When I tell people I’m a beauty editor, I’m met with one of three responses. First, they ask, “What’s a beauty editor?” I explain that I test, research, and write about all things beauty related for a living. Second, they ask, “What’s the best [insert beauty product here]?” Third, their eyes light up, and they say something similar to “You must only use the best beauty products.” Over time, I’ve realized that they associate the word “best” with “expensive.” Honestly, that’s not true. I might be lucky enough to get access to expensive items, but many of the beauty products I use daily come from the drugstore. I’m a firm believer that expensive doesn’t always equate to better.
That’s definitely true when it comes to mascara. While I have some high-end faves, I pretty much only purchase under-$20 formulas. I truly believe that you can get the same look—whether you like long, voluminous, lifted, or defined lashes—for an affordable price. Keep scrolling to see the eight best drugstore mascaras (plus three honorable mentions), according to professional makeup artists and yours truly.
The Top Picks
The Best Drugstore Mascaras
Best Overall: Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
essence
Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
Shades: Two (black and brown)
Benefits: Lengthening, curling, and volumizing formula
Essence’s Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara has been my go-to for years. It’s only $5 a tube, so it costs less than a large latte from my favorite coffee shop, and it gives me long, fluttery, curled, and volumized lashes. It’s a true “do it all” formula at an incredible price, and there’s a tube sitting in my makeup bag as we speak.
Beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock wearing Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
(Image credit: @kaitlyn_mclintock)
Best Lengthening: Maybelline Sky High Mascara
Maybelline
Lash Sensational Sky High Lengthening Mascara
Shades: Eight (black, brown, and colorful options)
Benefits: Lengthening, lightweight, and washable formula
There’s no doubt that Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara delivers long, fluttery, “look at me” length on even the shortest lashes. What really sets it apart from other lengthening mascaras, though, is its light-as-air feel. Unlike heavier formulas, it won’t weigh your lashes down or defeat a just-crimped curl.
Best Volumizing: Essence What the Fake! Volumizing Mascara
Essence
What the Fake! Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara
Shades: One (black)
Benefits: Volumizing, lengthening, fiber-filled formula
New York City–based celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli recommends this mascara for full, fluffy lashes. “Essence’s What the Fake! Volumizing Mascara is really amazing for both the price point and the dramatic finish. It has nylon fibers in it, which instantly give an extra coat of volume, thickness, and length to the lashes. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, which is always a plus,” he says.
Best Lifting: Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Maybelline
Lash Sensational Mascara
Shades: Four (black and brown)
Benefits: Lifting, volumizing, lengthening, and lightweight formula
Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara is a one-way ticket to lifted, fanned-out lashes. It’s all thanks to its unique brush design. It has a whopping 10 layers of bristles to sweep the mascara up and out on the lashes for a wide-eyed look.
Best Curling: e.l.f. Cosmetics Incredi-Curl Mascara
e.l.f. Cosmetics
Incredi-Curl Mascara
Shades: Three
Benefits: Volumizing, curling formula
I have stick-straight lashes, so I know what it feels like to curl your lashes, apply mascara, and see them fall back down before you even head out the door. As it turns out, this lash-gripping mascara is the fix. The buildable formula and curved bristle brush grab each lash to volumize, define, and most importantly, set the curl.
Best Separating: L’Oréal Panorama Mascara
L’Oréal
Voluminous Panorama Washable Mascara
Shades: Three
Benefits: Separating, volumizing, and washable formula
In my opinion, the only acceptable time to wear clumpy mascara is to create a Charli XCX-coded, Brat-asthetic lash look. Otherwise, I’ll kindly go without it, thank you very much. If you can’t seem to outrun the clumps, Scibelli recommends this under-$20 mascara, which promises to create Kendall Jenner-level lash separation. “L’Oréal’s Voluminous Panorama Mascara has been one of my latest drugstore favorites,” he says. “It truly gives the lashes a dramatic, wide-awake finish without clumping or smudging. The brush hits all angles of the lashes because of its multi-level bristles, so you have the option of using the smaller side for separating every individual lash or the wider side for volume and thickness. It comes in a washable and waterproof formula.
