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The best mascara proves that not all lash-batting is created equal. For lashes that really pop—whether it's through fluttery lengths, falsie-mimicking lift, or both—it’s crucial to have a stellar mascara (or three!) in your stash. Just remember: it’s OK to be choosy.
Our Top Picks
- Best Staple: Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara, $38
- Best Lengthening Mascara: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push-Up Lashes, $29
- Best Clean Mascara: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, $28
- Best Drugstore: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, $13
- Best Waterproof Mascara: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara, $9
- Best Dramatic Lash: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, $28
- Best Volumizing: Yves Saint Laurent Radical Volumizing Mascara, $29
- Best Precise Applicator: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, $32
- Best Classic: Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara, $33
“Our lashes deserve the same amount of TLC as we give the hair on our head,” says celebrity makeup artist Karina Milan, who’s slicked the lashes of clients such as Yara Shahidi, Ziwe, and Ice Spice. “With the right tips and tricks, all of us can find a way to perfect and display our lashes.”
First off, if your lashes grow down or just don't curl enough, Milan says to make sure to use a great eyelash curler and give them a few pumps. “I like my lashes to go straight up so I usually only curl the root. If your lashes are super curly, I recommend getting a heated lash curler and actually straightening them out with it. Next is finding a great mascara.”
As it happens, 23 of the great mascaras are rounded up just below. From a waterproof drugstore gem to a creamy, plant-powered formula that’s remarkably buildable, shop Vogue’s edit of the best mascaras—all tested and vetted to be worth your while by our editors and experts.
In This Story
Best Drugstore: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
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- Why we love it: The formula has maintained its cult-favorite status since exploding onto TikTok in 2020. Why? Its thin, flexible brush delivers intense volume and length from root to tip.
- Benefits: Creates length and volume without weighing down the lashes.
- Key Ingredients: Bamboo extract and fibers
- Who It’s For: Tested by ophthalmologists, the formula is approved for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, brown, blue, pink, burgundy
Best Vegan Formula: Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara
- Why we love it: The plant-powered formula has a creamy finish—it glides effortlessly onto the lashes without a single clump.
- Benefits: The hourglass-shaped brush is designed to grab every lash. Plus, the buildable formulation can create a simple, everyday look with a single coat; for more drama, simply add another layer.
- Key ingredients: Carnauba and candelilla wax blend, plant-derived ester, organic shea butter
- Who it’s for: The vegan formulation is gentle on sensitive eyes.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, brown
- Editor’s tip: Senior shopping editor Talia Abbas uses this mascara everyday: “The chubby brush lifts and separates in the most natural way—without depositing a ton of mascara on my lashes and then flaking throughout the day. I can’t help myself from rubbing my eyes throughout the day, and this one I can use worry- and mess-free!”
Best Staple: Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara
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- Why We Love It: “I love it because it’s an intensely black mascara that does it all!” explains Andrea Tiller, the pro behind some of actress Ilfenesh Hadera’s most show-stopping looks, of Chanel’s Le Volume de Chanel mascara.
- Benefits: “With only two coats, you can get a dreamy false-lash effect,” Tiller raves.
- Key Ingredients: Natural waxes for volume, fast-drying acacia gum for curl, and film-forming agents for suppleness
- Who It’s For: The eye-opening formula will appeal to those who want more length and fullness—and an intense black, brown, or blue hue.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, brown, blue
Best Lash Curl: L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Makeup Lash Paradise Mascara
- Why we love it: The draw to L’Oréal’s Lash Paradise lies in its ability to volumize and curl even straight lashes.
- Benefits: The mascara wand features over 200 wavy bristles to coat each lash in four rich pigments sans flaking or clumping.
- Key Ingredients: Floral oil
- Who It’s For: Seeking a go-to drugstore pick? Safe to say, this is one of those mascaras you’ll want to buy again and again.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, ultra black, black-brown
Best Classic: Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara
- Why we love it: “This gives the lashes the instant volume I like with a silky feel and full bristle brush that helps to lift the lashes,” says celebrity makeup artist James Molloy of the classic Diorshow Mascara.
