage and the volume Maybelline are talking about. Please note you will not be able to see the brush unless you actually buy this Maybelline product as its sealed and packaged in clear plastic as shown in Photo 1. See photo 3 to see the type of brush you are getting this may help you if you are considering buying this.

So did it live up to its promises?
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Well, yes and no. Ease of Use - It was very easy to apply being of gel formula it just sweeps onto your lashes without giving clumped lashes. So that’s straight away one point it’s lived up to -no clumping! The next thing I wanted to see was the volume 5x. Well, I couldn’t see any improvement in volume, so I applied another coat to see if I could build it up but couldn’t, as this is not one of those lengthen mascaras where you can keep building and extending the lash based upon the look and length you want. So I was rather disappointed in the volume building factors of this mascara. It does give a very basic minimum enhancement it’s very subtle and hardly noticeable. I would say it separates lashes and gently defines them, but doesn’t add volume in my experience. Lastly, but not least I bought this as I was looking for a cheap priced waterproof mascara; so did it live up this promise? The best way I could think to put this to the test was to go to an aqua aerobics Class (which takes place in the swimming pool) so without doubt your face is going to get wet. I wore this mascara in the morning, went to an hour long class in water, had shower and the mascara remained untouched all day, it didn’t budge. It didn’t smudge or start crumbling. So, yes I am impressed with its waterproof staying powering without budging. One thing I did notice however is that my eyes were slightly red towards the end of the day but I think that’s more likely from the chlorine in the swimming pool than the mascara itself as it’s stated to be suitable for sensitive eyes. But what manufacturers define as sensitive eyes and opthalmologically tested is open to debate as I feel its more likely another one of those key words that has to be printed on every cosmetic that comes in contact with eyes. I doubt they ask local independent optometrists (not big chains) to test these on their patients.

To summarise;
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What it will do?
It is waterproof. It is smudge proof. It does not clump. Gives some definition.

What it won’t do?

It will not add volume or dimension as Maybelline claims (5x). It will not lengthen your lashes. It will not thicken lashes.

Would I recommend this?

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Well, yes and no; yes if you’re looking for a cheap waterproof mascara that stays on and doesn’t budge and gives some definition. No, if you’re looking to build volume and create thicker lashes as this product will not do that. It hasn’t got a luxurious silky feel on the lashes. And lastly just to clarify if it does what it states i.e. turbo boost your eye lashes -well, no it doesn't give any turbo boost in my opinion. Though at £4.99 it’s not bad as a waterproof mascara, but it doesn't do much else for the lashes, hence my 2 star product rating.

Other Suggestions:-

There are perhaps better waterproof mascaras out there and my suggestions if you wanted volume and more silky lashes as well as it being waterproof would be to consider Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara in waterproof black which costs £2 more than this retailing at £7.99.Other options would be to consider brands such as Bourjois or L’Orleal mascaras all of which retail at approximate price range of around £7.99-£8.99. Again I'm only comparing brands that fit in the same price tag of sub £10.

Note: All 3 photos submitted are of the actual product I own.

An opinion of connoisseur_haggler @ciao 2007