Mascara of the Week #4: NYC High Definition Separating Mascara

WEEK #4

Week #4 of my Mascara Problems series. Up for review this week was the High Definition Separating Mascara from NYC (New York Color).

This mascara claims to define your lashes and give "up to..." (how vague) "...70% lash lift & precise definition." Also a promises a "wide-open eye look" - again, a very vague claim. Technically I provide myself with a wide-open look every time I open my eyes. NYC also claims that this mascara has "Precision Lash Technology" that "lengthens lashes up to 60% and lifts lashes up to 70%." Apparently there's also Vitamin E in this mascara to keep my lashes "supple"
Let's test those claims

I have to admit, I have never really had any "respect" for the NYC brand. To me, it's always seemed like a makeup brand for young girls who are just starting out in makeup. It is only recently that I have begun to look beyond the image and try some of their products. I've already written a raving review about the NYC Blushable Cream Sticks cream blushes. In general, I haven't heard anything at all about NYC's mascara. While perusing the beauty section of Wally-Mart one day I noticed that their mascaras were less than $4. Why not?

First things first: this mascara definitely stands out in my makeup bag. The bright yellow colour of this tube reminds me of New York taxi. Whether that was a purposeful marketing ploy of the company, I do not know. Secondly, the wand. I've said before that I'm not a fan of silicone/plastic wands. I find that the bristles cause me actual pain while applying the mascara. Also, with this wand in particular, the very tip of the wand collects a lot of extra product that needs to be wiped off or else you'll risk clumping. Thirdly, the smell! Omg this mascara smells horrid. Thank goodness it's not an odor that permeates the entire area, but if you lean in for a sniff (don't ask my why) it's pungent.

no mascara!

I found the application of this mascara very easy because of the small wand. I also found that I didn't experience any random bits of product ending up on my inner eyelid from the tip of the wand, which can sometimes happen with silicone wands, and especially big bulky wands. As I mentioned before, there were instances where I teared up a little bit because I found that the bristles were poking at my lash line. When I tried to get the wand close into my lashes, to coat every single lash from tip to root, that's when I would experience a twinge of discomfort - like something had just poked me in the eye, or like I had a bit of dust in my eye. I can't really explain it, but it was uncomfortable.

I also experienced a bit of flaking and smudging with this product. The longer it had been on, the more smears I would find underneath my eyes. I guess this fact also made it easy to remove at the end of the day. Next mascara post, I'm going to include a photo of my lashes a couple of hours after application. 
This mascara didn't perform consistently. There were some days when I wasn't happy with the way it looked or the way it wore, and there were other days when I was very impressed with the ease of application and the overall look. Consistently, however, it left my lashes separated (hoorah! something that it was actually supposed to do) but limp (boo!). No matter how aggressively I curled my lashes, they would be stick straight within about 15 minutes of applying the mascara. 
There was definitely not a 70% increase of lifted lashes; and I didn't experience a 60% increase in the length of my lashes. 
Tally up!
1. Lash separation: 5 out of 5
2. Lash volume: 3 out of 5
3. Lash length: 2 out of 5
4. Holds curl: 1 out of 5
5. Staying power: 2 out of 5
6. Mascara wand: 2 out of 5
7. Taking it off: 4 out of 5
8. Overall appearance: 2 out of 5
9. Overall score: 21 out of 40


I guess there's a reason why this mascara was less than $4. I have another NYC mascara in my stash to review...I wonder how that one will fair. 


xoxoDarlingBuds