A couple of great mascaras

If you could only take one makeup product to a deserted island, what would you take? For many of us, I think that would be mascara- the simple makeup fix that makes you look/feel more awake every day.

I’ve been wanting to put together a post on mascaras for some time now, but I really wanted to make sure I tested enough mascaras that I could give you a good overview of what I think makes a great mascara, and which ones (on the very overwhelming market) I think are what they claim to be.

Mascara is a tricky game- we all know you can get a great drug store mascara, and it’s probably one of the few categories of beauty where I feel like you can find something great at a low cost. And as the drug store makeup market continues to grow, the options become greater. But there are a lot of mascaras from more and more brands out of stores like Sephora that have caught my attention, and as someone who watches a lot of makeup content, I have tried quite a few myself at this point. I’m always looking for the latest and greatest.

Over the last few years, we have also seen the boom of clean beauty, and with that, “clean” mascaras. I have heard a lot of contradictory information about the clean beauty market, and that much of it is based on research that these “harmful” ingredients are more of a marketing ploy than created by scientific evidence in a market where many of us are trying to detox and think consciously about what we put on and in our bodies. But alas, that has brought some mascaras to the market that I feel have an even bigger battle to prove their worth.

But what makes a good mascara? I think it’s so dependent on your natural lashes, and whether you are looking for curl, volume or length. A great mascara would do all three, but even mascara marketing usually picks just one for product packaging. Personally, my lashes are pretty short, have a bit of natural curl, but definitely lack volume. So I am looking for a mascara that emphasizes my curl and brings depth to my lash line while building length without clumping. Here are a couple of great mascaras I have tried, loved, and keep in my own makeup stash.

• Best mascara for buildable volume – I know, I know, I’m really going luxury for my first pick. When you apply the first coat of this Chanel mascara, you will not be impressed (truth). The brush is hard and a bit spikey, but the goal is really just to coat your lashes and let it set a bit. But when you go in for that second and third coat, woah baby. This mascara has great buildable capacity, and is at its best when you apply a couple of coats, really wiggling the brush and pulling up as you go. You will end up with great volume, a dark lashline that doesn’t even need any eyeliner, and some pretty great length. It’s also great for using on your bottom lash line because of the brush, so this is an all-around great mascara.
• Best mascaras for volume – These are two mascaras that I recently decided to test out over the last month after hearing lots of rave reviews and watching their dramatic performance in a lot of makeup videos I watch (it is my zen time). I love most things Nars, so I am not sure what took me so long to try its Climax mascara. But I was reassured, yet again, in their product line, and it’s definitely a mascara that brings more volume than length without getting clumpy. The formula itself feels light, and the brush really allows for you to bring volume to your lashline. And I think the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara is pretty similar, with maybe a thicker formula, you get more payoff without as many coats with this mascara. It has a similar brush to the Nars mascara, which really gives your great volume and allows you to really coat your lashes from top to bottom. While neither of these give incredible length, they are great mascaras for an every day eye makeup.
• Best clean beauty buy – I got into the Ilia brand with their foundation serum (check out my post on that here). I was so impressed with that first product test, that I decided to test out their mascara this summer. I won’t lie, I was initially hooked by their ads on Instagram, but I ordered a trial size of their Limitless Lash mascara to test it out (as I usually do when I first buy mascaras- hot tip), and I found myself with a great, every day mascara. the brush on this mascara is probably what makes this product so unique to other mascaras, because it allows for you to build volume with one side (the curved side), and then add length with the other (the separated spikes side). I create the volume first, and then go in for length, and wow, does this create a beautiful lash. While my first impression was that the product took a longer time to dry, I think this builds easily as it doesn’t dry completely between applications. Overall, this is a great mascara that just happens to be from a clean beauty brand.
• Best mascaras for length – From my experience, the best mascaras you are going to great for length are mascaras that come with a primer step. A mascara primer is usually a white or clear coat that you use first on your lashes, and let it slightly set. Then you go in with your black mascara, and voila, you have a perfect base to build long lashes, because you’re building mascara onto a lashes that are primed for the formula. There are two great options at two different price points- I absolutely love this drug store set from L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise, which gives you great length and curl. And then we have the mascara I probably reach for most often- the Marc Jacobs mascara primer and Velvet Noir mascara. This creates the most natural lash, wears well throughout the day, and leaves you with clumpless length- something that can be harder to find when you’re building more product onto your lashes with a priming step. This would probably be my top pick for the best mascara, period.
• Best bottom lash + natural-looking mascara – If you have not tried any of Glossier’s makeup products, you are really missing out on some great beauty buys for really great prices. I have tried almost all of their beauty basics, and I have not once been disappointed. If you’re someone who already has thick and luscious lashes, and fear looking crazy with mascara (talking to my sister and people like her here), then the Glossier lash flick mascara is a great option. You can definitely build this product out, but it takes more coats that I personally have time for in the morning. I use this mascara for my bottom lashes, because it distributes product gently, while really separating and coating those tinier lashes- it also doesn’t transfer to my under-eyes. If you want a quick weekend look- that no-makeup makeup looks- this is the mascara for you.

Ultimately, a lot of mascaras are trial and error, and are going to be dependent on what you are looking for. I think a lot of higher-end mascaras are worth the money- a higher price point often gives you a longer-lasting formula, in my opinion. As someone who cannot wear waterproof mascara because of dry eyes, I also think you get more wear for your money with some longer lasting mascaras, and less eye irritation, but again, that’s just my experience.

Pick the price and purpose for your mascara, and you can get what you need at any Walgreens or Sephora. Let me know what you think of my picks if you tried them, and don’t be afraid to buy their trial sizes (usually $10-15 less than the full size) to try something before you invest in more expensive options. And my last tip- if you get mascara on your eyelids or under eyes when you apply, wait until it dries, then take a clean Q-tip or mascara spooly, and gently wipe away with horizontal motions.