Day 116: Time to Buy New Mascara...

Love. This. Product. 

Buying a new tube of mascara exactly every 3 months isn't something I worry about.  Yes, I know that mascara is the cosmetic (supposedly) most needing of frequent replacement, but my frugal side scoffs at these guidelines.  In my mind, overly rigid makeup expiration dates seem to benefit cosmetic companies more than me.

Double Bubble Baby!

Here's what I figure: if I can keep using each beloved $5 tube of Maybelline Great Lash mascara for even 1 extra month, then I only have to buy 3 tubes of mascara per year, instead of 4.  That adds up to some serious dinero over a lifetime, no?  (Savings of $5/year X 60 years = $300 - or 1,200 sugar-full gumballs!)

Okay, to be honest, I've never actually done the math. (1,200 gumballs??  That's lame.)  Still, I consciously try to use each tube of $5 mascara until it obviously isn't working as well as it should.  I refuse to discard mascara a minute before this happens.  Typically, the product gets a bit dry over time and doesn't easily coat my lashes.  A quick look in the mirror during application gives me the lowdown.

But... not so these days.  Without mirrors my mascara status is kind of a mystery.  And, since it's something I don't think of about... things have gone amiss. It seems that my mascara hasn't been working quite right, but nobody bothered to tell me.  (Did nobody noticed?  Maybe nobody EVER notices if my mascara isn't working so well.)

That smudge is NOT a birthmark. 

But now I know that it's time for a replacement!  How do I know, you ask?

Well, I was putting on my mascara a few minutes ago and clumpy flecks fell out.  Yes, flakey clumps of mascara fell off of the wand, and onto my computer keyboard and my wrist.  This must be a sign that the formula has ... turned.  

Now that actually I think of it, it's been over 3 months since this no-mirrors experiment started, and I haven't bought a new mascara during that time.  Oops.  I can only imagine what my poor eyelashes have looked like these past few weeks!

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