Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Washable Mascara review

I can never resist picking up new mascaras in drugstores... there's just something about the colourful packaging and the less-than-$10 prices. As long as the ingredients list doesn't contain alcohol (too drying), I'll give it a go. Most of my unresearched mascara purchases end up straight in the bin (I don't know why I still even look at Rimmel mascaras let alone buy them). However, Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket has turned out to be a bit of a keeper.

I bought the non-waterproof version in Blackest Black for $7.99 from CVS. Here's the description:

Explosive Volume In Rocket Time! 8X Bigger, Smoother. Now, the most explosive, beautiful lashes ever! Maybelline's Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara's patented Supersonic Brush with micro bristles loads on big, sleek volume instantly. The fast-glide formula keeps lashes smooth. Zero clumps guaranteed!

The wand has a plastic brush with lots of flexible and tapered bristles/prongs. The bristles are quite long compared to my usual Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash mascara. Towards the tip of the wand, the bristles are much shorter.

The wand comes out of the tube saturated in a thick, inky layer of the mascara, which I like because I hate mascaras which are dry on the brush and don't seem to deposit anything on the lashes.

At first I found the long bristles quite tricky to work with and kept poking my lash line with them. It's quite difficult to get thick, dark roots with the brush because of this. However, the long bristles make the brush perfect for combing the mascara evenly through to the tips of the lashes, without any clumps.

Extra layers need to be applied while the mascara is still wet and workable. As soon as the mascara starts to dry, applying more just makes lashes stick together. However, when the mascara is still wet, the brush does a good job of keeping lashes separate and defined. The formula also helps pull and shape lashes upwards.

Before I show you how The Rocket mascara looks on my generally unimpressive lashes, here is a photo of my bare lashes. They're a little messy at the moment because I permed my lashes about three weeks ago and some newer, straight lashes are growing through.

Below is what one coat of mascara looks like on my upper and lower lashes...

I like the results of The Rocket mascara... it volumises and thickens my lashes in very little time, as advertised. It gives me quicker and more noticeable results than my usual Buxom Lash. It doesn't really lengthen my lashes much but it doesn't claim to.

I have tried this mascara on my lower lashes, but I prefer using a mascara with a proper brush (not a plastic one), otherwise they can look very sparse and messy. I usually use Clinique High Impact Mascara on my lower lashes.

This mascara stays on all day with no flaking or smudging, even when used on my lower lashes. However, the major downside is that it's unbelievably difficult to remove. It's called a "washable" mascara but it doesn't seem to dissolve with eye make-up remover, hot water or cleansing oil. I really need to press and wipe at my lashes a lot before the mascara comes off. Even then, little flakes remain and stick to my skin like glue. I don't really know what Maybelline are talking about when they say this mascara is "washable". It's like trying to remove tar!!

Aside from the effort required to remove this mascara, I really like it. I just need to work out the trick to removing it...

The full ingredients of Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Washable Mascara are:

Aqua / Water / Eau, PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Cera Alba/Beeswax/Cire Dabeille, Paraffin, Copernicia Cerifera Cera/Carnauba Wax/Cire De Carnauba, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Dimethicone, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Dimethiconol, Disodium Edta, Polyurethane-35, Tetrasodium EDTA. May Contain: CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499/Iron Oxides, CI 77007/Ultramarines, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Mica, CI 75470/Carmine, CI 77288/Chromium Oxide Greens, CI 77289/Chromium Hydroxide Green, CI 77742/Manganese Violet, CI 77510/Ferric Ferrocyanide.