Like most women in their 20s, I had a brief (but passionate) love affair with lash extensions. Vague interest quickly escalated into borderline addiction when, at one point, I was getting an $80 lash refill once a week. I cringe now, but at the time I was blissfully unaware of the damage being done.
By damage, I mean complete destruction of my eyelashes. By the time I nipped my filthy habit in the bud, it was too late. As my extensions fell out, they took the lashes they were attached to with them. The few survivors that managed to break through the Lash Massacre of 2019™ were broken, brittle, and, welp, sad.
Like any logical person with a savings account as skimpy as her lashes, I figured a $150 lash growth serum was the only way to get the lash extensions look…sans the lash extensions. Spoiler alert—it didn’t work at all. But what *did* work was an $8 tube of drugstore (!!!) mascara.
I’ve always been loyal to my prestige mascara, so when a beauty editor friend of mine recommended I try Maybelline’s The Colossal Mascara (the one in the iconic yellow tube), I was skeptical. But since I’ve spent more money on cups of coffee in New York City than what one tube of Colossal costs, I picked up two—the classic formula and the waterproof one (since home girl loves a Bay Watch moment).
I’m exaggerating exactly zero percent when I say this mascara is like a push-up bra for your lashes. The wand is, well, colossal for maximum volume, and the collagen formula individually plumps each lash for clump-free lengthening. Basically, I could fly away with these bad boys.
Please process what you’re looking at. In the after picture, I don’t have lash extensions, a lift, or a tint—I’m wearing just a few coats of Colossal. The formula is extremely buildable, so if something a little more low key is your vibe, just use one or two coats. For drama, use three or four, and add another coat *just* before the previous dries. The result? Doe-eyed, lifted, luscious lashes.