And yes, just like Kate and Leo's fictional love story made me cry when I first saw "Titanic" on the big screen in high school, it made me cry again. And by cry, I mean bawl into my little bag of popcorn in the movie theater in that silent, "Who me? I'm not crying!" kind of way that gives you the hiccups later. I felt no shame about it. It was dark, I was moved by the story, and -- best of all -- I was wearing waterproof mascara. There was no way anyone would ever know what a mess I was.
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Or so I thought. The weird (and OK, slightly horrified) look my boyfriend flashed me as we walked out clued me into something being seriously amiss. And that "something" was all over my face. My so-called waterproof mascara had smudged and run so far down my cheeks, I'm amazed it didn't streak my neck. I looked like an overemotional raccoon in need of psychotherapy.
But not every waterproof mascara creates this kind of disaster. In fact, some of them do more than just repel water; they actually hold your lash curl better than some volumizing mascaras. For a list of the 10 best waterproof mascaras, click here.
As for the ones that'll have you looking like me the next time you watch a real tear-jerker, read on:
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.5
Why: "I turned into Ricky Raccoon after just three hours with this mascara on," says one woman, while another reader rates its quality along the lines of "a Wet 'n Wild 99-cent product." One reader says it "flaked off and sat on top of my cheeks like soot," while another says it "glooped and smeared all over my face." Another woman simply says, "The only good thing about this mascara was that I could wash it off immediately after trying it on." So much for "waterproof."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.1
Why: "I should have known this was too good to be true," says one reader. "There was no brightening effect and my eyes certainly didn't pop. This mascara was a complete fail." Another woman calls the quality "pure crap," vowing that this is "the last time I buy drugstore items with terrible false advertisements." One reader says the product "dries up my lashes." And another even "breaks out in tiny hives along my lashline every time I use it." "This made a one-way trip into the trashcan," says another.
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.8
Why: Described as an "XXL disappointment," readers found the product "is too messy, too clumpy, and looks unnatural." Says one woman: "It begins to goop and flake after an hour," while another reader says that she "ended up looking like a tarantula lash chick." One woman admits that she "threw it away after just a couple of uses" while another complains that the consistency "feels thick and never quite dries, causing your lashes to stick." "It looked oddly like I was wearing bad fake lashes," says a reader, "like the kind you would find in a 5-year-old's dress-up kit."
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TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.7
Why: One reviewer says this mascara is "dry, dry, dry," after finding out her "tube dried up after two weeks." Another woman says she "hates [this product] because it does not stick to my lashes." Another reader doesn't like the fact that "it takes layers to see results, which means that you have to apply many coats just for your lashes to look like you have normal mascara on." One woman points out that the mascara "clumped up a lot, making my lashes look fake" while another simply says that she "won't be buying this product again."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.4
Why: Reviewers describe the consistency as "tar-like," "difficult to remove," and "heavy." One reader says that her lashes "became so crispy that it felt like they were about to break." While another woman points out that "it actually made my lashes look shorter." Multiple readers say that "by the end of the night, black stuff is all over your eye." One reviewer offers some advice to the manufacturer: "If Smashbox was smart, they would discontinue the product before it costs them followers."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 2.9
Why: "This has got to be the worst mascara I have ever tried," says one reviewer. "It is definitely not waterproof, but I still had a hard time getting it off. Save your money. I only rated it a 1 because there wasn't a 0." Another woman describes it as "flaky," saying, "When my boyfriend notices the mascara speckles on my checks instead of the beauty of my eyes we have a serious problem." Another reader says, "I have purchased a lot of mascara in my time and this, by far, has been the worst! It does not go on well, it clumps, and the brush is hard to work with. Also, it flakes and smudges, yet is difficult to remove at the end of the day. Thank goodness the drugstore has a return policy on makeup!"
More from TotalBeauty.com:
15 Best Primers for Long-lasting Eye Makeup
Video Tutorial: How to Apply False Eyelashes
Quiz: What's Your Best Eye Makeup Look?
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