We all have our favorite mascaras. But more often than not, we’re always still on the hunt for new favorites.
Over the past few years, some of my favorites are still in my favorites list, though they have been joined by new favorites. Some of my old favorites have dropped off the list. None of these mascaras clump, flake off or leave me with raccoon eyes. Here are the mascaras I love now.
Everyone’s eye shapes and type of lashes are different, and often because of that, we tend to gravitate toward certain types of mascara formulas and wand types/shapes. My eyes are downturned, and I have long but almost clear lashes. I like to try to get length on my outer upper lashes to create an uplifted cat-eye look so that my eyes look less downturned. Also, in spite of some sources recommending that older women not apply mascara to their lower lashes, I always apply mascara on my lower lashes. IMHO, without lower lash mascara, eyes look like they’re floating, but to each her own.
For some reason, I prefer mascaras that give either both length and volume, or even just length. I don’t like thick-looking lashes on me, but that’s just my preference. I tend to gravitate toward slim wands with plastic teeth, though I do have a couple of big bristle wands that I reach for from time to time. I apologize in advance for photographing most of the wand heads against such a busy black & white background. What was I thinking?
Here are my current choices:
- MAC Upward Lash: I’ve been using MAC Upward Lash for about a year. I got a sample with a MAC order, and I fell in love with the strangely short wand with plastic teeth. I find that with this wand, I can more easily coat the little upper lashes in the inner corners as well as my lower lashes. I also can easily manipulate the short wand to apply more mascara to my outer lashes to get the uplifted wing that I like. Also, with this mascara, I don’t need to curl my lashes. BTW, the tip of the wand is flat. I should’ve cleaned off that little droplet of mascara at the tip in the photo below.
- Benefit Roller Lash: Lately I’ve been reaching for an older favorite, Benefit Roller Lash. Roller Lash has a slightly curved wand with plastic teeth. Although I wish the wand was straight instead of curved, I can still make it work without too much trouble. I love the placement of the teeth that are shorter on the inside of the curve and longer on the outside. For me, the mascara is more lengthening than volumizing though it does both well enough for me. I recently discovered that Roller Lash has a brown mascara too, so I now own both shades. Yay! Comes in full and travel sizes.
- Mirabella Lasting Lash Waterproof: Mirabella Lasting Lash is the only waterproof mascara that I have ever liked (at least in recent memory!). I was sent this mascara to test for review about three years ago, and I have repurchased it myself at least 5 times. Mirabella Lasting Lash has a very slim plastic wand with small teeth that may not be to everyone’s liking. But the wand is perfect for me to manipulate to get the small inner lashes and lower lashes, and to turn to add more mascara to my outer lashes to get that uplift I like. I would say this is primarily a lengthening mascara though I can apply additional coats for more volume. Although it is waterproof, it isn’t difficult to remove. It comes off easily with micellar water or eye makeup remover.
- Benefit They’re Real: This is an old favorite. Though I would say that Roller Lash has eclipsed They’re Real for me, I’m not entirely sure why. The formula of They’re Real does a great job providing both lengthening and volumizing. And the zillion plastic teeth of several sizes all around the longer, slightly hourglass-shaped wand, do a fantastic job both coating and separating lashes. It also comes in brown and blue shades. Comes in full and travel sizes.
- Urban Decay Perversion: Urban Decay Perversion with its huge bristled wand is an unlikely mascara choice for me. What I like most about it is the rather wet, black black black formula. There are tons of close-set bristles on this big wand that really deliver fat volumized lashes. Comes in full and travel sizes.
- Diorshow Mascara: Diorshow is probably the mascara in this group that I’ve been using off and on for the longest time, decades even. I love the formula that delivers lashes that are both lengthened and volumized. Also, it comes in brown, purple and navy blue as well as a few shades of black. The bristles on this long wand are set further apart than UD Perversion that seem to separate lashes well.
