Blaq Vixen Beauty

Editor's Note: The product reviewed in this article has been sent by CoverGirl.

It seems like Pat McGrath, the P&G Global Creative Design Director, has worked her mojo again by creating another collection that is both affordable and fashion-forward! I want you to do two things: first, bookmark this link and secondly, circle November 2nd on your calendar. You can be one of the few to try out some of the products from the Blast collection. Check out the gallery to see which products you might be interested in!  The new collection will be available on Drugstore.com as well as CVS (get free shipping!). If you visit Drugstore.com, you save $5 and earn free shipping when you buy all three products - the Smoky ShadowBlast, ShineBlast Lip Gloss and the LashBlast Length Mascara.

My first impression of LashBlast is that is smells exactly like Maybelline Lash Stiletto. This came as a bit of a shock to me at first. However, both mascaras are advertised to lengthen lashes so of course their formulas would be similar.

Unlike the original LashBlast, the LashBlast Length brush is slender and has more bristles - 450 in all. While I've never poked myself in the eye with the bulky, medium-length brush that is the trademark of LashBlast, I favor the ultra-long, skinny brush that LashBlast Length has. I have yet to experience clumpy, spidery lashes (like L'Oreal's Telescopic Explosion Mascara!) with this one. No clumping, no flaking, no smudging and no wilting after a busy day.

Recently, Daily Makeover did a segment with CoverGirl celebrity makeup artist Molly Stern on how to maximize your eyes with three of CoverGirl's star players - LashBlast Length, Original LashBlast and LashBlast Luxe.

Did you know there is a certain way that you should apply your mascara in order to make your eyes appear more open? "Wherever you first place the brush, that's where you're going to get the most definition," Stern revealed.

I placed the tip of the brush on the outer corners of my lashes first. I always do this trick so that I can extend the corner lashes and my eyes will pop. She also shared a complimentary eye makeup technique as well: To accentuate that mile-long lash look, contour your crease with a colorful shadow and drawing a thin, angular line with liquid liner along the top lash line. "I tend to very little shadow or line with long lashes because it's such an innocent look -- it's nice to keep it subtle," she says. To read the rest of Stern's insider tips, click here.

While it defines, separates and lengthens nicely, LashBlast Length does have it faults. I've noticed that some of the product dried in the tube but it has not affected the performance of the mascara, surprisingly. I hope to get more uses out of LashBlast Length as it is one of the three mascaras that I reach for daily.

I was sent "Blue" but as you can see, the mascara looks more like regular black. Based on the ads starring Drew Barrymore, I expected LashBlast Length to produce fantastical length and a pitch of volume, but it's almost like a teaser. You would probably need a mascara primer to increase the benefits of LashBlast Length.

I also found out that it's a little difficult to remove but it's not such a hassle that I want to stop using it. I just have to be a little more patient with this one, since it does have nylon fibers in the mascara. I love that I don't see the actual nylon tubes on my cotton balls like I would if I used L'Oreal Double Extend with Beauty Tubes Technology Mascara.

My next goal is to buy this mascara in "Very Black." That's the shade I prefer whenever I buy or test a new mascara. What's yours?

Since I just blogged about CoverGirl LashBlast Length, I figured I'd share my thoughts on CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe right quick.

Basically my review of CoverGirl LashBlast applies for LashBlast Luxe. I said, "The first time, I had to learn how to work the brush. It was sort of difficult to reach the tiny inner lashes as well as the lashes in the outer corners of my eyes. Don't get me started on applying mascara on my bottom lashes - I recommend that you have several Q-Tips dipped in makeup remover on hand when applying this mascara unless you can manage not to get the product on your lids or under eye area."

Well, since you have to apply several coats of LashBlast Luxe for the glitter to show up, it's that much more important to have eye makeup remover and Q-tips handy, unless you don't mind the gathering of sparkling fall-out that's sure to gather underneath your eyes and on your cheeks. I use my Clean and Clear Soothing Eye Makeup Remover (making sure I shook it well beforehand) and a couple of Q-Tips from my Vanity Pack (in draft). However, I think it would be nice to have a Myrabelle Mascara Shield. Sometimes, my eyes twitch (especially when I try to tightline) or my hand is a bit shaky, so I rather invest in this yield to save time and effort trying to remove smudges of mascara and eyeliner on my upper lids and on my waterline.

Here's the brush for Black Cabernet:

As you can see, Black Cabernet looks more like a metallic, plum shade with red flecks. If you look closely, you can see the tiny bit of red at the tips of my lashes.

Afterwards, it seemed like my lashes were encrusted with finely milled Swarovski crystals. As for application, I shared that I "just used my brush one way" when I used CoverGirl LashBlast. With this one, I applied the mascara vertically and horizontally, working each lash to give me the length and thickness that I craved. Then I made sure to hit the very tips of my lashes so that they were coated with LashBlast Luxe sparkling formula. I also wanted to give the optical illusion that my lashes were extending past their usual length.