On the Mascara Bandwagon: Korres Abyssinia Oil Volumizing Mascara

Yeah, I lied again. Back in January, I decided it was about time I returned to some beauty blogging only to write 1 post before promptly falling off the face of the earth - again. This time, I can't say that I've been as busy as in the past - just wasn't feeling the makeup experimentation much.

But of course, I still like pretty things. I like things that appear to make me look a little prettier. I love deals and sales, and shiny, sparkly little things. And so when I tried Korres Abyssinia Oil Volumizing Mascara (Black), I knew I had to share it with anyone who will listen.

I first became a bit of a mascara convert when I started using Dior DiorShow several months ago. As much as I wanted to hold onto that tube, I knew it was time to move on to a fresh one. I happened to have the Korres mascara from a value set I got during the holiday season at Sephora, and thought, why not? I had originally gotten the set for the four pretty, pretty eyeshadows and liner that it came with and not surprisingly, neglected the mascara.

Too bad I didn't find out sooner that this completely surpasses Dior DiorShow. I mean, Completely. I did love the Dior, but it did leave a little bit of smudging beneath my eyes at the end of the day. This never bothered me too much (although I did wonder why this would happen on a dry, winter face and with a waterproof version), but now I see how clean and neat a good mascara can be.

The formula is a good balance between inky/wet and creamy and evenly coated my lashes. There was almost no clumping and a few swipes of a lash comb helped ensure that (although even this isn't always necessary). The medium-seized brush made combing out all the lashes much easier and most importantly, kept them sort of - proportional. You know how sometimes certain lashes will look impossibly longer than others and it just looks sort of scary and spidery? Well, this mascara actually achieves great volume and a balance between natural lushness and drama. And no spidery, brittle little things branching out over the rim of my eye. Stayed put all day - no flaking or smudging (unlike Dior Show), and didn't show any sign of removal until I actually washed my face with water - and this isn't even a waterproof formula. In short, this is as close to perfect as I think a mascara can get.

Unfortunately, it costs $20, is out of my budget, and has unleashed an evil that threatens to throw me into some sort of mascara madness. I tried a CoverGirl Lash Exact which I found on sale and with one use, was so unimpressed that it is going back to the store. That gave me the dreaded Spidey Lashes. Next on my list are the new CoverGirl LashFusion and the original CoverGirl LashBlast, but I have a feeling I'll find excuses to get another Korres somehow. If it came in a waterproof formula, I might be more tempted to do a little Sephora exchange and just get it for the summer weather. I should add that a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used Maybelline Full 'n' Soft, L'Oreal Voluminous, and L'Oreal Featherlash mascaras - all of which I found to be pretty good at the time. If all else fails, they might be worth another try.

In the meantime, is there a drugstore mascara that has this strange and wonderful-sounding Abyssinia oil??? I wonder if the Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara with olive oil might be a good substitute. Or maybe it's about time I tried some of those big, fat, purple and orange colored tubes that everyone else seems to love. Since I've hopped onto the mascara bandwagon, I will probably be sharing that experiment all too soon.