Looking for a cheap, good mascara? This isn't it.

L'oreal's Carbon Black Mascara — MADE OF EVIL

I prefer Lancome’s Definicils, but come on; I can’t afford $24 mascara right now.

I had been using L’oreal’s Voluminous mascara for a while, but a month or so ago, I needed a new tube, and I saw Voluminous in CARBON BLACK.

That’s like Han Solo’s carbon prison-black! I thought “Hot damn!” and bought it.

Friends. Please.

Don’t give in to the allure of the CARBON BLACK promise. It’s black. . . and it never comes all the damn way off.

I used a make-up remover cloth on my eyes — like, the whole cloth for a workday eye — not excessive make-up, right? Then washed my face. Used the makeup cloth again. Splash! Splash, splash, splash!

I go to put on my moisturizer and THE CRAP IS STILL ON MY LASHES, coming off with the cream.

And when I wake up in the morning, I always have raccoon eyes, no matter how well I cleaned the stuff off.

You get mascara creep, too. I’m not really greasy, nor do I use a lot of mascara on weekdays, but by noon, I have some mascara clean-up I need to do under the eyes. SEX-AY. Ugh.

So, my vote is non to Voluminous Carbon Black, and oui to the regular Voluminous in (plain ol’) Black. Unless you can spring for the Lancome. Le sigh…