Green is Green, Blue Charge, Plum Reserve, High Esteem
MAC Colored Zoom Lash Mascara
I reviewed Green is Green initially, and here are swatches of the other three shades, as well as the mascaras worn on lashes. I actually found that Green is Green did the best at coating lashes, with Blue Charge close behind. Plum Reserve and High Esteem didn’t coat my lashes as effectively and didn’t give them much color.
Blue Charge is darker than Themyscira, while Plum Reserve is darker and purpler than Victorious. I think you’ll notice less color difference when they are worn, though, but swatched, their differences are easily seen.
my thoughts on the mascara formula: Zoom Lash is supposed to “build density,” while the “ultra-sculpted brush has three-sided fibres to embrace and separate each lash.” My favorite MAC mascara is Plushlash, but I used to use Zoom Lash for quite a bit (because Plushlash didn’t exist). I like how it’s a really thick formula–thick as in it really coats each lash really well in the formula but without clumping. Zoom Lash, being a thicker consistency, will clump if you start going beyond two coats, though. (In my experience, you shouldn’t need more than two.) Zoom Lash separates and defines lashes while thickening them for me. I didn’t have any issues with the mascara flaking or smudging on me.
If you don't mind some prep work, layer a white primer on lashes first, then coat with a colored mascara to see more zing if you have naturally darker lashes.
Product
7.5/10
Pigmentation
6.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC Cosmetics on May 5th, $14
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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Though MAC’s Flighty Collection has stirred up buzz over the Big Bounce Shadows, there are also four shades of colored Zoom Lash Mascara. I have Green is Green ($14.00 for 0.28 oz.) to review for now (the rest to follow once I have them–probably not late this week or early next). This shade is described as “jade green,” and it’s a dark, cool-toned green with a little hint of teal. The actual tube is similarly colored.
Zoom Lash is supposed to “build density,” while the “ultra-sculpted brush has three-sided fibres to embrace and separate each lash.” My favorite MAC mascara is Plushlash, but I used to use Zoom Lash for quite a bit (because Plushlash didn’t exist). I like how it’s a really thick formula–thick as in it really coats each lash really well in the formula but without clumping. Zoom Lash, being a thicker consistency, will clump if you start going beyond two coats, though. (In my experience, you shouldn’t need more than two.) Zoom Lash separates and defines lashes while thickening them for me. I didn’t have any issues with the mascara flaking or smudging on me.
Green is Green is rather similar in color to Army of Amazons, which launched in Wonder Woman. The color of Green is Green seems a little richer in color, more depth. The Zoom Lash formula works better than Opulash for the color, though, because with colored mascara over black lashes (which mine are), I need the thickness of the Zoom Lash formula to really have a chance of my lashes looking green.
They look green from up close and afar, but the effect is still subtle from afar. Colored mascara will also stand out more with a lighter background–like neutral/light eyeshadows on the lid. You can also use a white-colored lash primer to enhance colored mascara. The color coverage here is good but not totally opaque over my black lashes.
If you love colored mascara but already have Army of Amazons, I'd skip this one and perhaps consider one of the other three in this launch, because they are rather close in color.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
8.5/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4/5
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!
Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
MAC Cosmetics on May 5th, $14
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
MAC OPULASH MASCARA ($15.00 for 0.38 oz.) is a thickening mascara that also lengths and helps with holding a curl, and it is a “long-wearing formula” designed to work for up to fifteen hours. Wonder Woman sees the release of these shades; Army of Amazons (green), Bad Bad Black (black), Themyscira (blue), and Victorious (purple). The Bad Bad Black shade is available permanently but in permanent packaging.
Army of Amazons is a muted emerald green.
Bad Bad Black is a deep black.
Themyscira is a violet-tinged blue.
Victorious is a medium purple.
my thoughts on the formula: I liked the soft, feathery look Opulash gave my lashes along with some very nice length! I’m actually surprised I didn’t see length pushed in the marketing write-up for Opulash, because I look at the before/after photos, and I see longer, slightly blacker lashes, but not necessarily a ton of volume. I found two or three quick coats was all you needed to get the feathery lash effect going. More than that resulted in a bit of clumping, but if you don’t load up your lashes with the product, it’s a nice, full and feathery lash that’s clump-free. You can see my full review of Opulash here.
I have only trialed Army of Amazons on my lashes (well, and the black shade, many months ago, when Opulash first released), but I was impressed with the amount of noticeable color it delivered. I did not use any primer, but my lashes definitely have that green tint. Colored mascaras usually look rather dull and muted (if they show at all) on my lashes, wihch are naturally a soft black. As I work through the other shades, if I find that any of the others perform less, I will revise this review at that time.
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Product: 27/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: I like the Opulash mascara formula, and it’s a good mascara for those who have decent lashes to begin with. It lengthens more than it volumizes or thickens for me, though. So far, it seems like the color actually shows up surprisingly well even over black lashes.
