The 22 Best Drugstore Mascaras for Length, Lift, and Volume

At one point this year, this Sky High Mascara from Maybelline was on everybody’s TikTok FYP. Its popularity has not dwindled since, and reviewers love how well it holds and lengthens without becoming clumpy.

It’s $5 and does it all — lengthen, separate, and volumize! The Reddit.com before-after pictures particularly inspire awe and immediate purchases. Reviewers claim that it’s particularly great for Asian lashes, which can sometimes be straight, sparse, and stubborn. It also has over 327,000 five-star Amazon reviews.

Sir John, Beyoncé’s longtime makeup artist, swears by this mascara. The singer allegedly wore this during her Coachella set in the desert, with nary a drip. But regular people love how this works on them too. Reviewers talk about how it performed miracles in 90-degree heat and frequently call it a dupe to Too Faced’s Better Than Sex.

Formulating a really good makeup product that costs only $5 is no small feat, but Essence makes it look easy. The brand’s Lash Without Limits mascara is one of my new favorites because it has a flexible elastomer wand and short bristles that ensure a precise, mess-free application. And unlike most volumizing mascaras that tend to be wet and clumpy, this one also fans out the lashes really well.

If you’re already blessed with pretty good lashes, but just want a little bit more of everything, you’ll like this one. This is another favorite Amazon-reviewed mascara that people praise for ticking all of the “good mascara” checkboxes — length, volume, and definition, while still feeling soft and non-crunchy.

Smudgeproof mascaras that stay put throughout the day are often impossible to remove at the end of the night, causing redness and irritation for people with sensitive eyes. This one, however, offers the best of both worlds: It’s smudgeproof and waterproof yet easy to take off. The formula features texturizing waxes that help define and separate each lash for clump-free volume and length.

The wand on this ColourPop mascara features a precision tip and tapered brush for maximum length and separation. The buildable formula helps lift the lashes for a fluttery look, plus it’s vegan and cruelty-free.

Another great option from Essence, Bye Bye Panda Eyes is a tubing mascara that wraps each individual lash in water-resistant, lightweight tubes that won’t smudge, flake, or fade throughout the day. When it comes time to remove your makeup, simply apply warm water and a bit of pressure to your eyes and the “tubes” will slide right off.

Formulated with essential fatty acids and pro vitamins like keratin, monoi butter, murumuru butter, and cupuaçu butter, this $10 mascara will soften and condition your lashes while you wear it. The round-bristle brush coats each lash from root to tip to create both volume and length.

People praise this mascara for its true “fanned” out effect, but also because it is incredibly easy to remove, with just one swipe of some makeup remover (which is not the case with all mascara). Reviewers also call it a great dupe for Lancôme Hypnose mascara.

Brown mascara is ideal for minimal-makeup days and accentuating light eyes; we love this vegan option from Covergirl that’s infused with clean and sensitive-skin-friendly ingredients like aloe-leaf extract, ceramides, and maracuja oil​. The hourglass-shaped wand will provide volume and length from root to tip without ever irritating the eyes.

If every mascara you’ve ever tried has smudged — drugstore or luxury alike — then this is for you. It’s a wax-free formula that won’t break down over time to give you raccoon eyes and removes easily with water. Plus, it delivers smooth, elongated lashes that hold curl and lift.

If you admire an intense, Kardashian-like lash look, try this one. It’s praised for making your lashes look much darker, longer, and fuller, but still separated and curled. Reviewer Jessica Prince Erlich says, “I applied several coats that went on smoothly with zero clumps. I liked the tapered brush, and the formula didn’t get all glopped and cakey on it. The results are definitely dramatic — something I’d pair with a smoky eye for a night out.”

If you want an all-around great, waterproof mascara, try this one that even resists actress tears. This is the mascara worn on the tear-jerker show This Is Us. Zoe Hay, the show’s makeup department head, tells us, “This is my go-to mascara on the show for all my leading ladies, because we know at some point throughout the day we will inevitably be shooting an emotional scene. I really like the texture of the product and the way it moves across the lashes, separates them, and coats them without making them clumpy.”

Prince Erlich loved this mascara, which also has a subtle coconut smell from the coconut oil in the formula. “I have zero complaints about Maybelline’s Total Temptation mascara. My lashes were darker and volumized with an overall plush fullness that allowed me to skip wearing any other eye makeup. Basically, this was enough to give me an eye-opening, rested appearance sans liner or shadow. The formula contains coconut oil, which is perhaps why I was able to go back in for touch-ups later in the day when I wanted to build onto my look. It never got clumpy, flaky, or smudgy. An all-around winner.”

This mascara is loved by sweaty spin-class instructor Emma Lovewell of Peloton. She says, “As a fitness professional and former professional dancer, I’ve been using this mascara for years, and love it! I’ve tried all the fancy brands, and I keep coming back to this one. It’s definitely very waterproof, as I use it when I teach class, and it never runs.”

Technically, this mascara is a Japanese drugstore staple, but you can buy it on Amazon too. Japanese beauty products, particularly mascaras, are lauded for their high quality and value. This particular mascara is praised for being incredibly pigmented, dark, smudgeproof, non-clumpy, lengthening, and so durable that it’s actually impossible to take off without eye-makeup remover. Makeup artists and regular people alike love it.

Rimmel knew what it was doing when it made and named this mascara. Besides the accelerated results, the formula has procapil, which with continued use creates longer and lusher lashes over time. For Sarmiento, this mascara is super-clean and defining, and he “loves that it has good separation and a hint of volume that leaves lashes looking super-polished.”