MakeUP SmackDOWN: Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting vs. Benecos Maximum Volume Mascara

Posted by:  Jordan

This edition of a MakeUP SmackDOWN is comparing two natural mascaras.  The contenders are:

 Benecos Natural Mascara

VS.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara

Not long ago, I review Physicians Formula Jumbo Lash Mascara, but after getting a tip from a reader that the Lash Boosting formula seemed to smudge less, I decided to give that one a shot to compare.  So really this SmackDOWN is comparing all three of those mascaras, but you can read the detailed review of the Jumbo Lash version here.

On with the competition!

Ease of Application:  Physicians Formula is the clear winner here (both Jumbo Lash and Lash Boosting versions) due to the big, fat brush and smooth formula.  The Benecos brush is pretty standard but it requires a few coats.  

The Look:  I prefer the look of Physicians Formula to Benecos.  Between the two PF versions I slightly lean toward the Jumbo Lash version (in the metallic neon green tube) because it makes my lashes extra full.  The Lash Boosting version doesn’t have quite the same volumizing effect that the Jumbo Lash one does, but both lengthen and define my lashes nicely.  Benecos does a great job too, but just gives a more natural look.  Also, I find that Benecos clumps slightly, so I often have to run my eyelash comb through my lashes after the mascara dries.

Ingredients:

Benecos

 Water, Grain Grain Alcohol*, Beeswax*, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-5 Laurate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Carnauba Wax*, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Jojoba Seed Oil*, p-Anisic Acid, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Sunflower Seed Oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Vitamin E, Fragrance (Natural),Aloe Vera Leaf Juice Powder*, Citral, Linalool, Iron Oxides

* indicates Certified Organic Ingredients
** for natural essential oils

Physicians Formula Lash Boosting

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Glycerin+, Iron Oxides, Water, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Beeswax*Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract*, Tapioca Starch*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnuba) Wax*, Oryza Sativa, (Rice) Powder*, Jojoba Esters, Stearic Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Yogurt Extract*, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract*, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Superoxide Dismutase, Soybean Peroxidase, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide

I’ll leave that up to the reader to make an informed decision on which ingredient list they prefer, but I’m feeling good about both of these mascaras.  Both are free of phenoxyethanol, which is rare to find in mascaras–even natural ones.  So that makes me happy and I’m declaring this round a tie.

The Wear (or How Do These Mascaras Hold Up and Will I Look Like a Heroin Addict By The Time Happy Hour Rolls Around?):  To test this round out I wore Physicians Formula on one eye and Benecos on the other.  My rule was that I wasn’t allowed to wipe under my eyes at all the entire day so I’d be able to see which mascara smudged less after a full day of wear.  The winner here was Benecos!  There was hardly any smudging at all!!  This is clearly a great everyday, need-to-get-ready-quickly-and-get-out-the-door mascara.  Physicians Formula wasn’t horrible , but there was definitely some noticeable Raccoon Eyes (Also, in regards to the reader who found that the Lash Boosting formula smudged less for her than the Jumbo Lash one, I didn’t find one smudged less than the other for me, unfortunately).

Price: Benecos is $16. 49 on Amazon whereas Physicians Formula is $9.95 on drugstore.com.  You can also find Physicians Formula products at most local drugstores.

The Overall Winner:  I’m going to have to go with Physician’s Formula, but I think I like the Jumbo Lash (in the green tube) a little bit better than the Lash Boosting (in the black tube).

The Wild Card: Applying Jane Iredale’s PureLash Conditioner prior to any natural mascara makes it stay on all day, smudge-free, and gives my lashes an extra oomph.  So really, I’m declaring this as the all-time winner for my favorite natural mascara (even though it’s really a pre-mascara)!  It’s worth the extra time and expense to not worry that you look like a true Junkie by the end of the day.

Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For: The Mascara Edition

Posted by:  Jordan

In case the title didn’t give it away, I’ve got another almost-but-not-quite mascara to review.  This time it’s Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara by Physician’s Formula.  I was so thrilled when I found this mascara during my online searches for  natural mascaras free of phenoxyethanol, a preservative found in most mascaras–“natural” ones included.  For example, I was looking at the natural and paraben-free mascaras on sephora.com (yes, that’s a search option!) and every single one of them contained this popular preservative.  It’s everywhere.  So when I saw that this mascara was highly rated from a trusted website, Truth In Aging, AND that it was free of phenoxyethanol, I ran to my local drugstore and was ecstatic to pay only $11 for it, when I’m used to paying double that for natural mascara.  Never mind that my husband, when seeing the new package on our bathroom sink, asked if I got my latest mascara at the Dollar Store (it does lend a certain cheapness to the packaging with the reflective neon green plastic in the shape of a leaf.)

My hopes were high as I was applying it–the brush was big and thick, the formula smooth and clump-free.  I was getting more and more excited by the second.  Everything seemed to be perfect!  Sadly, it let me down in the first hour when I glanced in the mirror and saw a ring of black smudges under my eyes…the tell-tale “raccoon eyes”.  Ugh, after only an hour????  And it’s not like this was a sweltering day.  I’m afraid to see how this mascara would hold up in the summertime if it was melting toward my already dark under eye circles in November.  

