Best Clean Mascara

This mascara has the most curved wand of all the ones I hoard in my makeup bag. It’s a good mascara for when I’m feeling my most natural, clean, and simple. However, the wand is a bit too long for my eyes, doesn’t grip well, and makes it hard to get good color payoff. It’s probably the mascara I use the least in my lineup. However, I reach for the brand’s lash curler religiously every single day!

Best Lash Growth Mascara

$90 for a mascara? In my opinion, it’s not worth it. The applicator is average, despite accounting for 50% of what I’m looking for in a good mascara. The saving grace is that the formula stimulates lash growth, so it kind of doubles as a lash serum. However, I still don’t feel the results justify the price.

Best Wand Applicator

This is probably the most well-rounded mascara in my makeup bag. I can’t lie: The applicator is revolutionary. It has nylon lift-and-grip bristles that separate and define my lashes beautifully. It’s my everyday mascara for my upper lashes, and while the applicator is slightly too wide to grab my lower lashes in the same way, it’s the one I recommend most.

Best Volumizing Mascara

This mascara was developed by the most legendary makeup artist in the world—and it shows. The incredible formula is often used backstage at Couture Week. It’s ideal for those times when I want my upper lashes to have big, sexy volume. It’s a very chic mascara. The applicator is a bit chunky for my everyday lower lashes, but perfect for when I’m going for a layered Diana Ross look.

Best Lower Lash Mascara

For a $50 mascara, it has to be unmatched. The applicator is short and precise, making it impressively effective at reaching the small, thin hairs in my inner corners. It’s pretty much my designated lower-lash mascara. I do find that it clumps a bit when layered on my upper lashes, but it’s chef’s kiss for a single coat on my lower lashes. It’s one of the mascaras I reach for the most!