Nope! – Covergirl Peacock Flare Mascara

You ever find a beauty product that you are supremely loyal to? I’m not really talking about loving a brand and buying all or some of their products, but rather a specific item from a specific brand that you always buy? Well, that’s me with mascara.

Last year, I got a sample of Marcelle’s Xtension Plus Curl mascara in a Birchbox and ever since then, I have never found another mascara that compares. It lengthens and curls my lashes to perfection without leaving them clumpy. I have gone through like 4 tubes and even though I have tried various other mascara’s since then, they are always a big fat “Nope”. I don’t even own any other make up from Marcelle except for this mascara and the reason I keep on trying to find a good substitute is because Marcelle isn’t currently sold in any stores and I have to buy my beloved mascara from Birchbox or from directly from their website. Loving something so exclusively means that unless you have back ups, if you happen to lose, misplace or, God forbid it gets discontinued, you are basically up shit’s creek.

I’ll be like Elaine from Seinfeld when her favorite contraceptive sponge got discontinued and she had to ask all the men she was dating if they were “sponge worthy” before agreeing to have sex, except every time I put on make up, I’ll have to decide if today’s event is mascara worthy.

Me: Is the movie we are going to see “mascara worthy”?

Hubs: It’s Justice League

Me: Oh HELL NO! I’ll just wear sunglasses so nobody can see my shame.

So, my search continues for a good replacement and when I was in Target a few weeks back, I came across Covergirl’s Peacock Flare mascara. Immediately, I was drawn in by the packaging. I am a serious sucker for art deco and the feathery blue and black triangle design on the tube, gave me Great Gatsby vibes, so I threw it in the cart without a second thought.

Unfortunately, that is where the love ends. The minute I pulled the brush from the tube, I groaned. It had these short, rubber spikes that are so popular nowadays on mascara, but that I hate with a passion. I often wonder whatever happened to the traditional curved bristle mascara brush. They are definitely going the way of the dinosaur and as a girl with thin, wispy lashes, the rubber spiked wands just turn my lashes all clumpy and creepy Annabelle doll looking, when what I want are feathery curled lashes.

However, I soldier on and begin to apply the mascara. In preparation for the clump, I wiped down the bristles a bit and applied, beginning at the root and doing that little jiggle all the way to the tips. The first swipe, left most of the product at the root, but didn’t give my lashes much volume. So I wait a bit and apply a second layer, but the product is just kind of hanging around at the root and not really going anywhere else. I can’t seem to get it to lengthen.

This is where I find that a bristle brush excels. The fibers of the brush carry the product from room to tip and help make your lashes long, which still providing that volume that you need. The rubber bristles in this mascara are a little too far apart to do the job for me and thus the dreaded clump.

Not judging here though. If you are digging the clumpy lash look, then by all means, go and grab a tube of Peacock Flare. However, if you want more feathery lashes, then don’t be deceived by the bird reference and continue the hunt for your favorite mascara replacement.

Also, if you happen to come across any bristle, curved mascara’s and want to give it a shout out, leave it in the comments below. I will be happy to give it a try to see if it is a good replacement for my beloved Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl.

Till next time, friends.

Maritza