The 23 Best Mascaras of All Time

You've seen it all over TikTok—but this mascara really is one of the best lifting and defining formulas out there (no false lashes required!).

Customer Review:

"Great mascara. Makes lashes long and not clumpy. Can layer on top of other layers without flaking." -Jaclyn

Not all mascaras can be layered and layered without turning clumpy. That's the magic of MAC Stack. Whether you want just one coat or 82, the formula can be customized to your exact preferences without flaking or weighing down lashes.

"I am in love with this mascara, and I am very picky," says Jenna Rosenstein, BAZAAR's beauty director. "The lightweight, glossy finish feels like skincare for your lashes. It adds just the right amount of volume and length for days when I don't want to look like I'm wearing a lot of makeup, and it never flakes on me."

Not only does this formula wear all day, even on those of us with oily lids, the genius brush shape makes it easy to find every single tiny little hair on both ends of your lashes.

Customer Reviews:

"I've tried so many mascaras, and this is the only one that does not smudge at all for an entire day. I have oily lids and watery eyes so it can be a struggle. I can even wear this one on my lower lashline without smudging! The brush is incredibly easy to use as well." -FirenzeLove

This mascara wins at creating enviable, lightweight volume without flaking or smudging.

Customer Review:

"I’m obsessed!! Makes my lashes long and keeps them curled up all day!! Will be repurchasing for sure!" -Shayleigh1314

Like lash extensions for commitment-phobes, Hourglass's new Unlocked mascara gives lashes instant lift, definition, and Instagram-worthy length in a vegan and cruelty-free formula. The formula lasts all day without smudging, and unlike other fiber mascaras, it won't irritate sensitive eyes or contacts.

Maybelline's Snapscara is a wax-free formula, so it's easy to remove with just soap and water at night. But that doesn't mean it will flake on you. A few coats delivers serious length and volume with an inky black tint that's perfect for casual, day-to-day wear.

The sexiest mascara to pair with smoky eyes, it leaves our lashes looking patent-leather shiny and ultra-black.

The name isn't just for kicks. This super-thickening yet non-clumpy mascara gets its lash-conditioning powers from CBD oil.

It's not the sexiest or flashiest mascara out there, but it's in every makeup artist's kit for a reason: there's nothing better for red-carpet-ready lashes.

The name is genius, but the formula inside is even more so. The ultra-plush brush is the perfect vehicle for making lashes look full and feathery, not coated and heavy.

This vegan mascara comes with a warning—and rightfully so. It's called Caution Extreme Lash because just one dip in the tube is enough to get both sets of lashes coated in the wet, patent-black formula. If you're looking for more definition, wipe the excess formula off the brush before applying.

One coat gives the perfect daytime volume. Two coats is enough for a night out. Three or more coats and your lashes will look so thick yet defined everyone will ask you if they're fake.

Though the name suggests something dramatic, the effect this mascara leaves is more soft and fluttery than all-out bombshell. But you can layer on more than one coat to reach perversion-level volume.

There are dozens of incredible drugstore mascara dupes, but it's rare to find out that might actually be better than its designer counterpart. This mascara from L'Oréal Paris looks just like one that also comes in an all-pink tube, right down to the hourglass bristles. But this thickening formula doesn't flake or fall-out—in fact, you'll need a heavy duty makeup remover to get it all off at the end of the day.

There are curling mascara, and then there is this—basically a lash lift in a tube. The formula curls and sets even the straightest lashes for all-day hold and definition.

Classics are classics for a reason. Devotees to DÉFINICILS swear by it for its natural lash-lengthening effect and impressive long-wear. But at the end of the day, it washes off at the first sight of soap.

It's one of few mascaras that doesn't sacrifice long length at the expense of full, thick volume at the base. Is it better than sex? No. Is it on par with a pair of your highest, sexiest heels in terms of making you feel like the hottest woman in the room? Yes.

This mascara boosts a custom-domed tip to lift, define, and curl even the tiniest of fringe for a sculpted look that's shockingly similar to false lashes.

For as long as mascara has been around, it's had the same fate: eventually, the formula would get so thick and dry that you'd have to toss the whole tube prematurely. Not anymore. This new formula from Dior is super-thick, but it has a squeezable tube that allows you to warm-up and revive the formula before ever swiping it on. Just one coat on each eye delivers intense, inky black volume.