NYC Mascaras

I admit it: as a general rule I'm drawn like a moth to a flame to higher end makeup products. However, when it comes to mascara, I've found some amazing drugstore products that perform as well - or better than - the high priced competitors.

Mascara is one of the few beauty products that must be replaced often - like every three months, so it can get very expensive if you're buying high end brands. (If you're not sure why you need to replace it check out my Squidoo lens on the subject www.squidoo.com/drugstore-mascaras-save-you-money - you can also vote for your favorite mascara brand and shop for amazing deals on mascara right from this page!)  Luckily the quality of many drugstore brands is amazing!

Today I'm going to focus on several choices from NYC (New York Color)....

NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara

NYC brand is a wonderful find for mascara lovers! They have lots of good options and I'll start with Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara which has an MSRP of $1.99. I like for my mascara to be really black and this one has a satisfactory color pay off. It's not the inkiest black I've ever seen, but it's certainly acceptable. Sky Rise has a fairly long, slim brush that grabs every lash and applies the product fairly neatly with no clumping. Lashes look long and thick so I felt it was volumizing as well as lengthening. Sky Rise wears very well and lasts for more than 12 hours with no flaking, smudging or smearing. Another plus is the ease of removal - just regular cleanser, no makeup remover needed.

My bottom line: Tiny price tag, well above average performance, amazing deal!

NYC High Definition Volume Mascara

NYC High Definition Volume Mascara (in the orange tube) has an MSRP of $4.99. It has a noticeably stiff, spiky brush that really grabs your lash line, so much so that it can hurt - so be careful. This one is intensely black and is more wet than Sky Rise, so it can be a bit messy to apply. It is more thickening and gives a decidedly more dramatic look. It also lasts more than 12 hours with no smudging or smearing but does have some minor flaking late in the day.

My bottom line: Excellent mascara, especially when you want an intensely black, well defined, dramatic lash look

NYC City Curls Curling Brush Mascara

NYC City Curls retails for $2.99 and has a slightly curved, yet fairly small brush. The color is not as dark a black as I normally like, but it'll do in a pinch! Although I did not see any discernible curling, it does wear flawlessly with absolutely no flaking, smearing or smudging. It applies easily and is not messy but you will need to apply several coats in order to get any drama out of this one. If you happen to be looking for an "everyday" or "office" type look, then this may be excellent for you.

My bottom line: No curl and no drama, but good daytime look, especially for the price

NYC Show Time Volumizing Mascara

NYC Show Time Volumizing Mascara retails for $3.99 and is the only NYC mascara that genuinely disappointed me. With a name like Show Time, I guess I was expecting a "Wow" factor, and there's nothing "showy" or wow about this one, unfortunately. First of all, the formulation is pretty dry which makes for a neat application but, in this case, very little color pay off. It does give you a fair bit of definition, but does not lengthen or volumize at all. If you tend to be a klutz like me, you might like it because it's not messy to apply, but you need multiple coats to get anything out of it. Personally, there are plenty of others I'd rather use.

My bottom line: Dry, disappointing texture with definition, but no volume or lengthening.

NYC Big Bold Ultra Volume Mascara

NYC Big Bold Ultra Volume Mascara has an MSRP of 4.99, although you can sometimes find it for as low as 2.99 at Rite Aid and Target. I must admit, when I first saw the HUGE brush I thought I would hate this mascara. The enormous brush led me to believe the application would be messy but it's not at all. It has a wonderfully dark black color with just enough moisture so that it applies easily. This mascara gives excellent definition and length, not really what I would call "ultra volume" though. It does not clump at all, even if you apply multiple coats. It wears beautifully with absolutely no flaking, smudging, or smearing.

My bottom line: Great jet black color with admirable definition and length, though not much volume.

I will be sharing more affordable mascara reviews soon, so keep an eye out...