THE REMIX: MAYBELLINE MASCARA

Mascara is like a good pair of jeans: It's the foundation--not the centerpiece--of an outfit. So when Maybelline's new mascara landed on our desks, we had to do a double take: Dubbed The Colossal Volum' Cat Eyes Mascara, the formula promises to not just coat lashes but give them that little winged edge that dominated the fall '12 runways (Lanvin, Moschino, Anna Sui, the list goes on and on). Yes, that means a mascara that doesn't just take the back seat, but is driving an entire makeup look. So when a wand (this one's hooked) does the thing that a liquid liner once did, how does that affect the rest of your beauty routine? We passed tubes around to the NYLON digital team to find out, tasking each editor to come up with a look that felt natural while still putting Colossal Volum' Cat Eyes front and center. The result is this week's The Remix.

The Editor: Ali Hoffman, web editor

The Look: '70s fresh-faced

The Products: Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation and Powder, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara, Maybelline Superstay 10 Hour Stain Gloss in Ruby Indulgence.

The Process: With a mascara that practically doubles as a liner, Ali found that you don't have to do much to look polished. After applying Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation and Powder ("It's the most amazing thing ever because it completely mattifies your skin without making it look powder-y and old lady," she says, laughing), she carefully applied Maybelline's Colossal Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara. "The instructions recommend that you don't wait between coats for it to dry, so I went with that tip and it worked really well," says Ali, adding, "I wasn't wearing any eyeliner and I hadn't even curled my eyelashes, but it still gave me that lift. It definitely opened them up a bit." To finish off the clean, '70s-inspired look, Ali just applied Maybelline's Superstay 10 Hour Stain Gloss in Ruby Indulgence.

The Editor: Ray Siegel, senior web editor

The Look: Low-key smoky (if you say it the right way, it rhymes)

The Products: Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara, Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, Epicuren Colostrum Cream, Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Eurydice

The Process: First, Ray loaded up on under eye brightener and extra moisturizer ("It acts as a light foundation," she noted). Then she used an angled brush, dabbed with the dark grey half of the Nars Eurydice Eyeshadow duo, to line her eyes. The final step was to apply three coats of Maybelline's Cat Eye mascara. "The more the merrier!" she exclaimed, adding, "The powder liner and the mysterious cat eye-inducing mascara work together to create the subtle smoky effect without too much precision involved." To keep the look from getting too late-night-on-the-town, Ray paired it with a quick application of Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment.

The Editor: Rebecca Willa Davis, executive web editor

The Look: Purple haze

The Products: Jemma Kidd I-conic Eyes in Prima Donna, MAC powder blush in Dirty Plum, Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Lip Color in Plumberry, Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara

The Process: Rebecca decided that a bold mascara could handle bold makeup. "I have naturally long lashes--I know, don't hate me--so I normally don't see a major different between wearing mascara and not. But this one really did flick out my outer lashes so it looked like I had applied a cat eye with liner," says Rebecca. Rather than downplay the drama, she made it the focus of her look, adding a swipe of plum blush on her cheeks, violet pencil along her upper lash-line, and velvet-y berry on her lips. it may sound like a lot, but she promises it's totally wearable: "There's something about purple that looks very regal--I didn't get any weird looks when I rode the subway at 9 a.m., so there you go!"

WANT MORE WAYS TO REMIX YOUR BEAUTY FAVES? We style Hard Candy's new 10-shadow palette three ways!