- Benefits: The formula strengthens the lashes, and doesn’t dry out over time.
- Key Ingredients: Cornflower extract
- Who It’s For: If jumbo lashes are on your wishlist, this is the volumizing pick for you.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, brown, deep blue
Best Curved Wand: Lancôme Lash Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara
- Why we love it: A Vogue-editor favorite, Lancôme’s Lash Idôle mascara uses 360 micro-bristles on a curved wand to coat and volumize every lash from root to tip.
- Benefits: The lightweight gel formulation curves and lifts lashes, infusing them with conditioning ingredients for a soft, feathery touch.
- Key Ingredients: White tea extract
- Who It’s For: Even those with shorter lashes should have noticeably fluffier, lifted lashes after one use.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Clean Mascara: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
- Why we love it: What sets Ilia’s Limitless Lash Mascara apart from others in the market is that it’s 99% naturally derived—much like the brand’s assortment of makeup products focused on sustainability and good-for-the-skin ingredients.
- Benefits: Packed with nourishing actives, this lightweight mascara shouldn’t smudge.
- Key Ingredients: Arginine, shea butter, and beeswax
- Who It’s For: Anyone who’s constantly on the go will appreciate the mascara’s ability to stay put all day—and wash off easily (using just water) at night.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Soft black
- Editor’s tip: I typically coat my lower lashes with a lot of caution (and, frankly, little skill.) The lash-grabbing spikes in this brush make it easy to coat that bottom layer with smudge-defying precision. Overall, my eyes look so much more awake.
Best Customizable: Gucci Mascara L’Obscur
- Why we love it: Gucci’s Mascara L’Obscur is designed to be the ultimate customizable mascara.
- Benefits: The smudge-proof formulation lengthens, lifts, defines, and volumizes—plus, its gold and, pink tube is worthy of display.
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic beeswax, paraffin, stearic acid, acacia senegal gum, triethanolamine
- Who It’s For: Those who crave options will appreciate the versatile brush. Position it horizontally to deliver an elegant everyday lash; for a bold and dramatic effect, hold the brush vertically.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Lash Tint: Surratt Noir Lash Tint
- Why we love it: For Lauren Santo Domingo, Surratt’s lash tint is just the right touch for daily wear without appearing too made up. “[It] doesn’t clump and provides the right amount of definition to the eyes without looking obvious or makeup-y,” Moda Operandi’s co-founder and chief brand officer previously told Vogue. Plus, it's captured the heart of our editors, too.
- Benefits: A unique, bristle-free wand ensures that color gets deposited onto every lash.
- Key Ingredients: Isododecane, disteardimonium hectorite, trimethylsiloxysilicate
- Who It’s For: Anyone looking to elongate lashes or make them appear fuller.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Dramatic Lash: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
- Why we love it: “I absolutely adore the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara because it simply brings all the drama to a look!” says makeup artist Mata Marielle, founder of Mata Labs and the mastermind behind director Melina Matsoukas’s looks.
- Benefits: Use its best-selling, hourglass-shaped brush to gently coat the peptide-rich formula across each lash.
- Key Ingredients: Film-forming polymers for curl, Acacia Senegal tree extract for volume, peptides
- Who It’s For: Not for the demure lash-batter, this formulation will capture the heart of anyone seeking maximum volume and undeniable drama.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
- Editor’s tip: This is my pick if I want to feel a little doe-like. It separates my lashes while giving them a sweet, wispy curl. After one coat, I go back in for another one—you know, for that forest-creature-but-make-it-glam effect.
Best Waterproof: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara
- Why we love it: Easily one of the best (and most affordable) waterproof mascaras on the market, Covergirl’s Lash Blast formula is worth keeping on hand year-round.
- Benefits: In just a single swipe, expect dramatic volume—coating each lash without clumping or flaking.
