I suppose I should feel wasteful that I opened about seven brand new tubes of mascara in service of Mascara Week, but that's just part of the job! I hope you had fun reading through the reviews and discovering just what makes an amazing mascara. It's different for everyone but for me, I like lots of length, volume, and ease of removal. I prefer clean lashes with no clumps or flaking, and a brush that can reach even the most awkward corners of my eyes. 

With that in my wishlist, here are my top five favorite mascaras this year. These are what I love picking up! I rotate them depending on my requirements for the day (the look, activity, estimated wear time). Check them out. ;)

If you've read my Holy Grail products post then you know that this is my favorite mascara. The Fairydrops Platinum Mascara meets all my requirements and a little bit more. It gives me just the right volume and length without toe-ing the "are you wearing falsies" line. I do love big lashes but I prefer something less obvious for everyday wear!

It stays on all day with minimal to zero smudging, and it comes off with just warm or soapy water. I still use a makeup remove though. It's just simpler.

New vs old packaging - which one do you like better?

If you don't cook, you should learn how. Not sure if I'm repeating myself here already but - you should cook. It's ridiculously easy, not that expensive, and much more fulfilling than eating someone else's food. You don't have to start with guns a-blazin', attempting to cook something complex like beef bourguignon. You can experiment with simple omelettes, a grilled cheese sandwich, maybe some spaghetti. The recipes you learn will serve you for the rest of your life.

So glad my Dad taught my how to cook! I'm not the best but I like what I come up with. Last night I made mushroom and chicken risotto for dinner (inspired by Ina Garten), while breakfast was bacon pancake (inspired by Jake the Dog). That song is still stuck in my head btw! I topped the pancake with butterscotch sauce and a lick of whipped cream. Sinful but definitely worth it.

Anyhoo, let's move on to the next product for my Mascara Week! The Revlon Lash Potion Mascara  (~P600) is the brand's latest lash enhancer. I have here the waterproof version in Blackest Black.

The Lash Potion's staying power is flawless - it is indeed waterproof and smudge-proof! I've worn this all day and I didn't notice any smearing. It doesn't come off with just my water-based makeup remover, but it slides off with my oil-based remover so no biggie.

As for the finish, I do like how it fattens and lengthens my lashes in two coats. Blackest Black is also as the name hints: very very black and practically matte. 

Ebooks are convenient to read. I don't have to turn the light on and off, and I can lie down on any side, put my arms anywhere. Printed books, compared to stuff I just read on my phone, are inconvenient and prone to murder by a dog who loves paper. Still, I always seem to walk out with something whenever I pass by a book store.

I've read H.P. Lovecraft before and loved his macabre yet awe-inspiring stories. I remember seeing the Necronomicon in National Bookstore many years ago, but I was poor enough (first job!) to feel that P800 was too much for one book. I wanted it badly though; I went back for it a week after. Unfortunately, it was already out of stock! It's one of those books that I just need a copy of. In my hands. Finally got it yesterday!

I also grabbed Neil Gaiman's newest novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I've read a few pages and already I can see how this is different from his other works. It starts with a feeling of slow dread. I can't wait to see where it will take me.

Well anyway, we're actually here to talk about mascara. Haha. This time, I'll be reviewing theBalm What's Your Type? The Body Builder Mascara (price to follow, available in Beauty Bar). 

On a side note: I wonder if there's, like, a world competition for crazy mascara names?

It may be too soon to say, but I LOVE this mascara. It's my first time to try a theBalm product for lashes! So happy it didn't disappoint.

Should you invest in a good mascara or should you just save that money for something else? There are tons of good affordable mascaras out there, if you find one that fits your preferences then there's no reason to spend over a thousand bucks for a tube. My HG mascara is quite expensive, yes, but if it gets wiped out from the face of the Earth tomorrow, I'll go to my next favorite one (which is just P600 bucks btw). No big deal.

Just set a comfortable budget and read reviews first before you settle on a mascara purchase. Do avoid using mascara testers on your eyes, for the love of glob! You don't know where that wand has been and how long it has been steeping in the darkness! *shudder* Just read beauty blogs you trust and save yourself from a possible eye infection.

So! To continue Mascara Week, here's a review of one of the latest mascaras in the country - the Etude House Lash Perm All Shockara Mascara (P648). It promises shocking volume, curls, and length all in a waterproof formula. Does it deliver?

It does, at least in the lengthening and waterproof department. If you want curls and volume, you need to give your lashes a really, really good curl first! This isn't the kind of mascara that you can just swipe on and expect to get dramatic eyes immediately - it requires some prep time with a great lash curler plus a lot of coaxing afterwards.

Did you know that mascara is one of the oldest forms of cosmetics? It dates as far back as 4000 B.C., when ancient Egyptians would use crushed minerals, soot, crocodile stool, honey, and water to darken their eyes. They believed that masking their eyes would keep them safe from evil spirits. Today, women and men use mascara primarily for aesthetic purposes - to enhance their lashes and define their eyes. I'm just glad we lost the crocodile poop!

This week will be all about mascara at Project Vanity. I'll be reviewing some of the latest and most remarkable mascaras out in the market, and at the end of it, my top five picks. So! Let's begin with a reformulated version of one of Majolica Majorca's bestselling mascaras - the Lash Expander Edge Meister (P795)!

This is the most lengthening mascara I've ever tried to date. I swear, people always ask me if I'm wearing falsies whenever I have this on! This is actually the reason I'm not so fluent in applying false lashes - I mean, why bother when I can just wear Lash Expander and get the same effect?

Lash Expander Edge Meister is the updated formula of the original Majolica Majorca Lash Expander. I find that the fiberwig hairs are denser in the new formula, giving even longer and more volumized results. It also has less of that mascara smell; it's undetectable unless you give the brush a direct sniff.