mascara face-off: givenchy phenomen'eyes vs l'oreal's telescopic explosion review.

it's not everyday i find drugstore beauty product and a high end cosmetic that look as much alike as l'oreal's telescopic explosion mascara (pictured below) and givenchy's phenomen'eyes (at left).

both wands consist of a spiky rubber koosh ball that gets coated in product while in the tube, that you attack little sections of lashes with, for a very thorough effect.

on the whole, i'm a fan of both because i love dramatic lashes, but the l'oreal version retails for around $7.99, and phenomen'eyes sells at sephora for $29. where's the $20+ difference? in the formula. the givenchy formula is significantly less thick - yielding a less clumpy finished effect.

also, look out for the latest version of phenomen'eyes - phenomen'eyes waterproof - which will be on counters starting in may 2010.