The Colors of Love (And Lashes) — Maybelline New York’s Great Lash Mascara Limited Edition Collection

It’s been over 40 years since Maybelline New York first launched its now iconic Great Lash Mascara and, year after year, it continues to win over new consumers, retain its long-time fans, and soar to the top of beauty editors’ must-have lists. Whereas once-popular beauty products have faded into oblivion — Max Factor’s Pan Cake foundation, Halo shampoo, and Aqua Net hairspray among them — Maybelline’s Great Lash Mascara has managed to maintain its iconic status without needlessly tinkering with an already beloved formula or even revolutionizing its look (a smart move since its bright pink dress and lime green hat are immediately recognizable). But, more remarkably, its cool factor hasn’t wavered since its launch in 1971.  Its unyielding relevance can be attributed to several factors: first, the sheer quality of the mascara; second, smart and captivating marketing campaigns; and third, Maybelline’s understanding of the commercial cosmetics landscape, its ability to cater to makeup traditionalists while luring in trend-obsessed youths, discerning fashionistas, and bonafide beauty junkies.

In 2011, to celebrate Great Lash’s 40th anniversary, Maybelline tasked three fashion designers —Vivienne Tam, Tracy Reese, and Max Azria — with illustrating the mascara’s pink tube; these designs were then sold as part of a limited-edition collection launched right before Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Last year, the brand flirted with color, releasing four limited-edition shades of Great Lash Mascara — again right before Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, when Maybelline’s team of makeup artists creates so many runway makeup looks. And, this year, only a month before Fashion Week, Maybelline Great Lash is once again dipping its wand into the current beauty trend pool.  Yes, gals, for the month of August only, Maybelline is offering six new Great Lash Mascara colors, all meant to coat lashes with electrifying jewel-toned hues.

The Maybelline Great Lash Mascara Limited Edition Collection consists of the following six shades:

Green with Envy: an emerald green hue

I See Blue: an electric cobalt shade

Wink of Pink: an ’80s-flavored hot pink

Vision in Violet: a deep purple

Teal Appeal: a medium-toned, greenish teal blue

So Very Berry: a black cherry shade

These shades are available for $6.40 each at select mass retailers for this month only.

So should you join the colored mascara brigade? Well, I had the chance to try most of these mascaras and, while some worked beautifully on my lashes, coating them with high-voltage colors, others were barely discernible — even after multiple coats. Since photos can sometimes speak louder than words, let me walk you through some of my experiences.

The first colored mascara I tired was the Great Lash Mascara in I See Blue. I really, really enjoyed the effect this mascara created — it adds a real pop of color to lashes without leaving you feeling like, well, Sonic the Hedgehog. Check out the photos below:

Next, I tried the A Wink of Pink hue. This one was definitely bright and, though the pink shade isn’t at all flattering on me, I think it could be a huge hit for someone with a different coloring. But, in terms of pigment pay-off, I was completely floored. Here are the pics (again, I know the color doesn’t work for me and that I look like a cast-off from the Misfits, but these are for reference purposes):

Next, I gave the Vision in Violet mascara a whirl. I love purple mascara so I was particularly excited about this one but, sadly, the purple shade simply did not pop up on my lashes. I tried applying more than five coats and there was no difference. Apparently, my lashes are so dark that the purple pigment simply gets lost. Check out the photos. Can you tell I’m wearing purple mascara? Yeah, probably not.

Next, I tried the Teal Appeal shade. Like the violet hue, the teal color was actually pretty dark and, again, with my lashes being a deep brown hue, making the color pop was a Herculean feat. After about three coats, I could finally see the teal color but the effect is rather subtle — not that I minded. I lined my lashes with an electric blue liner so as to magnify the mascara’s effect, which you’ll see below:

Personally, I’m loving the I See Blue mascara the most, but I do think some of the other shades will work quite nicely on women with lash hairs that aren’t quite as dark. Also, if you want a really far-out, anime-flavored look, the Wink of Pink shade is wicked in the best possible way.

Make sure to pick up your faves before they leave store shelves!