Picture this: I lean in. I bat my eyelashes. I inch closer to the mirror in the 29th Street Sephora until I am mere centimeters away. As I take out the Mascara wand (as I am told it is called) from the Mascara container, I expect to have long, thick lashes, and feel the rest of my problems slip away now that I am finally beautiful.
While Mascara might not have this effect, there is no doubt it is one of the smallest yet most consequential makeup products. Accentuating the eyes, Mascara is a crucial chess piece in the game that is American beauty standards. However, fortunately for the Sephora corporate empire and billion-dollar cosmetics industry, I am a skilled player.
In a past article, I explored trendy lip products, but today I seek to understand the nuances and complexities of mascaras from Rihanna and Selena Gomez, famous singers and beauty queens in their own right.
Rihanna’s brand, Fenty Beauty, was launched in 2017. This brand had a commitment to accessible beauty and cosmetics for all different types of people. Selena Gomez launched her brand, Rare Beauty, in 2020. She seeks to break down constructs of perfection, prioritizing comfort and self-love.
The Product: Fenty Beauty offers the Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara, which comes out at a cost of $20. Similarly, Rare Beauty has the Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara for $22.
The Value: Containing 10 mL, Fenty has a value of $2 per mL. In comparison, Rare Beauty has 13.5 mL and has a value of around $1.6 per mL. This means that Rare Beauty is more cost-effective, if only marginally. But is the higher cost of Fenty worth it?
The Application: Fenty has a wider brush, and therefore applies more mascara per stroke than Rare. This means that for a thick lash, Fenty Beauty is more efficient. Rare has the thinner brush, meaning that it takes longer to get that fuller look, but applies the Mascara slightly more evenly. I noticed some clumping on both mascaras due to a thicker formula.
The Look: Because Fenty lends itself to the thicker look, I have a slight preference for that. I think it accentuates thicker, longer eyelashes better. However, if you have thinner lashes, Rare beauty might be the one for you, again due to the slightly finer application.
The Container: While those who prefer a lighter, more simplistic look would choose Rare Beauty as the most aesthetic Mascara, there is no doubt in my mind that the black, crystal-shaped container of Fenty Beauty is more unique and eye-catching.
I ended up preferring the Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc. It created a longer and heavier lash, which I prefer, and felt the best to wear. I also love the container. But, if you prefer more control in application, as well as a finer mascara, you should choose Rare Beauty.
Still, it is worth noting that the Mascaras, although having slight differences, were very similar. I compared both mascaras by using each of them on one of my eyes. Then, when I saw my friends later that night, no one noticed the difference or batted an eye.
