Beauty: Volume-boosting mascara

As a natural redhead, my eyelashes are the color of see-through. Applying mascara to these wisps of nothingness has been part of my morning routine since age 13. I have the application tricks down and use the right color, but I have yet to find a mascara that adds volume without being caked on. I tested three products promising to do just that.

Cov er Girl LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara ( $ 8 )

3 stars out of 4

Pros: That's a great price for mascara that left me satisfied with the volume after four strokes. The wand let me apply the desired thickness without too much clump.

Cons: A touch-up application was necessary by 2 p.m., and it seemed like there wasn't as much mascara in the tube as in the others.

Rimmel Lash Maxx x ( $5. 50 )

1 star out of 4

Pros: The application wand was razor-thin and only had teeth on one side, which kept lashes nicely separated.

Cons: The application wand was razor-thin and only had teeth on one side, which made adding volume impossible. If I tried to add more after it dried, the first layer crumbled off instantly.

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme ( $23.50 )

4 stars out of 4

Pros: The line, which launched this month, has the funniest pairing of adjectives in its title. Next up: Gargantuan Intensity!! Seriously, though, I loved the length and curl it added, and the volume lasted all day.

Cons: The wand length is also huge, which required some interesting wrist twists to reach my bottom lashes. Plus, it's triple the price of the others.