- Key Ingredients: Glyceryl stearate, acrylates copolymer, disteardimonium hectorite
- Who It’s For: Anyone looking for a solid waterproof formulation, perhaps to tote along on a beach vacation.
- Waterproof: Yes
- Shades: Black
Best for Everyday: Victoria Beckham Vast Lash
- Why we love it: The vitamin-packed waterproof formula nurtures the lashes while giving them a fluffy and dramatically lengthened shape.
- Benefits: Microalgae works to fortify the lashes, giving them a lusher appearance in just two weeks. Meanwhile, panthenol hydrates, tocopherol conditions, and niacinamide boosts keratin production to help the lashes grow.
- Key ingredients: Tahitian sea microalgae, panthenol, niacinamide, tocopherol
- Who it’s for: Anyone looking to give their lashes a little more TLC would be wise to start swiping here.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
- Editor’s tip: Vogue’s beauty writer Kiana Murden previously noted: “[This] is the first—and only—mascara that’s scored me eyelash compliments. And I do not take that lightly!” And senior shopping editor Talia Abbas praises the waterproof formula: “You can safely watch One Day in its entirety and no one will know you sobbed your heart out.”
Best Falsies-Look: Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara
- Why we love it: This Benefit Cosmetics mascara will have everyone begging for your lash secrets. Get ready for the inevitable “are you wearing falsies” queries after just one swipe.
- Benefits: The jet black pigment is formulated for long- and smudge-free wear.
- Key Ingredients: Paraffin, polybutene, styrene/acrylates/ammonium methacrylate copolymer, beeswax
- Who It’s For: Anyone who craves a doe-eyed effect will be instantly besotted. The domed tip helps the corner lashes fan out, creating a storybook style of fringe.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Lightweight: NARS Climax Mascara
- Why we love it: Acclaimed by the pros and celebrities like Rachel Zegler alike, NARS Climax Mascara’s eye-catching red tube isn’t its only covetable quality. This creamy lightweight formula coats lashes with buildable volume without clumping.
- Benefits: The lightweight formula won’t clump or smudge, but it will deliver a most intense coat of volumizing black.
- Key Ingredients: Acacia Senegal gum, paraffin, glyceryl stearate, synthetic beeswax
- Who It’s For: The buildable formula is a winning makeup bag staple for anyone who believes that mascara is best served in layers.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Lengthening: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push-Up Lashes Mascara
- Why we love it: For Lizzo’s go-to makeup artist Alexx Mayo, you can’t go wrong with Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Push-Up Lashes mascara. “There is something about the brush that really grabs every single lash and really stretches the length in such a clean way,” explains Mayo.
- Benefits: The volumizing formula seems to magically stretch out the lashes, lifting them into vertical shape for 24 hours.
- Key Ingredients: Microcrystalline wax, stearic acid, carnauba wax, acrylates copolymer
- Who It’s For: Fans of the brand’s Pillow Talk hue—a universally flattering, pinkish nude—will find a close match in the berry-brown “Dream Pop” shade of mascara.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, berry-brown
- Editor’s tip: One swipe of this, and my lashes feel silkier and about three miles long. I typically use a curler to lift my lashes, but with this mascara—and this one alone—I trust the formulation to handle the heavy lifting.
Best Water-Resistant: Glossier Lash Slick
- Why we love it: Expect a subtle, everyday lift to your natural lashes when you swipe on Glossier’s mascara.
- Benefits: The water-resistant formula coats each lash with a slim wand to achieve buildable, weightless length. With tiered bristles, the tapered comb brush separates lashes at the root for a fanned-out effect.
- Key Ingredients: Provitamin B5, biotinyl tripeptide-1
- Who It’s For: This is just the ticket to complement a minimalist makeup look, subtly accentuating your gaze.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, brown
Best Glam: Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Mascara
- Why we love it: Simply put, Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes mascara “delivers supermodel drama and sex appeal,” says Marcelo Gutierrez, the pro behind Christopher John Rogers and Barragán’s stunning backstage looks.
