My trusty old Maybelline Great Lash mascara (we all know that oldie but goodie with the pink and green tube) was at its butt-end and I was SUPER irritated when I applied my mascara yesterday. It was becoming clumpy and streaky, and developed a strong little odour – that means BIN it, ladies! The shelf life of mascara doesn't surpass 6 months and your eyes are the very last place where you want to spread nasties, bacterias and really dangerous infections. No thanks! I was contemplating replacing my mascara with Maybelline once again, but I was in luck when I received the Avon Big & Daring mascara, both in black and brown-black. My dear mom is a stylish lady, but one piece of advice that I will never take from her is that brown-black mascara suits redheads like yours truly better. I differ. I like my jet-black mascara and will pile it on day and night. See, I might be a redhead, but am very lucky to be blessed with a slightly darker, yellow skin tone and brunette brows and lashes (I know, right – I am a mutant). So I opened the Black mascara first, much like a kid unwrapping an ice cream. First impressions – the tube is big and sturdy and reminds me of the Maybelline Colossal, The Rocket and Falsies mascaras. When I opened the product, I was impressed – a large, curvy brush that strokes all the lashes in one go – yay! I don't have any time for wimpy little mascara brushes that picks up the product in such a small amount that you have to CLUMP on the product. And clumps? Ain't nobody got time for that. Curious as I was, I removed my current makeup and gave my lashes a quick little curl (can't miss this step, ladies – invest in the eyelash curler and just do it!). This mascara applied like a dream and the difference lies in the bigger, curving brush. I have to admit that this is literally the first Avon product I've ever owned or used, but I've heard good things about the brands in general – let's face it, we all had a friend in the suburbs who's mom used to be an Avon rep. My school bestie's mom used to be one and we had tons of fun playing around with her samples, but I never purchased my own. But this mascara made a good impression. After I tested it out last night, I kept it on and wore it to visit a friend for dinner. Despite rushing like a loon to be in the city on time, it stayed on. I am wearing it today, paired with a slick of Revlon Colorstay Shadowlinks in Copper, and colleagues are complimenting my eye makeup. It is also quite warm and springy in Cape Town today, and by 3:49 pm, it still looks good! My lashes feel fuller and I am so glad that I have this as a replacement for my Maybelline! I would definitely keep my eye on the Avon brand to see what other pretties I can use. Although I believe that black is better when it comes to mascara, I will save the brown-black tube for my mom and happily recommend this product to her, as she prefers a brown-black mascara for her very neutral makeup look.