My Lashes Have Never Been Longer With This Volumizing Mascara

If your natural lashes are looking limp, the best volumizing mascaras can help you achieve long, lush lashes so good, you won’t even have to consider extensions. These formulas often contain fibers that help elongate your fringe, plus nourishing ingredients like seed oils, vitamin E, and biotin to encourage thickness (no growth serum necessary). Over my career as a beauty editor, I’ve reviewed dozens of mascaras and tapped multiple makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts to narrow down the very best on the market. Here’s what caught our eyes (both literally and figuratively). Our overall top pick was the Maybelline Volum’ Express Falsies Volumizing, Washable Mascara because it’s under $10, it doesn’t clump and even though it’s not waterproof, it lasts through sweat, tears, and even sleep. We also included other best-selling products that really deliver.

Our top volumizing mascaras, at a glance

How we chose the best volumizing mascaras

Best Overall: Maybelline Volum’ Express Falsies Volumizing, Washable Mascara

A favorite secret weapon of many makeup artists, this mascara is best known for its flexible, nearly 360-degree bended wand that acts almost like an eyelash curler, making it easy to bend and coat each individual lash.

“This is hands-down my favorite drugstore mascara and honestly better than many high-end mascaras I’ve tried—including luxury brands,” says Glamour commerce director Brie Schwartz. “It builds a full lash look that’s slightly less thick than other mascaras, but still dense and fluttery without being spidery or overly separated (check out the eye). Application is easy and clump-free, though as with many mascaras, a fresh tube can deposit a lot of product on the lashes at first, which can get clumpy. Once you’ve used it a few times, the formula hits its stride and applies perfectly. It’s also super forgiving—if you tend to get mascara everywhere during application (as I do), this one is easy to clean up without smudging. Most impressively, it lasts forever. I’ve put it on at 8 a.m., worn it through the day, slept in it (I know, I know), and even hit the gym the next morning—and while it doesn’t look perfect after all that, it never clumps, flakes, or fades completely. For a drugstore pick, it’s unbeatable.”

Best Lengthening: Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara

A favorite of Pollara’s, this mascara thickens and lengthens lashes but never flakes or smudges. The formula includes film-forming polymers (aka formula that solidifies) that help curl lashes and lock this shape in place, plus plumping peptides to give your lashes a more-full effect.

“Too Faced mascara can’t do any wrong in my book. It’s been one of my most trusted mascaras for volume. When I want more drama on my eyes, I use this mascara for a more full effect. The formula is a little bit heavier than most mascaras, so I would recommend using a lash comb to distribute product evenly and avoid a clumpy finish,” says Glamour senior commerce editor Jenifer Calle.

Best Drugstore: Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara

“This mascara has been a kit staple of mine for a while because it adds volume and gives lashes a false-lash effect. It’s a great price point, which is important because I go through mascara so often. I love that it’s also waterproof, which is a plus for someone who wants their mascara to last all day,” says Figueroa.

And she’s not lying—it’s also a favorite of Glamour’s commerce writer Alanna Martine Kilkeary. “I’ve been using this mascara for years, and I’ve never found anything else like it. It’s super lightweight on the lashes, and the brush is fluffy and thick, but picks up just the right amount of product. It simply never clumps or smears. I wore this outside on a 10-degree day in NYC when my eyes were tearing up from the cold, and it didn’t flake or move. It instantly makes my lashes look more separated, plush, and pillowy, and the best part is that it’s literally $5 and stays on up until you wash it off with a makeup remover!”

Best Waterproof: L’Oréal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara

“This is one of my favorite drugstore mascaras because it’s affordable and works really well to magnify the lashes. It never applies clumpy, but creates the thick, dramatic look you’ll want out of a volumizing mascara,” says Pollara.