Maybelline the Rocket Mascara

Maybelline makes some of my favorite drugstore mascaras. Whenever they come out with something new, I always want to give it a try! When I first saw that the Rocket Volum' Express mascara had plastic bristles, I was less than thrilled. I usually don't have good experiences with plastic bristle mascara wands, but the Rocket mascara pleasantly surprised me.

I always enjoy vibrantly colored mascara tubes, it's something fun and different.  I love the contrast of the hot pink against the navy blue. At first glance, the wand looks like Covergirl Lashblast. But if you take a closer look, they are different (I might do a compare/contrast post on that topic). Very Black was the darkest  shade available.

This wand is what I like most about the Rocket mascara. The alteration of semi-short to long bristles gives it a comb-like effect. The end does gather excess mascara, and I would have liked more bristles at the tip. It's not my ideal wand, but it's functional and interesting. 

On the left without mascara, and on the right with The Rocket mascara

As you can see, my results were pretty amazing. This mascara curled my lashes, added volume, and a bit of length. I did get a few tiny clumps though. So this mascara isn't clump-free, but it still did a great job at making my lashes light and feathery. It also adds a deep dark black color to the lashes, which I love because my natural lashes are light.

Claims: "Our fast-glide formula keeps lashes smooth, even. Technologically advanced micro- bristles evenly apply from root to tip. Rigid core loads big, sleek volume instantly. Explosive, Clump-free volume with 8x bigger lashes." 
Formula: The formula is wet, but it isn't heavy. The formula is a bit thick, so you have to be careful with how many coats you apply (I only needed two). It dries normally, so you don't feel the need to rush. I also liked how it didn't make my lashes feel crunchy. I didn't get any clumps when I only applied two coats, but any more than that and you will see clumps. 
Wand Type: The wand has medium-length plastic bristles. The bristles are very flixible, and they grab every lash. This wand doesn't deposit too much product like many other plastic bristle wands. I think this is due to the fact that these bristles have a bit of length to them.
Price/Avalability: I paid $5.94 + tax at Target 

Likes:

• The wand is comb-like/interesting
• The formula is wet, but not heavy
• It curled and added volume with a bit of length
• Made my lashes appear bigger
• Deep black color
• Easy to work with
• Inexpensive
• Cute packaging (I really like the pink and navy) 

Dislikes:

• It's not clump-free 
• The wand gets extra mascara at the tip/wastes product
• Formula is thick, use light coats

Overall:
I was surprised that I was even going to like this mascara! I find myself reaching for it almost everyday. It's great for people who want curled lashes with volume.The way that it made my lashes feel light and feathery was wonderful. (I despise mascara that makes my lashes feel crunchy and crispy). The Rocket lived up to all of it's claims, except the part about being clump-free. Even when I only did two coats I had tiny clumps, and one coat just isn't enough to really get all of the lashes. This is one of the better Maybelline mascaras, but it's not a favorite.

I like to use this mascara with a lengthening mascara. It's a great "base" mascara to get your lashes to curl first. People who have stubborn lashes like me know the layering method all too well! On a side note, I found this really cute interactive animation  about The Rocket on Maybelline's website. I've never seen a company do something like that before. I thought it was really different and cool.