Summer is here, which means so is the sweaty, humid weather and sky-high temperatures causing your oh-so-beautiful makeup to start running down your face at 10am (you’re lucky if it lasts that long). Since nobody wants to look like they’re doing a sad raccoon-eyed walk of shame on a Tuesday when they aren’t, we tested out two purse-friendly waterproof mascaras to see which one could stand up against or hot Toronto summer.
The Contenders: CoverGirl The Super Sizer Waterproof Mascara ($11, available at mass drugstores nationwide) and Joe Fresh Waterproof Mascara ($6, available at Joe Fresh locations)
The Control: We put these mascaras through the sweaty ringer: one hot yoga class, one full day of work and one day at the beach (and yes, we actually went in the water–it was cold) with one mascara on each eye.
Observations:
CoverGirl
Pros:
- As a mascara, this is amazing. The wand, the formula–everything. We likey.
- The whole twirling thing actually worked. The hope is that if you twirl or rotate the wand slightly as you’re pulling it up from the base of your lashes, it’ll distribute more mascara to your lashes AND IT DID.
- One of the best buildable formulas we’ve tried in a while. Want to up the drama after a day at the office, just add a little twirl and you’re good to go–no chunky lashes here.
Cons:
- Didn’t quite hold up against to the “waterproof” name. After a dip in the lake (literally a dip–IT WAS COLD), there was already some black beneath the lower lash line. After laying in the sun (with SPF, of course. We practice what we preach.) and going back in the water, there was even more, so by the end of the day, it just looked a little… yuck. No full-on running (so I guess it’s water-resistant?), but enough to make us second guess. (I won’t even tell you about the hot yoga class.)
- Admittedly, the twirling thing took a couple tries (and several Q-tips) to get the hang of.
- Even though there was some clearly already off, it didn’t want to come off with my micellar water. So, if you have sensitive skin, beware of waterproof mascaras.
Joe Fresh
Pros:
- This mascara was actually very impressive. The wand gave a good distribution of mascara without making our lashes chunky.
- The no-frills approach to this brand never ceases to amaze me… Nothing fancy about the name or the price, yet it actually lived up to its Waterproof name for the most part. It lasted through the whole day at the beach and had only a bit of black after a 75-minute sweaty hot yoga class.
- Um, hi, THE PRICE.
Cons:
- Since it wasn’t totally waterproof, we have to mention that. There was some black after sweating profusely.
- Again, didn’t want to come off.
- There was actually some flaking the next morning when I woke up (probably because I couldn’t get it all off).
The Verdict: We’ve had to call ties in the past, but usually for both products being so amazing. In terms of being waterproof mascaras, sadly, neither of these fully made the cut. For day-to-day summertime wear in and around the city, yes, both of these totally work. If you’re planning on going for a run and looking put-together afterwards, we might have to keep looking. HOWEVER, as mascaras, these are both wonderful and we will definitely be wearing them again… just not to hot yoga.