All of the above mascaras are from prestige brands, and they can be rather pricey. Because I don’t own it right now, I can’t photograph along with the group. But I still love L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza, and I intend to buy it in the future.
- L’Oreal Voluminous Butterly Intenza: Butterfly Intenza was introduced toward the end of 2014, and it is still available. I like the formula that I find both volumizing and lengthening. But what really sold me on it is the shape of the wand. It wings out on all sides of the wand, so it is the easiest plastic wand for me to use to get the winged outer lashes that I love. Plus, it’s affordable.
So these are my favorite mascaras, now in February 2018. What are your current faves, and why?
I still need to try roller lash! I like how it looks.
I think it’s a really good one, Caitlin. I have bought several of these. Try one of the travel sizes first!
What a great selection of favorite mascaras, Allison! The shape of the L’Oreal wand is really fantastic! I have far too many open mascaras, and probably need to toss a lot of them, but one of my current favorites is the W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Bio Extreme Mascara.
I remember that you have written about W3LL PEOPLE on your blog, but I don’t specifically remember the mascara. I’ve gotta go take a look at the Expressionist Bio Extreme Mascara wand.
Wow 😱 That’s a lot of mascaras! My all time favorite mascara is and always will be is “Full & Soft” by Maybelline. Usually under $7.00. It comes in Black, Black Brown and Brown. I have tried so many and I always go back to Maybelline’s. Love it. 😍
Yes, it is a lot of mascaras, and that’s a fraction of my stash 😉 Maybelline Full & Soft sounds like a great recommendation, DiEtta! And the price is right, too! I have to take a look at the wand and see if it would suit me.
Perversion is my die hard favorite.
I feel fancy – I’ve tried at least 2 of these! Dior is great and I’ve used 1 tube thus far. I also love Benefit They’re Real.
I have hit and miss experience with Benefit Thy’re Real, sometimes it’s amazing on my lashes, other times it’s a complete wank. Roller Lash didn’t work for me at all which is a huge shame because everyone else seems to love it.
I wish Roller Lash had a straight wand coz I think it would make it even better. I love the formula and the teeth. But our lashes are probably different. Mascara is such an individual thing.
Loved this post! I’m just working on Mascaras I Hate (no, none of these is in there haha)! I love my Roller Lash, and liked They’re Real back in the day, though I confess to not having tried out the others. I need to get the L’Oreal one – the wand looks like it will work on my peach fuzz.
The L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza is fabulous!! I really love that wand. Mascara is such a individualized thing, like skincare or haircare lol. MAC Upward Lash and Roller Lash are what I’m using most often. And I have a ton of other mascaras waiting in the wings (and a million I need to toss: expired). But I need to pick up another L’Oreal Butterfly Intenza soon. I’ll be curious to hear what you think if you do try it at some point.
I am very picky when it comes to mascara, hit and miss for the most part. So far, I like Tarte for the volume and Beauty without cruelty for the smudge-free formula
I haven’t used Tarte in a while but I liked Lights Camera Lashes. Fortunately, smudging isn’t an issue for me with any of the mascaras I’ve tried over the past several years probably because the weather here is so different from where you are.
I love that there are travel size mascaras to buy. That way you can afford to try several of the pricier ones until you find the one you like. Right now I just finished another Roller Lash and am using IT Super Hero and one by Tarte. My sister swears by the old pink/green case of Maybellne. I need to try perversion as Courtney has been saying such good things about it!
Courtney adores Persuasion. I like it too especially at night. It is a wet mascara applied with a huge brush with a million bristles. I like it, but I have to work harder with it because of the way my lashes go – super long in the middle and tiny on the inner and outer corners that need to be lengthened almost one at a time. Persuasion also comes in travel size, so you should give it a try, Sandy, to see if it suits you. I think I like Persuasion even better in the travel size coz I can manipulate that big wand more easily with the shorter stick. I have a couple of IT Super Heros that I need to toss because they’ve been open a long time, and I have a travel size and a full size waiting in the wings. I like that mascara, but I haven’t used it in a while. Like Persuasion, I prefer the travel size to the full. The stick on the full size wand is soooooooooo long!
