Daily Candy's "18 Best Mascaras Out There"

If I were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one cosmetic product with me, I would choose mascara. The caveat, of course, is that some sort of lip balm would be exempt from the "cosmetic" category and thus also allowed--because, if your lips are gross and chapped, not much else matters. Does that give some indication of how much I loooove and cherish my mascara? In fact--and maybe I shouldn't admit this, but we're all friends here--I can hardly stand the sight of my own reflection sans mascara. My eyes have no pop!, no affect... And perhaps for that very reason, I'm constantly in the market for the latest and greatest mascara.

Now that my confessional is out of the way, you'll understand exactly why this morning's Daily Candy email, The 18 Best Mascaras Out There, was basically written for me. Not surprisingly, several of the mascaras they selected for their top 18 are mascaras I have tried before--some I have loved, others not so much. But I was happy to note that there were also several promising possibilities for an eye make-up junkie like me. On that note, allow me to share the contents of my online shopping bag:

1.) The Smoky Lash by Make Up Forever: Daily Candy dishes, It’s the triathlete of mascara with the perfect amount of volume, the deepest shade of black, and unthinkable length — one of our testers’ lashes were even grazing her face. Talk about covering your bases! Price tag: $22

2.) GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan by Josie Maran: Daily Candy plugs the "philanthro-beauty" aspect of this mascara, which donates a tube to a City of Hope cancer patient/survivor for each one sold and gives you peppy volume and outstanding shine. For those unfamiliar with argan oil, it's produced from the kernels of the argan tree, endemic to Morocco, and is heralded for its nutritive, cosmetic and medicinal properties. How's that for a little natural shine? Price tag: $22

3.) Effortless by Burberry: Not to be redundant, but it appears I'm not the only one who's ready for the British invasion--nor am I the only "marketer's dream" out there, sold by clever packaging. Daily Candy confesses, The goop itself is only slightly above par, but the snazzy case made our tester want to break the age-old taboo of applying in public. I'm going to rationalize this one according to the "above par" part, but you have to admit that the packaging is really, really cool. Price tag: $28

4.) Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte: If Daily Candy has this one pegged correctly, then it's worth its weight in gold--being a "one step" (ie. just one coat!) mascara with the potential to totally simplify my verrry rushed morning beauty regime. Daily Candy can’t verify that your lashes will be exactly 424 percent fuller, but we more than appreciate the major volume. Price tag: $19

5.) Falsies by Maybelline: No, I did not think I would ever be blogging about Maybelline. In fact, I thought I left that pink and green tube behind when I graduated from high school. BUT Daily Candy says this one is worth a try, as its dense volume, recession-friendly price tag, and precisely curved wand, the “life changer” kept our testers jabbering. Personally, I'm hoping that my girl Juliet was wrong--and that there is something in a name--because "Falsies" obviously makes me think of false eyelashes, which are basically the best things everrr. So I'm willing to give good ol' Maybelline another try--especially because it won't break the bank. Maybe we should call this one the drugstore cowboy? Price tag: $7

6.) Virtuôse by Lancôme: Daily Candy raves about this one, We’re not quite sure how it does it — maybe the curved wand, maybe a secret ingredient — but Lancôme Virtuôse provides a stunning daylong curl. (Our tester: “No, really, it’s crazy.”) The bottom line: who has time to use an eyelash curler? Not to mention, those contraptions are indeed scary and treacherous! Price tag: $25

Thanks to those hip stylistas over at Daily Candy, my virtual shopping cart is now totaling $123 in mascara, which is to say nothing for shipping charges. So...it looks like I may have to stagger these lash treatments out over the long term to avoid being that girl who bought over $100 of mascara in one sitting. But I have to say, I'm pretty excited about the cosmetic road ahead, and I have full confidence that my lashes will receive exactly the kind of treatment they deserve. Stay tuned for the debriefing!

All images thanks to Daily Candy (http://www.dailycandy.com/), in order of appearance: (1) Smoky Lash mascara by Make Up Forever $22, available from Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/); (2) GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan mascara by Josie Maran $22, also available from Sephora; (3) Effortless mascara by Burberry $28, available from Burberry (http://us.burberry.com/); (4) Lights Camera Lashes by Tarte $19, also available from Sephora; (5) Falsies by Maybelline $7, available at your local drugstore; (6) Virtuôse by Lancôme $25, available from Lancôme (www.landcome.com).