We Tested More Than 50 Mascaras, These 13 Impressed Us the Most

Best Overall

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

View On Sephora $16 View On Ulta $29 View On Target $16

Benefits: Volumizing, curling, lengthening | Shades: 2 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This mascara didn’t reach icon status by accident—it lives up to the hype. It promises to deliver intense black volume while lengthening, curling, and separating the lashes—and it delivers. 

It builds up easily to create clump-free volume, and we loved that the hourglass-shaped brush helps to achieve separated lashes. It adds thickness without making them look overdone, and we were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to remove. While we took no issue with it, some online reviews complained that the formula is a bit too wet; if you struggle with messy mascara application due to wet formulas, we recommend wiping the excess product off of the wand before applying it. Because of its impressive buildability, it's a great choice for everyday wear. It also makes for a solid option for creating a glam or event makeup look. 

Read Full Review: This Too Faced Mascara Is My Secret to Curled, Defined Lashes

Best Drugstore

Maybelline Sky High Mascara

View On Amazon $10 View On Ulta $10 View On Target $10

Benefits: Lengthening, volumizing, separating | Shades: 5 | Cruelty-Free: No

Out of all the drugstore mascaras we've tested, this one is our favorite. It has a long, narrow brush that makes coating each lash easy and has nicely dispersed bristles for separating and fanning them. The wet formula isn't heavy or goopy, but it helps to build up the formula and comb it through the lashes.

This one checks all the boxes—it makes the lashes look longer, fuller, lifted, and fanned out. It's great for minimal makeup days and can be built up to suit more dramatic looks. Plus, it doesn’t flake or smudge—even on the most humid days. It is slightly tough to remove because it comes off in small bits rather than dissolving with eye makeup remover, but it’s not so difficult that it requires scrubbing or tugging at your lashes.

Best Splurge

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara

View On Sephora $15 View On Nordstrom $15 View On Charlottetilbury.com

Benefits: Volumizing, lengthening | Shades: 2 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk line is iconic and so is this mascara. Created to provide length and volume, it features a unique double-sided paddle brush that works to load and comb product onto the lashes while giving them a lift. It’s also smudge-proof and humidity-proof, making it a fitting choice if you’re traveling or live in a humid climate. 

In addition to providing impressive length, it worked wonders for giving the lashes a curled and lifted finish. If you struggle to coat your inner lashes as one of our testers does, this could be just the mascara you need. She explained that while she usually struggles to lengthen the small lashes at her inner corners, this product eliminates that problem. She did say she wished the application was more even but admitted that the issue could be attributed to the shape of her eye, so everyone may not have the same experience. 

Best Budget

Essence Lash Princess Curl & Volume Mascara

View On Amazon $5 View On Ulta $4 View On Target

Benefits: Volumizing, separating | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Despite only costing a few bucks, this mascara is a top performer. The larger-than-average brush does a great job of building the formula onto the lashes to create dramatic volume that isn’t clumpy or spidery. It helps pack on the formula fast (so you don't need to apply several coats) but despite its size, it still grips each lash and separates them effectively. One coat creates noticeable length and thickness, while a second coat yields more drama. And even after applying several coats, we never felt like our lashes were being weighed down.

The one con we experienced was a tiny bit of smudging near the outer corners of our eyes. It was far from the worst smudging we've experienced when testing mascaras, but if you’re prone to mascara bleeding or smearing, just keep this in mind.

Best Volumizing

Yves Saint Laurent Extreme Volume Mascara

View On Sephora $32 View On Nordstrom $32 View On Yslbeautyus.com

Benefits: Volumizing | Shades: 3 | Cruelty-Free: No

This volumizing pick promises BIG lashes, and it delivers. It excels at thickening the lashes with a formula that builds from natural-looking volume after one swipe to false-looking lashes after five. It comes in three color options–black, brown, and electric blue– to complement numerous looks. If the matte black packaging wasn’t enough to signal that this is a luxe product, you can even get your mascara engraved. 

We found this mascara easy to apply; two quick coats gave us full, voluminous lashes on the top and bottom–and no clumps. The formula dried quickly and stayed put all day without smudging or flaking, and came off fairly easily at the end of the day without tugging or pulling like some of the other options we tried. (Tip: use a reusable makeup eraser cloth instead of a wipe or washcloth). Our one con is that the curl we achieved with the initial application didn’t last the day, but that’s pretty common for volume-enhancing mascaras.

Best Lengthening

Tarte Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara

View On Sephora $15 View On Ulta $27 View On Target $15

Benefits: Lengthening | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Tubing mascaras are excellent for creating elongated lashes—and this one delivers on that and more. The formula creates “tubes” that wrap around each lash to separate, define, and lengthen. While it also provides a bit of volume and curling action, the lengthening benefit truly stands out. 

We appreciate the thin, plastic wand because it makes it easy to coat the lashes in hard-to-reach areas, like the inner corners. We also love the length that this mascara created, that it lasted all day with no smearing, and how simple it was to remove. 