I’m probably one of the small percentage of women that do not wear mascaras at all. I only had maybe twice in my life and I have felt to out of my comfort zone wearing it. It feels like everyone are staring at you. Ok, could be that I only wear it that one occasion that a friend have applied it one me and they not used to see me wear it, but yeah… every person have their own favourites.
Each woman can make her own choices about what makeup if any she is comfortable wearing. So if you don’t like it, no one should force you to! Here mascara is so ubiquitous that no one is looking at you for that reason, unless the mascara is coming off under the eyes (raccoon eyes) and that’s rare these days because most mascaras are so well made.
Roller Lash is on my list. It always looks good on me. I am taking a new mini on my vacation as a matter of fact. I keep thinking about that MAC but then I forget the name of the one you like. Right now I’m at the end of a few mascaras and am ready to start a new brand to see if one can make my lashes stand out.
I am using both Roller Lash and MAC Upward Lash lately. With both of them, I don’t have to curl my lashes at all. I like Upward Lash because the short wand is so easy to manipulate and reach lashes individually – because of the fact that my middle lashes are so darn long, I need to create length in the inner and outer ones and with this wand it’s the easiest way to do it. I love that with Roller Lash you can get a travel size. MAC gives cute little (and I mean little, like last about a month or less) mini tube samples of Upward Lash when you buy something – that’s how I started on it.
You know in spite of trying several brands, I always seem to go back to my Loreal mascaras. They are good and reliable.
I have only tried the L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly and the Butterfly Intenza so far (though there’s a regular L’Oreal mascara in a holiday box I got from them that I haven’t really used much because it’s a traditional bristle wand). I guess I need to investigate more, but Butterfly Intenza has my heart!
I love that the MAC tube mimics the shape of their lipstick! I’ve been using the UD Troublemaker mascara and have found I’m not really a fan of it.
I usually wear Physician’s Formula Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Mascara. I love UD Perversion. I’m really loving the New UD Troublemaker Mascara, as well, even though most people seem to hate it.
I think I tried PF Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Mascara when it first came out, but I don’t remember it too well. I hadn’t heard any negatives about Troublemaker, just the positives. Gotta look at the wand for that one
UD Perversion is one of my faves too! In fact I just finished a tube. Otherwise, my staples are Lancome Grandiose and more recently Monsieur Big, and Diorshow in the Iconic version.
I got a sample of Monsieur Big from Ulta as part of my birthday gift last year, and though I don’t tend to like those type of wands, I did like the mascara. I’ve always been curious about Grandiose.
I liked that Mirabella mascara too. This brand deserves more recognition for sure!
I agree. I haven’t heard from Mirabella in ages, but I am still addicted to the Lasting Lash Mascara and their eyebrow pencil that’s in the perfect shade for me.
My favorite mascara is the YSL Faux Cils Mascara, yes I know that is so extra isn’t it. However, mascaras break down on my lashes fast and this one is the longest lasting I found plus it conditions my lashes while it’s on them and they’ve gotten so much longer since I’ve started using it.
That’s good to hear, Cassie. I was lucky enough to get the YSL Faux Cils Mascara from Influenster two years ago. I enjoyed using it too. I’m glad that you’ve had such positive results with your own lashes from using it. Awesome!
I like both of the Benefit ones & Dior, the others didn’t work for me.
That’s interesting that Roller Lash worked for you, but L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza didn’t ‘coz they’re so similar. But everyone’s eye shapes and lashes are so different. You have such long, thick lashes to begin with – you’re so lucky!
That sounds like a must-try list. I am thinking to get my hands on mascaras from different brands this year. 🙂
I love Roller Lash, and Dior Show looks nice too!
If you like big fluffy wands, DiorShow is a winner and worth the price!
I really like the look of that Mirabelle brush! I currently use one from The Body Shop, but I don’t like that brush very much.