Eight Mascaras Worth Buying, From Drugstore to Dior

Mascara is the one thing I will happily own six of at the same time. Different formulas do different things, and the tube that works for a Tuesday is not the one I’d use for dinner. These are ordered by price, low to high, so you can find your spot on the list.

Maybelline Sky High is the drugstore one everyone already knows, and it earns it. Around thirteen dollars, and it’s a lengthening formula rather than a volume one, so it’s the everyday option. If you’re only buying one thing off this list and you don’t want to think about it, buy this.

ILIA Limitless Lash is the clean pick. It builds without getting crunchy, which is the usual complaint with clean formulas.

The Soulgazer peptide mascara is the interesting one. Peptides condition the lashes while you wear it, so it’s doing something for your lashes rather than just sitting on them. If you’ve been wearing a lot of mascara and your lashes feel worse for it, this is the one to look at.

Lancome Lash Idole comes in two sizes and I’m linking both. The mini is under twenty dollars and it’s the smart way to try a formula before you buy the full size. It’s also the one I’d throw in a bag for a trip.

Too Faced Better Than Sex has been a Sephora bestseller for years now. Big, dramatic, the brush is enormous. This is the going-out mascara.

Charlotte Tilbury Exaggereyes does volume and curl at the same time, which matters if your lashes are straight and drop by lunch.

And Diorshow Overvolume is the splurge at the top. It’s the one that looks like you had them done.

If you want a formula that covers the most situations, the ILIA. If you want the biggest visible difference, the Diorshow.