Ah well…try another, I guess.  Suggestions welcome!

 

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: As suggested in the comments, I tried using Jane Iredale’s PureLash Extender & Conditioner under this mascara and I believe I’ve found natural mascara nirvana with this combination.  Yes, it requires you to buy two products instead of one, thereby making my mascara more costly and it takes more time to apply, but if you’re concerned about the ingredients in your mascara, this combination is the cleanest I’ve found.  Plus, the addition of the Jane Iredale primer makes my lashes look thicker and longer!

Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara & PureLash Extender and Conditioner

Posted by:  Jordan

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ve read about our challenges with finding the perfect natural mascara.  Spoiler–this isn’t it.  BUT, I do like it.  Enough to stop my search of the ultimate natural mascara?  Sadly, no.  But lucky for me (and any interested readers), I adore hunting for the perfect product!

I received a sample size of this mascara–as well as the primer, which is reviewed below–and I will say that I’m impressed with how long these samples have lasted me.    I’ve been using them nearly daily for over a month, and I credit that to the packaging.  The squeeze tube that the mascara comes in is similar to a lip gloss tube and it ensures that you use every last bit of mascara.  The mascara formula itself is on the drier side–which doesn’t mean it dries your lashes out–it’s just not a goopy, wet consistency.  Rather than blanketing your lashes with a bunch of heavy wax, it adds a fine coat of color, as if you had a daily lash tint instead of clumpy, thick lashes.  The result is a very natural look, but therein lies my main problem–you have to apply several coats for this natural lash look, and this takes me a few minutes.  In my time-pressed morning (I usually get a 30 minute nap time window to get everything from shower, hair, makeup, dress, etc accomplished before sleeping beauty wakes from her all-too-short naps) I need a mascara that I can swipe on once–twice max–and get on with the other things I need to do.  With this mascara I usually need to apply at least 4 coats before all lashes are sufficient covered.  I’m fine with taking the extra time for multiple coats when I want a dramatic “going out” eye (like I ever do that anymore!), but for an everyday, natural look I need something a little less high maintenance.  The other main issue I have with this mascara is the price: $33 is just too much for me to spend on a mascara, even if it were the holy grail of mascaras!  Also, it claims to be thickening and lengthening.  Lengthening yes; thickening–ehhh, not so much.

Next up is the PureLash Extender & Conditioner.  I like this product because it really does beef up the mascara (though a $33 mascara really shouldn’t require an additional product to make it fabulous).  This primer purportedly conditions lashes and even encourages growth.  I can’t say I’ve noticed a growth difference in the month I’ve used it, though.  The trick to this product is to let it dry for a few minutes before applying the mascara.  So what I do is apply the conditioner first, do the rest of my makeup, and do the mascara last.  If you put the mascara on right after the conditioner, you end up with spider-lashes.  The primer retails for $16.50, which is a bit easier to swallow than the Longest Lash Mascara.  However, I’d ideally like to find a natural mascara that doesn’t require an additional product.  But that’s just me and my mom-to-an-infant simplicity needs these days!

Overall, I like both of these products a lot, but neither is going to end my quest for the ultimate natural mascara.

Zuzu Luxe Mascara

Posted by:  Jordan

I had been wanting to try Zuzu Luxe Mascara for a long time, ever since one of our readers recommended it to us.  So when I was placing a big order on Amazon for baby necessities, I added this little $16 treat to my basket.  If you’ve been following our natural cosmetics search, you know that we’ve had a really tough time finding a natural mascara that we love as much as our old conventional ones.  And unfortunately the same goes for this mascara.  It’s not bad at all–but it’s nothing to shout from the rooftops about either.

The ingredients are very clean, which I appreciate, and the formula is super-gentle so it’s great for people with sensitive eyes.  And like the company promises, the mascara resists most smudging (I do occasionally find myself having to do a little q-tip cleanup under the eye after a few hours but it wipes off your skin very easily, thereby avoiding raccoon eyes.  Or worse, when you’re trying to clean up the raccoon eye thing you end up with red, irritated eyes from tugging at the skin…none of those problems exist with this mascara, thankfully).  However, the mascara doesn’t do much for me beyond that.  It’s a very natural look; certainly not the mascara you’d want if you’re trying to get a thick, dramatic look for your lashes.  You definitely need to add a few coats to make this mascara show up on your lashes.  Natural is fine for me most days, but sometimes by the end of the day I look at myself and try to remember if I even put any makeup on that morning or not.  That’s how natural it is!

Zuzu Luxe is a brand of Gabriel Cosmetics.  I do love the company’s philosophy and how they got started.  The CEO and Founder, Gabriel DeSantino, became interested in natural cosmetics as a child, after watching his grandmother create healing, homeopathic products utilizing ingredients from the sea near her home in Mexico. After years of research he founded Gabriel Cosmetics. You can buy all products online on their website (free shipping if you spend over $100), on Amazon (as I did), or at Whole Foods.  I would love to try more of their cosmetics in the future so I can report back on more products from this 100% natural, cruelty-free line…let us know if you have tried any other products from this company and can recommend anything!

