My eyelashes are naturally long, curled, and black, so as a rule I don't use mascara because it tends to look unnatural on me. As a kid I would be accused by my school friends of stealing my mom's mascara, and I hated looking different from my lashless friends, but clearly as an adult I recognize how badly those girls must have envied my natural features. But then I received this product in the mail and was wild to try it out - who isn't excited to get stuff in the mail? But let me tell you, it's pretty good! I didn't think it was possible for my eyelashes to seem any longer than they are, but with this mascara they were practically in my eyebrows.

I also avoid mascara because the heavy feeling of it compels me to rub it out of my eyes, and I end up removing half my eyelashes. But the colossal doesn't clump much and is pretty light. I still noticed it, and probably I won't make a habit of making mascara part of my normal makeup routine. Still, I feel confident that I have something to put on for a night out, without tearing out my eyelashes.

I love this! In the drugstore, I was having a hard time choosing between that orange bottle covergirl stuff and this. I ended up choosing maybelline because of its awesome yellow packaging (i'm a sucker for those bright colors). I am so glad I bought this! The brush may be a bit too large to control precisely, but it makes for an even and natural coat, covering every lash. It gives me volume as well as length, without the messy clumping i usually experience. Also it comes off easily, which is a huge plus for me, I (unless I plan on swimming).
Only thing I don't like is the smell...some mascaras just stink more than others, and this is one of them (but maybe thats just me...).
Would def. buy again.
:)

I am a very picky girl when it comes to buying cosmetics. I abide by a strict "love it or leave it" policy when it comes to girly items, so this mascara was quite a treat for me. What caught my eye initially was the packaging, as noted earlier, a chartreuse-y yellow with metallic purple lettering. (I'm impressed that Maybelline seems to be stepping up on the aesthetics of their packaging; definitely good for marketing!)

I'd just finished a tube of MAC Zoom Lash and was pining for a mascara that could lengthen but focused on pretty, unfussy volume. The Colossal was a smash hit. The formula is easy to apply, the wand is thick and easy to hold and clumps very little. I found the difference was most apparent in the application of the first three strokes; usually by then my past mascaras had made my lashes unpleasantly saturated to the point of becoming small, icky lash-bouquets. This lil' feller is different, your lashes stay separated, the formula is easy to apply evenly and the volume looks quite natural and very pretty. This is a fantastic daytime mascara and ideal for the girl who prefers to skip makeup mostly but opts for mascara to add a little polish. Although it's fabulous at it's job, the effects don't produce very diva-like drama for evening, so if that's what you're looking for you're probably better off with a different product. I used the standard black colour and the pigments are quite rich but once again, not terribly dramatic.

I'd compare this mascara to Benefit's badGRRL Lash, but much less flakey. Whereas my experience with the Benefit mascara has shown the formula to only last about half the day before almost completely flaking off, the Colossal lasts and stays put, is quite flexible and has a moderate resistance to moisture. Similarities are the large brush and the pigment richness, notably comparable. If you liked the Benefit classic, you'll LOVE the Colossal.

I'm defintely going to agree with misschickie. I really love how plump this mascara makes my lashes, and I haven't had any problems with clumping. It washes off very easily so no swimming ladies, but a few tears wont ruin your lashes (or your foundation). This is a great buy!

I received an early sample of this mascara from Maybelline. I really don't think it is possible for Maybelline to turn out a bad mascara. I am always impressed with their ability to deliver a quality mascara at a low price point. Not surprisingly, mascara is their specialty. Their latest, The Colossal Volum' Express delivers some extra punch. It is designed to beef up your lashes by 9 times. It's hard to gauge what 9 times looks like vs say, 7 times, 3 times or whatever times other mascaras are supposed to, but it does a good job delivering fatter longer lashes.

The packaging is adorable and I will admit I am a sucker for that. I love the bright punchy yellow tube and the cute city themed packaging - which is 100% recyclable by the way! It's always hard for me to rate mascaras because I've tried so many, so I generally compare them to each other.

*The brush does a great job at creating volume while keeping the lashes separate. I find a lot of volumizing mascaras make the lashes look fuller by sticking them together somewhat. The Colossal delivers slightly more separated lashes than competitive mascaras.

*The application is easy. I have medium - longish eyelashes so to be honest I have never had issues applying any mascara.

*Lashes are soft, not crunchy. Crunchy lashes are a big no-no for me. I will not wear a mascara that dries out my eyelashes. This formula is just a teensy bit softer than competitive mascaras.

*I did not experience any flaking or smudging, though there were a couple of minor clumps at the end of a couple of lashes.

Comparing apples to apples...

I wore this mascara on one eye today and a competitive comparable one on the other eye to judge them fairly. While I really like both mascaras, The Colossal did a better job making my lashes look even and full, but the other one did a better job with the drama, making them looked slightly longer/more intense.

I asked Alex (co-founder/my hubby) what he thought and he said The Colossal looked more natural with my eyelashes more even and the other one looked more dramatic because the lashes were a bit more stuck together and therefore appeared fatter/slightly longer.

Can I say which one I like better? Not really. They are both pretty awesome and deliver different results. Layering them together is unstoppable and a great substitute for false lashes. Joy (makeup junkie) did that for me for a shoot when I wanted really dramatic lashes, but I guess that is naughty of me to suggest...

Bottom line: Great mascara to have as a staple for day or an evening out at a very reasonable price point.