16 Of The Best Mascaras For Lashes To Die For

How do you find the best mascara? There are almost as many on the market as there are ways to apply it: mouth slightly agape, brush held horizontally; or using vertical strokes to catch every last tip. Perhaps you go down the eyelash curler route first? Or you like to wiggle the brush from root to tip? Not only are there myriad application techniques, but we’re also spoiled for choice when it comes to the selection available, too.

As with the hair on our head, lashes come in different textures and colours, so there isn’t really any such thing as a one-size-fits-all mascara. Fortunately, all it takes is some trial and error learning to land on the right brush size and formula for you, to help you achieve a look that really is #lashgoals.

Your first job is to consider the kind of finish you want. While some of us prefer a softly defined lash line, others like a full-on, clumpy, voluminous lash for extra drama. There are formulas for all: from separating and lengthening to volumising, curling and long-lasting. Simply identify your desired look before buying.

The best mascaras combine an excellent wand – be it curvaceous or multi-pronged – with a brilliant formula. We all want something that doesn’t flake or transfer onto the surrounding eye area, but that is easily buildable for a more impactful look, should we desire it. Decide on your shade – black is most popular but a rich chocolate-brown can be soft and alluring (and work wonders, especially, on paler skin tones), and colours like deep purple can flatter most eye colours too.

A pro tip? If you accidentally get a bit of mascara on your lids or around your eyes, wait for it to dry before removing it. Attempting to remove it while it’s still wet will cause a grey smear that’s far harder to remove. Once it’s dry, you should be able to dislodge it easily with your finger or a cotton bud.

From Hourglass’s new Unlocked Instant Extensions to Glossier’s Lash Slick, the best mascaras are as reliable as your favourite pair of jeans – failsafes that never disappoint and always deliver. One final tip? Resist the urge to really pump the wand up and down in the tube – all that extra air inside will make the formula dry out quicker, shortening the life of your mascara.

Best For Long Wear: Urban Decay Lash Freak Mascara

Sweatproof, flake-resistant and stays put for up to 20 hours – if you’re going on holiday or into a sweaty environment, this is the mascara for you.

Best For Length: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara

You can expect the longest lashes going with this new Hourglass formula. The brush easily gets through every lash, creating a defined, fanned-out appearance that stays put; it’s also a tubing mascara which means it comes off easily with water – no scrubbing needed.

Best For High Impact Lashes: Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara Extreme Black

For next-level volume, definition and length, Lancôme’s iconic Monsieur Big mascara now comes in an “extreme” version, offering bigger, bolder lashes at the stroke of its chunky, fluffy brush. It stays put for up to 24 hours, too.

Best For Flutter Factor: Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara

If you like your lashes thick and high-octane, look no further than Pat McGrath’s Dark Star mascara, which goes on lightweight and fluttery, and can be built up for even more drama.

Best For Curl: Marc Jacobs Beauty At Lash’d Lengthening And Curling Mascara

If it’s party eyelashes you’re after, Marc Jacobs’ Lash’d mascara is here to save the day. Not only does it effortlessly lengthen and curl, but it also conditions each eyelash thanks to biotin peptide and vitamin B5.

Best All-Rounder: Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Fenty’s first mascara has a “fat-to-flat” brush which means it does it all, lifting, defining and curling lashes, while making it easy to get into the corners, too.

Rimmel Scandal’Eyes Volume On Demand Mascara

Best Affordable Mascara: Rimmel Scandaleyes Volume On Demand Mascara

With a wand made for layering, this mascara offers buildable volume, and the formula conditions the lashes to keep them soft and flexible. It doesn’t flake either.

Best For Definition: Clinique High Impact Extreme Mascara

Adding volume and length while simultaneously separating lashes, this mascara delivers a satisfyingly dramatic but – crucially – clump-free look. Plus, it stays put regardless of the weather (or your emotional state).

Best For A Natural Finish: Glossier Lash Slick Mascara

Perfect for Glossier girls, this mascara is almost imperceptible – it makes lashes look like your own, only a little bit better. As natural as a finish gets.

Best For Lengthening: Maybelline The Falsies Instant Lash Lift Look Mascara

The curvaceous wand on Maybelline’s new number makes lengthening your lashes a breeze, and ensures fibres in the formula are distributed evenly to thicken lashes, without things getting too clumpy.

Best All-Rounder: Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara

Promising va-va-voom lashes, this mascara has won numerous awards thanks to its clever brush and effective formula. With nourishing jojoba oil and volume-building fibres, expect some of the best lashes of your life.

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Best For Day: Benefit They’re Real Mascara

One tube of Benefit’s They’re Real mascara is sold every 15 seconds in the UK alone, which says it all really. A non-flaking, non-smudging formula combined with a brush designed to lift and extend, this product deserves its place in the mascara hall of fame.

Best For Volume: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

We won’t weigh in on whether or not it lives up to its name, but Too Faced’s Better Than Sex Mascara certainly creates voluptuous, voluminous lashes thanks to its unique hourglass brush.

Best For Definition: NARS Climax Mascara

With its buildable formula and stellar brush, NARS’s Climax Mascara surrounds every lash with a lightweight coating that stays supple and soft to the touch – avoiding that unwanted “crispy” feel.

Best For Holiday: Dior Diorshow High Definition Lash Curler Mascara

Waterproof, lengthening, volumising and long-lasting – Dior Diorshow High Definition Lash Curler Mascara does just about everything you could ask of it.

Best For Evening: Guerlain Maxi Lash So Volume Mascara

For a fan of thick lashes, Guerlain’s elegantly-packaged mascara is an essential. The brush head is made of fine, rubbery prongs which make it easy to catch and cover each lash, and it imparts an intense black hue for a sultry stare.