ColourPop Level Up Lengthening Mascara

Most Helpful Positive Review

PERMANENT addition to my makeup bag!

Was lucky to find one, black bottle in-store and was able to use it for about a month now — definitely became my new favorite and on the contrary to other recent reviews, I actually loved this masacara on me. Biggest PRO: The ONLY mascara I've used to this day that DOES NOT smudge on my bottom la...shes and DOES NOT flake on either top or bottom lashes. I have not been able to use mascara on my bottom lashes for years thinking it had to do with combo skin but CP's Level Up Mascara actually stays in place all day&night for me. Im used to strictly placing product on my top lashes but even then, it manages to still smudge down to my lower lash line giving me dark/flaky undereyes by the end of the day through just blinking and the product touching my undereyes, touching/wiping around my eyelids with my finger, and shutting my eyes tightly from occasional dry eyes (I wear contacts). 100% my new go-to and I am so happy I can finally feel the joy of putting mascara on my bottom lashes now without worry, but I wish Ulta (online&in-store) would stock up on these. Black is still OOS for weeks now as of this review. *If you have the time of day, continue reading these "beige flag" comparisons that I took too much time on* I dont use a primer nor do I curl my lashes prior to depositing product. (Comparing to Essence's Lash Princess False Lash Effect) Packaging: Winner — Essence Less product than Essence (0.25 oz vs 0.4 oz) for more money ($5 vs $9, retail in the US). Wand has your typical "cone shape" with evenly sized fibers that is tapered at the end (and typically where the buildup occurs in mascaras). Its noticeably skinnier than Essence's False Lash Effect, so I find it better to carefully get close to your lash line and wiggle/brush your way up without worrying about one section being more thick than others. Consistency (formula): Winner — Essence (objectively speaking from a drugstore standpoint. Its a better formula but takes longer to dry because its more "workable" in coating lashes) I agree with some reviews on how "goopy" it may seem in texture. To me it IS on the "drier" side making it appear "thicker" or "goopier" in consistency, but I would say its not as goopy as Essence's Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (for reference) and still manageable. Im only referring to Essence's mascara because its the only one I've consistently used for 3+ years & its gotten the job done so I felt no need to go towards more expensive brands (and even recieving sample/travel sizes as a gifts/trials, they still smudge and flake). Payoff: Winner — Essence In its ability to lengthen, number of brushes/wiggles/coats to deposit product, and volumizing power, it gets the job done when im out for < 6 hours. However, Essence is messier to work with during application and removal. Again, not so much as a con but more of a "beige flag" aka not a deal-breaker. Likewise with the rest of the comparisons in this review. Pigment (color - black): Winner — Essence Essence's black is darker and more pigmented than Colourpop's IMO and in terms of taking time to add layers and deposit the product evenly (like most mascaras) CP's does take a little longer for me being that its drier in formula but it doesnt budge! Essence's formula is very buildable, but clumps like crazy when I go over board without realizing. CP's doesnt clump as easily & the coating feels more precise in depositing. Longevity: Winner — Colourpop CP > Essence with all-day (8hr) wears over makeup. This was my biggest factor in keeping the mascara because mascaras usually never last more than an hour after being applied to my lower lash line. Again, drier formula, but when its ON it DOESNT budge. Whereas Essence's takes longer to dry but it coats the lashes quicker which could lead to the better appearance of volumizing and lengethening that some may not be experiencing with CP's mascara. Overall: Winner depends on inventory but im not mad about carrying two mascaras in my makeup bag from now on. Both of them have a purpose for me. +Prefer purchasing on Ulta bc of the reward system (I know I can just go to CP's website too) In short, Essence is more workable, for lack of better terms (idk if thinner or more watery is the correct term but its also thick &goopy), whereas Colourpop is definitely drier & thicker in formula and may require a little more patience to work towards the desired outcome for some. There is STILL great pigment power + thickening/volumizing, and lengthening power in CP's mascara but the biggest thing that it has over Essence for me even though it checks off on all the other marks is the LONGEVITY. As long as CP is OOS in the black pigment, ill be purchasing Essence's mascara. But if they decide to distribute more to my local branches or even become available on Ulta's website more often, im grabbing as many CP mascaras as I can to stock-up because I am truly amazed that theres a mascara out there that doesnt smudge or flake on me and appreciate that part about it so much. Again, the BIGGEST outweighing factor for me in continuing to repurchase this mascara is its holding power and ability to not flake or smudge on me — but as expressed in some reviews, the results vary per person(make-up routine/skin-type/application process). *As an experiment bc I love Essence's FLE formula but not its longevity, I have tried layering Essence's after layering CP's and vise-versa and Ive noticed they only work the best when worn individually If there was anyone who was genuinely curious about my review of this madcara and got to the end, thank you for reading & I hope this helped! But based on other ppl's reviews and their influence from social media, Id say try to go in open-minded and find what works best for you, not just the masses. Evidently, what checked off for me may not check off for others.