Best Defining: Neutrogena Healthy Definition Mascara
Neutrogena
Healthy Definition Mascara
Shades: Two (black and brown)
Benefits: Defining, lengthening, volumizing, lash-growing ingredients, good for sensitive eyes
If inky, ultra-defined lashes are your thing, Scibelli recommends reaching for this mascara. “Neutrogena’s Healthy Definition Mascara is one of my all-time favorite drugstore mascaras,” he says. “This healthy definition formula is hydrating with panthenol but also contains biotin for lash growth. It also features a dual-sided brush, which I love for both separating the lashes as well as getting that volume and thickness. The formula is also really great for sensitive eyes, and it doesn’t flake!”
Best for a Dramatic Effect: Makeup Revolution 5D Lash Mascara
Makeup Revolution
5D Lash Mascara
Shades: One (jet black)
Benefits: Lengthening, defining, lifting, volumizing, jet-black pigment
Natural-looking lashes are a vibe, but sometimes, you want a false-lash effect from your mascara. In that case, celebrity makeup artist Misha Shahzada recommends Makeup Revolution’s 5D Lash Mascara. It delivers big, bold lashes. It “Multitasks to lengthen, define, curl, volumize, and lift lashes for a dramatic, full-fan effect in a single swipe,” she says.
Honorable Mentions
L’Oreal Paris
Voluminous Mascara
Shades: Nine (black, brown, and colorful options)
Benefits: Volumizing, separating formula
This might be the most iconic drugstore mascara, well…ever. L’Oréal’s Voluminous Mascara has been around forever, and it’s often a staple among makeup artists and editors alike (including yours truly). It’s “A classic go-to that thickens lashes while separating and softening without clumping,” Shahzada says.
L’Oréal
Telescopic Original Mascara
Shades: Three
Benefits: Lengthening, separating formula with a precise brush
There is no mascara more precise than L’Oréal’s Telescopic Mascara. It has an ultra-thin, super-detailed brush that grabs even the tiniest lashes in the inner corners, giving them dramatic length and separation. One of my favorite beauty hacks is to use this on the hard-to-reach lower lashes and a bigger, volumizing formula on the upper lashes. I swear it creates the prettiest look.
COVERGIRL
Lash Blast Cleantopia Mascara
Shades: Four
Benefits: Volumizing, fiber-filled, clean, and 100% vegan formula
I love this mascara for multiple reasons. 1) It provides a punch of inky definition to my otherwise un-noteworthy lashes. 2) It contains cellulose plant fibers for intense volume. 3) it has a clean, 100% vegan formula, which can be difficult to find in the drugstore aisles. And, 4), it contains lash-boosting ingredients like aloe, ceramides, and sustainably-sourced marajuca oil.
What to Look For in a Drugstore Mascara
The drugstore beauty aisles can be intimidating with so many options set under fluorescent lights. That’s why Scibelli recommends starting off with a plan. “I would start by accessing what your personal lash needs are, and tailor your drugstore mascara pick to your specific needs and lifestyle. Maybe that means more volume, or maybe you have sensitive eyes? Do you need waterproof? Built in lash growth? Then, check out what the market offers from there. I also love reading reviews before doing a drugstore shop, which can be helpful without the pre-testing option.”
How We Chose
After researching the most popular drugstore mascaras and making a master list, we put them to the test. We wore them for a minimum of eight hours to accurately and honestly assess everything from wear time to added length, volume, definition, and more. Then, we consulted celebrity makeup artists to get their go-to picks. Once it was all said and done, we finalized a list of the 11 best drugstore mascaras.
Why Trust Us
With almost ten years of experience as an editor, Kaitlyn McLintock is an expert on all things beauty. She knows what separates a good mascara from a bad one, and a great mascara from a good one. Add in the expertise of two top celebrity makeup artists, and there’s no doubt these mascaras were expertly curated.
