The team at PLRG has been working hard to wean ourselves off Dior Show mascara. If you’ve ever used it, you can probably feel our pain. There are very few cosmetics out there that actually walk the walk and Dior Show is one of them. It literally makes your eyelashes look like one of those close up shots in a magazine add. The ones where you can see each individual clump-free lash as they stretch up and out for miles. It’s that good.

But, of course, it f$%#ing expensive. At $24 bucks a pop- and considering how many other beauty products are more essential than mascara (foundation, moisturizer, etc.)- the price seems a little over the top. So, we know it’s time to cut this expense, and we’re guessing that we’re not alone. If we all put in a little effort we can get through this together. To get the ball rolling we all took some time out of our day to test drive some drugstore brands that might sub for our beloved Dior. And don’t hold out on us girls. If you have discovered the perfect mascara- one that is affordable and can work miracles- please share with the rest of the class.

OUR METHOD: Not subscribing to the “apply one coat” theory (who actually puts their mascara on like that anyway?) we applied each of our test brands the way we would any mascara. Each was applied after one quick pinch of the eyelash curler. We used a paper towel to remove excess product from the wand. We then started at the base of our lashes, shimmy-ing our way up, repeated this a few times to get the best coverage. 

OUR PICKS

Good

Volume XXL + Microfiber Mascara, by Maybelline ($7.79). We have to admit our lashes did look fabulous after using this product. The base coat does half the work, priming lashes to achieve great lengths, while the top coat defines and boosts volume. Only trouble is, because they squeezed two products in there, the nubby wands are tough to maneuver.

Great

Glam Eyes by Rimmel ($7). This one claims to make lashes appear 80% longer with 10x the volume. While we can’t give you the exact measurements, our lashes looked big as ever and were super-defined. While the VOLUMEFLEX brush did work to separate our lashes, the bristles were a bit stiff- we had to pull harder than usual to get the wand through our lashes. Overall we were pleased, especially with its cute pink packaging!

Best

Lash Blast Mascara by Covergirl ($7.99). Lash Blast promises a “blast” of volume and does it ever deliver! The volumizing formula puffs lashes up and out to “falsey” proportions, while the extra fat brush separates every lash with its flexible rubber bristles. By far the closest we have come to trading in our Show.