Of the 38 Mascaras I’ve Tested, These Are the Only Ones I’d Recommend

Rating: 7/10

I’ve spoken before of my love of this Glossier mascara as an everyday option. While it won’t deliver a dramatic falsies effect, it will extend lashes and give them a soft, natural finish that I loved. As someone who doesn’t reach for mascara every day, it’s a safe bet.

Rating: 8.5/10

I had extremely high hopes for this mascara by Pat McGrath, the “mother of makeup.” She’s known for her boundary-pushing products, and this mascara didn’t disappoint. It really lifted my lashes from the roots to deliver a wide-awake look, and made them look thicker and fuller too.

Rating: 8/10

This mascara was a dream to apply. The texture is really creamy and glides onto lashes to coat them with pigment. My lashes were left really fanned-out and fluttery. Love.

Rating: 6.5/10

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from a ‘clean’ mascara, but I’m definitely sold. Although it won’t be up your street if you like a dramatic lash look, it did a great job of defining my natural curl. I wore just one coat for an everyday look, but it could be layered up if you want more volume.

Rating: 9/10

This is one occasion when the name of a product really does deliver. This Stila mascara generally left my lashes looking more huge than before. The brush is pretty mega, which means I did make a bit of a hash with applying it (my eyes are slightly hooded, so getting mascara all over my lids is pretty commonplace), but once it was on, I was seriously taken aback by the finished result.

Rating: 10/10

At a fraction of the price of some of my other favourite mascaras on the list, this one from Kiko Milano really delivered. I’m always looking for a mascara that’ll genuinely extend the appearance of my short, curly lashes, and this one really did the job. As well as lengthening, it delivers volume and thickness for my favourite lash look of the bunch.

Rating: 7.5/10

If you’re looking for thick, clumpy, dramatic lashes (in a good way), this lash-maximising formula from Marc Jacobs delivers on all counts. It basically mimics the appearance of fake lashes without the hassle of applying them, which is a definite win in my book.

Rating: 9.5/10

At the other end of the price scale to my Kiko favourite comes this gem from Chantecaille. Yes, it’s the most expensive on the list, so I’m almost pained to say I think it might be mascara love. My lashes looked super volumised, thick and long. Yep, it’s love.

Rating: 8/10

Sometimes you just need a mascara that’s going to do the basics and do them well (a bit of definition, some subtle volume and a little extra length). On those occasions, this classic mascara from Max Factor does the trick. For me, this is the perfect “work” mascara, as it defines your lashes without making them look too OOT. Plus, it’s affordable.