- Benefits: What’s more, a blend of rich peptides and panthenol ensures your lashes are fortified and conditioned for soft, fluttery fullness.
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic beeswax, paraffin, Acacia Senegal gum, butylene glycol
- Who It’s For: A pro makeup artist’s secret weapon, the mascara brings an editorial look to everyday life with a few lengthening strokes.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Volumizing: Yves Saint Laurent Radical Volumizing Mascara
- Why we love it: This Yves Saint Laurent mascara is formulated to promote softer, fluffier lashes.
- Benefits: The formula thickens, volumizes, and lengthens, while the blended fiber brush expertly lifts lashes without clumping.
- Key Ingredients: Walnut leaf, argan oil, vitamin B5
- Who It’s For: This is a makeup-kit staple for a soft, fluttery gaze—and a shoo-in for date night.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Minimalist Lash: Ami Colé Lash-Amplifying Mascara
- Why we love it: Through Ami Colé, founder Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye looks to provide the minimalist makeup approach to melanin-rich skin.
- Benefits: Expect soft, buildable length and definition.
- Key Ingredients: Shea butter, jojoba oil
- Who It’s For: Clean-beauty lovers, rejoice: The mascara is composed of 87% naturally-derived ingredients.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best for Sensitive Eyes: Tower 28 MakeWaves Lengthening + Curling Mascara
- Why we love it: In addition to imparting the perfect curl, the mascara is wrapped up in cute, bright packaging that brings cheer to any vanity display.
- Benefits: The vegan formulation calls on Aquaflex technology to easily curl lashes without a crunchy hold.
- Key Ingredients: Castor oil, vitamin B5
- Who It’s For: Tower 28’s mascara is formulated with sensitive eyes in mind.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black, dark brown
Best Precise Applicator: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
- Why we love it: Donni Davy, the mastermind behind the beauty looks on Euphoria, says she gravitates toward Hourglass’s Unlocked Instant Extensions mascara. “It’s a beautiful black shade and defines, lengthens, and separates the lashes,” she says.
- Benefits: “It also comes off really easily so you don’t get the raccoon eyes,” Davy continues. “The wand has little spikes rather than fluffier fibers, which makes for nice precision in application, especially when coating shorter and finer lashes.”
- Key Ingredients: Film-forming technology coats each lash in fibers for a fanned-out effect
- Who It’s For: Those coveting the look of lash extensions— but not the actual procedure—will enjoy the mascara’s falsie-mimicking effect.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best Smudge-Proof: Kevyn Aucoin Volume Mascara
- Why we love it: For makeup artist Amber Amos, who works with Lil Nas X and Law Roach, Kevyn Aucoin’s Volume mascara works wonders thanks to its special wand.
- Benefits: “It has a tiny brush, which allows you to coat every lash for instant volume, and it also does not smudge, crumble, or run, but washes off super easily,” Amos explains.
- Key Ingredients: Acrylates/ethylhexyl acrylate copolymer, glyceryl stearate se, jojoba seed oil, squalene
- Who It’s For: The volumizing formula brings oomph to any look—but it’s particularly on-brand for a formal affair, where over-the-top glamor is the unspoken dress code.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best for Definition: Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Mascara
- Why we love it: Lifting, lengthening, and lash-defining are all in a day’s work—or really, in a single swipe— with Armani’s lash-enhancing formulation.
- Benefits: Taking the bristle-weave brush to your lashes is like focusing a spotlight onto them: Even if they’re short, light, or wispy, the inky formula will make the lashes stand out.
- Key ingredients: A custom blend of hard and soft waxes, including carnauba wax, beeswax, and paraffin
- Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to bring some oomph to their natural lashes without wearing falsies.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
Best for Lower Lashes: It Cosmetics Tightline Three-in-One Primer-Eyeliner-Mascara
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- Why we love it: “It Cosmetics is my go-to for under-eye and inner lashes—when you want a no-mascara look,” says Pati Dubroff, who works with Margot Robbie and Dakota Johnson.