MakeUP SmackDOWN #2: Jane Iredale PureLash vs 100% Pure Mascara

Posted by:  Jordan

Jane Iredale PureLash in Black Onyx

For our second MakeUP SmackDOWN we’re putting a couple of natural mascaras up for comparison: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara and Jane Iredale PureLash Mascara.  I have already reviewed 100% Pure mascara in more detail in another post, but as you know we’ve been on the hunt for a natural waterproof mascara for a long time, so when I saw that Jane Iredale’s PureLash mascara claimed to be water-resistant, I had to test it out for our readers.  *Note: I even wore a different mascara on each eye several times to get a true comparison on how these hold up against each other throughout the day.  Now that’s devotion to research!

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara

Clumpiness: Honestly, I go back and forth on this one.  One day Jane Iredale seems to be a bit more clumpy; the next 100% Pure has some clumps.  So this one is really a toss-up because neither of them are perfect, but neither gives you the horrendous 3-giant-spiderly-lashes look either.

Verdict: Tie

Thickening/Lengthening:    I have decently long lashes, but they’re stick straight, light in color, and thin.  So a good mascara does wonders for my eyes and I try to never leave the house without mascara, even if going to the gym.  Although recently pregnancy brain has kicked in and I didn’t realize until late in the day that I completely forgot to apply mascara that morning!  I know that may seem shallow, but that’s an addict for you.  Jane Iredale is more of a natural look mascara–it certainly wouldn’t replace a dramatic mascara, like DiorShow or my old favorite, Maybelline Full ‘N Soft.  100% Pure gives my lashes a bit more oomph–making them stand up a little taller and look fuller.  Need a visual comparison?  This is a creepy closeup picture of my eyes…which eye do you think looks more defined?

Left eye: Jane Iredale, Right eye: 100% Pure

Verdict:  The clear winner here is 100% Pure.

Color choices:  Jane Iredale PureLash has two color choices: black and brown.  Meanwhile, 100% Pure comes in four deliciously named colors:  Black Tea (basic black), Dark Chocolate (I haven’t tried on my eyes, but on my hand it’s a nice dark brown), Blackberry (a dark violet.  It’s so dark it almost looks black, but the woman at Duane Reade sold me on it because she said “it makes brown eyes pop”), and Blueberry (a dark navy–almost black with a blue undertone, which presumably would make blue and green eyes “pop”?)

Verdict:  100% Pure wins again!

End of day smudge factor:  When I first bought the Jane Iredale mascara, I thought for sure that it was going to beat 100% Pure in the smudge factor category.  However, I don’t know if 100% Pure changed their formula, or if the Blackberry color just seems to smudge less than the Black Tea, which I had originally tried.  However my latest test shows that 100% Pure in Blackberry seemed to smudge just a bit less than Jane Iredale PureLash.  Neither were perfect, unfortunately!

Verdict:  My recently purchased 100% Pure in Blackberry wins this category, but not by much.

Water-resistance:  Another creepy close up of my eyes!  What do you think?  Granted, I splashed a lot of water on my face for this test (no rubbing, just splashing)…so when Jane Iredale claims to be water-resistant, I don’t think they had a giant handful of water thrown in your face as a good test.

Left: Jane Iredale, Right: 100% Pure

Verdict:  Tie.  The 100% Pure on the right eye looks a little less raccoon-y, but I think that’s just because the Blackberry color is not as dark as the Jane Iredale in black.

Ease of removal:  Both mascaras wash off very easily with soap and water, though 100% Pure seems to rinse just a little cleaner with less effort.

Verdict:  Again, this is a super close contest, but 100% Pure takes the prize.

Ease of purchase:  In NY I can buy both of these mascaras at local stores: Duane Reade drugstores sell 100% Pure in their select “Look Boutique” locations, and C.O. Bigelow sells Jane Iredale.  My mom bought several Jane Iredale products recently at a local boutique in her town (a suburb of Illinois).  Both mascaras are of course sold at several online retailers, including Amazon.  But I think overall Jane Iredale is sold at more physical locations.

Verdict:  Though both are easily bought online, Jane Iredale seems to be available at more locations nation-wide, so I’m giving this category to her.

Price:  Not a huge price difference…100% Pure is $18 and Jane Iredale PureLash is $15.

Verdict:  Jane Iredale wins by $3

Naturalness:  The ingredients in both formulas pass my strict standards, as well as SkinDeep’s.  Jane Iredale scores a 1 and 100% Pure scores a 2!  However, looking at the ingredient list for 100% Pure’s formula reads like a fruit smoothie, so I’m not concerned.

Verdict:  Really about a tie, but according to SkinDeep Jane Iredale scores a little better on the rating scale.

Overall Winner:  100% Pure wins this installment of MakeUp SmackDown–though not by a landslide!  It was a pretty close contest.  We’d love to hear your feedback on any other natural mascaras we should be trying!

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