Best Waterproof

Mac Stack Waterproof Mascara

View On Ulta $28 View On Target $28 View On Nordstrom $28

Benefits: Lengthening, volumizing | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: No

If you live in a humid climate, have tons of weddings to attend, or simply can't find a mascara that doesn't smudge, investing in a waterproof mascara is key. This one is our favorite for several reasons. First, it lengthens and volumizes the lashes for a beautiful, defined look. One coat is natural-looking and suitable for every day, and additional coats can be added to build up more drama. Next, we love that the brush effectively combes and separates the lashes to ensure you achieve a fanned-out finish. The bristles are a bit sharp and spikey (so take your time applying this one), but we think they’re an ideal length and perfectly spaced to allow the brush to grip the lashes effectively. 

Its impressive performance made it stand out even more. We didn’t experience any flaking or smudging when wearing it. Lastly, it was significantly easier to remove than most waterproof formulas we've tried. It takes a bit more effort to remove than your average washable formula, but a cleansing oil did the trick without too much rubbing required. 

Best 2-in-1

Honest Beauty Mascara + Lash Primer

View On Amazon $20 View On Ulta $20 View On Target $20

Benefits: Priming, lengthening, volumizing | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Mascara primers can be great for separating and thickening the lashes prior to applying mascara, but having to keep a separate tube in your makeup bag can feel excessive. This 2-in-1 product works to condition and prep the lashes, and create length and volume—without adding excess weight or clutter to your collection. The brush is narrow with short plastic bristles, making it easy to reach each lash, and the formula delivers natural-looking length and volume. It’s formulated with jojoba esters to nourish the lashes, and the primer formula helps to prolong the wear of the mascara in addition to conditioning.

We loved the lash look it created, but the one downside is the grip on the primer side is very short, making it difficult to maneuver without smearing the formula on the skin near the eyes. 

Best Smudge-Free

IT Cosmetics Volumizing Mascara

View On Amazon $27 View On Sephora $27 View On Ulta $27

Benefits: Volumizing | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A mascara that can give the lashes volume and lift that resembles a salon blowout? Count us in. The brand nailed it with the name—it truly creates gorgeous volume and a lifting effect on the lashes. 

Unlike many formulas that are too wet or thick or all too dry when you crack open the tube, we appreciated that this one had the perfect consistency right from the start. We loved that we could build up the intensity quickly—so much so that we could achieve a false-lash effect. But the best part is that despite how much we built it up, we experienced absolutely no smudging or flaking. One thing we would change about this one is the size of the packaging. While it adorably mimics a round brush, it’s a bit bulky and cumbersome. 

Best Clean

ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara

View On Sephora $13 View On Walmart $25 View On Iliabeauty.com $28

Benefits: Lengthening, lifting | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you keep up with what’s popular in the clean beauty space, then chances are you’re familiar with this ultra-popular clean mascara. According to our test results, it deserves the high praise it receives. Formulated with a blend of conditioning waxes, it nourishes the lashes while lengthening and lifting them. It has a unique dual-sided wand with short bristles to curl and add subtle volume to the lashes and long bristles to lift, lengthen, and separate them. 

We loved the defined look it gave the lashes and were incredibly impressed that the ultra-black pigment remained easy to remove. We did notice a bit of smudging near the upper eyelid, so if you’re prone to smudging, keep that in mind. 

Read Full Review: Today in Mascara Reviews: ILIA Beauty's Limitless Lashes Mascara 

Best False Lash Dupe

Milk Makeup High Volume Mascara

View On Amazon View On Sephora $15 View On Milkmakeup.com $15

Benefits: Volumizing | Shades: 1 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Applying false lashes can be tricky and time-consuming, so finding a mascara that provides a false lash effect is a great alternative. This volumizing formula packed with hemp-derived cannabis seed oil works to coat the lashes in dramatic volume while conditioning them and maintaining a soft feel. One of our testers with extremely straight eyelashes said it added so much drama to her lashes that they almost looked fake. And, although she was able to achieve a bold look, the formula didn’t weigh them down.

Our one con with this mascara is that it can get slightly clumpy. But if you’re looking for a falsies effect this might not bother you. To remove clumps, we suggest taking an eyelash comb and gently combing your lashes after applying the mascara to remove excess product. 

Best Wand

Benefit Cosmetics Lengthening Mascara

View On Sephora $16 View On Ulta $29 View On Target $16

Benefits: Lengthening, volumizing | Shades: 2 | Cruelty-Free: No

The shape and size of a mascara wand can make or break your resulting look, not to mention significantly impact your experience using the product. While there are tons of different types of wands and varying opinions on which kind is best, the truth is that it’s very personal. However, tons of consumer reviews and our tester agree that the wand on this mascara is fantastic. 

The formula and brush work together to lengthen and volumize the lashes while giving them a lifted effect. The wand contains staggered bristles that effectively grip each lash, and we found the bristles did a great job of separating lashes for a more wide-eyed look. The bristles on the tip of the brush also helped coat the lashes in hard-to-reach areas, making for a full, even application. If we could change one thing about this mascara, we wish it was a bit easier to remove.