I got a wild hair up my butt to go grab a few drugstore mascaras and put them against each other. I picked up four mascaras total, but we’re gonna focus on Maybelline’s “The Falsies” and Rimmel’s “The Max”. Two products promising the same thing: to volumize your lashes. But which one delivers?

*tightens boxing gloves*

Alriiiiight…in the magenta corner, with frosty ocean teal lettering and banding with a lash hugging curved wand…The Falsies!! Annnnnd in the hot pink corner, with gold lettering and banding, sporting an x-shaped wand…The Max

*crowd goes wild*

Both mascaras can be found in drugstores

Both mascaras are very affordable, at around $6/$7 each

Both mascaras promise volume

Both are contact lens safe

Finally, to be fair I picked up non-waterproof formulas of each mascara…

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle
my bare naked lashes

MAYBELLINE “THE FALSIES”

Mascara Battle
the wand is curved

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

RIMMEL “THE MAX” MASCARA

Mascara Battle
the wand is shaped like an X

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

Mascara Battle

BATTLE BREAKDOWN

  • Blackest: NEITHER (they’re both not very black at all, more of a very very dark grey)
  • Better Scent: Rimmel “The Max”
  • Better Wand: Maybelline “The Falsies”
  • Ease of use: Maybelline “The Falsies”
  • Ease of removal: TIE
  • Which NEEDS at least two coats: Rimmel “The Max”
  • Fastest drying: Maybelline “The Falsies”
  • Softest Eyelash Texture: TIE
  • Most Noticeable: Maybelline “The Falsies”

I’d give the formula edge to Maybelline “The Falsies” for the following reasons, preference being number one…The Falsies is a much thinner and wetter formula, which allows for more wand-comb control (at least for me). I find that when a mascara formula is wetter, I can work the wand thru my lashes better and it gives more lashes the equal opportunity to be coated. Rimmel’s formula is slightly thicker (you can even notice the longer trail of mascara on the tip of the wand in comparison to Maybelline’s) and not as wet. The downside to a wetter formula though, is that it dries faster and adding extra coats can make lashes look a bit clumpier. However, this totally depends on your “drama” preference.

Rimmel’s The Max has combs fanning out horizontally and vertically in an x-shape, while Maybelline The Falsies has a curved wand with the combs fanning just horizontally. I didn’t see any benefit for the x-shaped wand, in fact, it was a little confusing on how to even hold the darn thing. The Falsies wand allows you to wiggle thru the lashes then slightly flip to smooth and push up. This makes it a lot easier to use because it mimicks a natural motion.

Both have a similar scent but The Falsies has a slightly stronger chemical scent, and The Max is a little more pleasant. Neither are strong in scent or irritating to my eye. Both mascaras are labeled as being super black but both fail at being a true black — they’re just a very very dark grey. Both mascaras remove super easily with just a wet makeup remover wipe, but The Falsies has a slight edge because it removed completely the quickest of the two. Neither flaked on me after wearing them for two hours each.

WINNER

Mascara Battle
The winner: Maybelline The Falsies

Mascara Battle
Peace out!

For me, Maybelline The Falsies is the better performer of the two. With just one coat, it stretched my lashes out pretty long and left them there. Rimmel The Max promises 14x’s volume but just doesn’t deliver as well as The Falsies, and to be honest it disappointed me the most. I prefer the results of The Falsies over The Max, but you may like it the other way around. The lesson I learned from this battle is that I don’t need to give The Falsies two coats because it’s great with just one. It doesn’t clump with one coat at all and while it doesn’t clump too horribly with two coats, if you are gonna use two coats — move fast.

Availability: all major drugstores

-Stay beautiful

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