If you look in mascara aisles at Target or Walmart, you may be shocked at how expensive they run: $7 all the way up to $10 or $11. That’s why NYC Showtime Volumizing Mascara caught my eye - it was less than $4 - so I tried it out in Extreme Black.
I think the mark of an effective mascara lies in its bristles. I have very short, thin eyelashes, and the bristles in this brand are tiny and well-separated. They somehow grab a hold of my nearly nonexistent lashes, and the mascara mix sticks very well.
I’ve always been a bit hesitant to reapply mascara - to avoid spider leg eyelashes - but NYC Showtime Mascara doesn’t clump easily or readily. When I use it, I wait about five seconds before applying another coat, and it takes about three coats and - ta-da! - I have long eyelashes. Extreme Black is the perfect color for me, as my eyes are smaller, so the color really makes them pop (for what it’s worth).
Another plus about this is it seems to dry quickly. So, if you’re like me, and you put your glasses on after applying make-up, NYC Mascara does not rub off on your lenses. Removing it isn’t a pain, but you will need an eye make-up remover. It doesn’t run or smudge easily if you’re an eye-rubber, like me.
This product comes in a tube a bit thinner than a highlighter, in a sleek black case with gold lettering. Any smaller of a tube, and it wouldn’t jive with my thick man fingers.
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More expensive mascaras may curl your lashes for you and call for less coats, but at less than $4 at Walmart, I’ll stick with NYC.
Grade: A
