Battle of the Drugstore Mascaras: Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara vs. Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara

Given the dire state of the economy, its hard to believe that at one point in my life, I was so footloose and fancy free that I actually spent around $25 or so on my holy grail mascara - YSL Faux Cils Mascara. This mascara really did give me fake looking lashes - or so some of my girl friends said. However, about a year ago I realized what a waste it is to spend that kind of moolah on something you are supposed to throw out in 3 months anyways. Grudgingly, I gave it up and settled for a similar drugstore brand that was good, but not amazing.

Enter Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Blasting Mascara. The first time I tried Lash Blast, about 6 months ago, I knew it was possible that I may never go back to the YSL. It gave my lashes a equally long and voluminous look as the YSL mascara and well, was faux looking. And it was so cheap! And then, funnily, other drugstore brands must have viewed Lash Blast's success and started producing lengthening + volumizing mascaras similar to Lash Blast....for example, Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Mascara. When I tried on Colossal Volume a month ago, I was equally giddy with the results and I KNEW a battle of the drugstore mascaras was ON.

Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara in Glam Black

Colossal Volume has a traditional bristle brush, thick and layered in the middle and tapered towards the end. The formula is generally good although I noticed it is slightly drying to my lashes, especially in comparison to the Cover Girl Lash Blast.

The separation and length provided by the Colossal Volume was fantastic - look at the photo immediately above for evidence. The photo was taken right after I had applied several coats to my lashes and I did not even comb out my lashes. Yet my lashes look close to perfect, at least in my opinion!

The packaging is a fat, bright yellow tube. Some people might be bothered by the fatness of the handle but I did not find it uncomfortable to use. It retails for around $6 but you could likely get it for less with drugstore deals.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black

Cover Girl Lash Blast departs from the traditional bristle brush standard and uses a spiky rubber bristled brush instead. As a result, the feel of the application is much smoother and softer than a traditional bristle brush.

The formula is thicker and less drying than the Colossal Volume. While the length and volume the mascara produces is amazing, it doesn't yield as good of separation as the Colossal Volume. Notice in the photo above how my lashes tend to stick together a little bit more than in the photo of the Colossal Volume Mascara. I generally don't care about separation as long as my lashes are lengthened and volumized but this might be an important point for some of you ladies.

Lash Blast comes in a fat orange tube and the handle is enormous. Again, a lot of people might prefer a more dainty handle but I didn't mind it at all. It retails for around $7.50 but you can likely get a lower price through drugstore deals.

WINNER: Its a TIE!! Really, I could not pick between the two because they were both fantastic! So how to decide between the two when you are at the drugstore?? Pick the Maybelline Colossal Volume (in the photo above it is on the left) if you want super long lashes that are well separated. Pick the Cover Girl Lash Blast (in the photo above it is on the right) if you want more volume to go along with your very long lashes and like a rubber bristle brush.