Do you need a million lashes for a million dollar lash look?
L’Oreal Blackest Black (635) Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara ($8.99 for 0.30 fl. oz.) is designed as a volumizing mascara that will make your sparse lil’ lashes go from two to a million with a couple of coats of mascara. Obviously, like all mascaras, the claims are exaggerated, but what we can take out of all the marketing brouhaha is that it should give the illusion of a fuller fringe of lashes.
The good thing about mascara is a picture is worth at least 1,000 words, if not a few more. The wand on Voluminous Million Lashes works brilliantly to define and separate lashes–even after a couple of coats–and no clumping. My lashes look longer and thicker certainly, though increased volume? I’m not entirely sold. It’s there in some capacity, but perhaps not as volumizing as I’d expect from a full-on volumizing mascara.
I wore this for twelve hours, and I have no smudging or flaking issues to report. It also held my curl during the twelve hours I trialed this mascara (on five separate occasions). They added new technology to the tube itself so that when the wand pulls through the opening, it minimizes the amount of excess mascara on the brush/wand, for a cleaner application. Blackest Black is a nice, inky black, too.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 24/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 5/5
final thoughts: Love the brush and the packaging — could be more volumizing, though it is a nice mascara overall (but I rate based on how well a product performs relative to its claims).
Kiehl’s Brown-Black Marvelous Mineral Mascara ($16.50 for 0.16 oz.) is designed to give lashes “natural-looking length and volume.” This is a mascara that totally meets its claims: it adds length and volume but does so in an effortlessly natural way. If you are looking for sky-high lashes and dramatic definition and color, this is not the right mascara for you; it’s just not supposed to do those things. On the other hand, if you like softer-looking lashes with nice length and a boost in volume, it’s one to consider. I had no issues with wear at all; no smudging, flaking, or budging after eight hours.
Welcome to Swatch-all-idays! To start 2011 off on the right foot (or post, as it may be!), Temptalia is going through a backlog of products we have photographed, swatched, and often tested but in a slightly different manner. Quick reviews may be partially incomplete, such as a blush may only be swatched on the arm rather than shown on the face. It is our hope that what we are able to provide is still helpful!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 29/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: I love it for everyday lashes – in my everyday life, I do prefer more dramatic lashes, but this is exactly what comes to mind for soft, natural lashes.
New for December, Estee Lauder’s Sumptuous Extreme Mascara ($23.50) promises to deliver a volumizing mascara that never clumps and “[makes] eyes look outrageously big and amazingly bold.” The brush even has its own name–Extreme BrushComber–which has a new shape that is said to hold more mascara, be easy to use and get to all your lashes in spite of its size. The formula has “Tri-blend Multiplying Fibers,” which include “Hollow Tube Fibers” for curl and length, “Solid Rod Fibers” for volume and length, and “Micro-Locking Fiber” for thickeness and length. Finally, it contains Lash-Advancing Vitamin Complex, which has Vitamin B5, designed to condition lashes and keep lashes flexible. It will be available in four shades: Extreme Black, Extreme Brown, Extreme Indigo, and Extreme Violet.
The brush itself is quite large–a full 1 3/4″ in length when I measured–but the way it narrows and tapers does make it easier to maneuver around the inner corners of eyes. I do find it more difficult to use it on lower lashes, just because it is so large, but I think users of Dior’s DiorShow won’t find it much larger. After using this mascara for a couple of weeks and alternating with other mascaras, I did feel like the brush itself was more helpful in defining lashes–just separating them as I was applying the mascara–than the average mascara wand.
My fringe definitely looked longer and fuller–it had a slightly feathery quality to it–but the richness of the black made the overall effect more dramatic. I was able to do several passes through my lashes without getting any clumping, and this is a mascara that you can easily do a second or third coat of, too, if desired. It doesn’t dry immediately (15-20 seconds), but it’s not so wet that you’ll have mascara residue underneath your eye if you blink. My lashes felt incredibly lightweight and soft–flexible and bendable. I was able to push and rub (gently!) against my lashes and didn’t experience any flaking either.
I was most impressed by the richness of the Extreme Black shade–deep dark black, very inky and solid. It’s definitely one of the blackest mascaras I’ve tried in recent memory. It volumizes nicely, and it gives enough thickness to my lashes to make them more noticeable, but it still feels like I’m wearing one of the lighterweight, more natural mascaras (think Maybelline Full ‘n Soft) but I get the effect of dramatic mascara. I experienced no flaking, smudging, budging, or other ill effects after twelve-hour wear.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 28/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you have shorter, sparser lashes, Estee Lauder does double-duty with lengthening and volumizing. Oh, and if you have black lashes but still want them blacker? This will make them even darker!