- Benefits: The peptide-infused formula is a multitasker that primes, lines, and lengthens the lashes simultaneously.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, proteins, and antioxidants
- Who It’s For: Multitaskers have found their match in this three-in-one product that primes and lengthens lashes, while tightlining the eyes.
- Waterproof: No
- Shades: Black
What to Look for in a Mascara
“Whenever I’m shopping for a mascara I look for a wand that has different depths, for example if the brush has a cone shape or has ridges—or even if it has a comb, which is my favorite,” says makeup artist Vincent Oquendo, whose clients include Jenna Ortega and Lily Collins. “This helps define and separate lashes while building them up.”
Tobi Henney, makeup artist for models like Poppy Delevigne and Barbara Palvin, adds that there are “key factors” to consider while shopping for mascara. “For example, do you want a mascara that’s easy to remove, gives volume, length, or creates curl?” Consider the climate you’ll be wearing the mascara in, too, Henney suggests, as this could affect your decision to seek out a waterproof formulation or not.
Henney, too, is particular about wands, as they can help with separating, curling, and lengthening the lashes. Personally, “I love wands with tiny spikes to help with a very defined, separated lash,” she says.
How to Apply Mascara
“When you open a fresh mascara, always wipe off the brush. This helps refresh the brush bristles for a cleaner grip inside the tube and cleaner application to the lashes,” says celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin, whose clients include Ali Wong, Dakota Johnson, and Michelle Yeoh. Speaking of keeping it fresh, “If your mascara doesn't make a pop sound when you pull the brush out of its tube, it means it's old and dry,” Martin adds.
When it’s time to apply, “start at the base of your lashes and wiggle back and forth through the end of the lash,” Martin instructs. “This helps pull the mascara through the lash, rather than just hitting the tips.”
How to Prevent Mascara from Flaking or Smudging
“Try combing through your lashes first, before applying mascara,” says Martin. “This helps separate the lashes and also wipes clean any dust or shadow fallout on the actual lash hairs that may cause clumping [or smudging] of the mascara formula.” After applying the mascara, brush the lashes one more time—just be sure to do it “quickly, and before the dry-down sets,” Martin advises.
“If the concern is long-wear, I typically do a final coat of waterproof mascara to lock it in,” adds Milan. “It holds it well throughout the day and prevents smudging or transfer, but it also allows for easy removal because it’s not several coats of the waterproof formula.” Plus, she adds: “Coating the skin around [the mascara] with a tiny bit of translucent powder will also help prevent smudging!”
Meet The Experts
- Amber Amos is a celebrity makeup artist who works with Lil Nas X and Law Roach
- Donni Davy is a celebrity makeup artist and the mastermind behind the beauty looks on Euphoria
- Alexx Mayo is a celebrity makeup artist known most-recently for his work with Lizzo
- James Molloy is a go-to makeup artist for brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills and Danessa Myricks Beauty
- Karina Milan is a New York-based celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Yara Shahidi, Ziwe, and Venus Williams.
- Keita Moore is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monae, Iman, and more
- Anthony Nguyen is a celebrity makeup artist whose clientele includes Adele, Sydney Sweeney, and Camila Cabello
- Andrea Tiller is a celebrity makeup artist, known for her work with actress Ilfenesh Hadera
- Vincent Oquendo is a celebrity makeup artist, whose client roster includes Jenna Ortega, Lily Collins, and Hailey Bieber
- Tobi Henney is a makeup artist whose clientele includes models Poppy Delevingne and Barbara Palvin.
- Daniel Martin is a celebrity makeup artist and the global director of artistry and education at Tatcha. His clients include Ali Wong, Dakota Johnson, and Michelle Yeoh.
- Karina Milan is a celebrity makeup artist whose clientele includes Yara Shahidi, Ziwe, and Ice Spice.