What we tested: Estée Lauder Blacker Than Black Collection

Cost: $19.50-$35
Where: Department stores
Product claims: The collection features mascaras in oh-so-dark jet black and eye shadows in smoky shades.

Sally Sevareid From the
‘Mo and Sally’ morning show
on 105.5
Tested: Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Bold Black
At almost 20 bucks, this mascara better blow me away because I know I can go to the drugstore and get a good tube of mascara much cheaper. The Sumptuous formula promises to make your lashes full and dark without clumping. It does. It is definitely one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. To sum it up, it lives up to the hype!

Liz Balmaseda, 51
Tested: Black Smoke Eye Shadow
I must confess this palette of deep smoke gray, saturated silver, shimmery charcoal and frost white is not one I would have chosen at the makeup counter. I tend to stick closer to a comfort zone of browns and neutral cream tones. That said, this shadow set is perfectly stunning, with deeply saturated shades that are strikingly different from one another. It is rich and not easily blended. There’s nothing shy about this shadow. Then again, the Blacker Than Black Collection is meant to be bold.

Amy Royster, 33
Tested: Turbolash
I rarely rave about products. So few are really deserving. But this one is exceptional. I thought a vibrating tube of mascara was a ridiculous gimmick until I tried Turbolash (still a ridiculous name!). This mascara gives me the longest lashes of any mascara I have ever tried, and the gently vibrating wand separates every lash. Previously I have used Estée Lauder’s Lash Primer plus an Estée Lauder mascara for a great effect, but this one tube of Turbolash does a better job than both of those products combined. Give this one a try!

Katie McBroom, 22
Tested: MagnaScopic Maximum Volume Mascara
Mascara is an exception to the rule that quality products must be paired with a high price tag. With so many effective, affordable mascaras on the market, I’d rather splurge on high-quality skin care and foundation. I like this Lauder product, but it doesn’t have anything more to offer than Maybelline’s Full ’N Soft does.

Rhonda Swan, 45
Tested: Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara
Finally a mascara that doesn’t clump. No more uni-lash — turning three or four lashes into one thick scary glob. I love that this product actually gives me the individually defined and separated lashes that most mascaras promise, but few deliver. Like all of the other mascaras I’ve tried, you need a chisel to remove it by day’s end. A few drops of makeup remover on an unscented baby wipe does the job with slightly less drama. Given that mascara is one of my every day makeup must-haves, I’d part with the $20 for this one.