Cheap But Not That Cheerful: Wet n Wild MegaImpact Mascara

I've decided to come down from my high-end make-up cloud for a little bit and review the mascara I'm currently using: the Wet n Wild MegaImpact Mascara in Very Black ($3.99 for 0.27 fl oz/ 8 ml). There's something slightly tongue-in-cheek in seeing this neon orange tube between the restrained black packaging of my Bobbi Brown corrector, MUFE powder or BECCA concealer compacts that I rummage through every morning. The ridiculous exclamatives on the packaging just add to the effect: '8 Times Impact! Lifts for Drama! Longest Thickest Lashes Ever! Dramatic Impact!'. I believe this is also the cheapest mascara I've ever used, free mascara samples notwithstanding.

The Wet n Wild MegaImpact has the classic wiry-bristled brush, tapering off at the end - this is where a huge glob of black tar tenaciously positions itself every time you pull out the wand, which then has to be wiped off somewhere. Despite this generous deposit, there's actually very little product on the rest of the brush when it comes to applying the product. For comparison purposes, the brush is roughly the same size as my defunct tube of Covergirl Lash Blast Volume - meaning, pretty big but still maneuverable on the lashes.

Top: Wet n Wild MegaImpact, bottom: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume.

I do think the marketing folks at Wet n Wild must have a pretty twisted sense of humor: the Mega Impact Mascara is actually one of the most natural-looking mascaras I've tried in a long time. One coat gives slight definition and a little bit of volume, two coats give just a bit more in the volume department. The formula is very, very dry - which is great for separating and defining, but not so much for giving extra oomph to the lashes. I find that for the best results, it's better to comb the mascara from root to tip without too much zig-zagging or wriggling at the lashline, as this method can produce some clumping, especially at the tips of the lashes. It's not very lenghtening at all - but my lashes are pretty long to begin with.

Wearing two coats of Wet n Wild MegaImpact Mascara. There are flakes under my left eye if you peer closely. There were flakes on the cheek in my previous post on Yaby eyeshadows too. L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo in Electrified on the eyes, NYX Tea Rose on the lips.

Where this mascara unfortunately fails me is the flaking department: it does flake. Not as unexcusably as the Kjaer Weis mascara I've tried last year, but there are flakes - sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes immediately after application, sometimes a couple hours into the wear. To add insult to injury, there's also some transferring onto my browbone in high humidity, which is what we're now starting to get here on the East Coast. There is however one nice thing I can say about this mascara: because of how dry the formula is, the lashes remain pretty soft, flexible and fluttery - but not shiny or nourished like it says on the packaging, let's not kid ourselves, Wet n Wild.

I can't really comment on how long a tube will last you, since for me, it's not exactly usable to begin with; but judging from how dry - how many times can I repeat the word 'dry' in this review? - the mascara is, probably not more than a couple (like one to two) months. As a side note, I'm not a mascara snob by any means; I've actually never purchased a high-end mascara and always choose to go with different drugstore brands, mostly Covergirl or L'Oreal. But, judging from this experience, maybe going for the cheapest mascara at the drugstore is not necessarily the best idea? What are your favorite mascaras at the drugstore I need to check out next?