Quality drugstore mascaras
There’s a reason why mascara tops most people’s list of must-have makeup products — it can brighten and draw attention to your eyes in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, mascara has the shortest shelf life of any makeup product, so you need to toss it after just a few months.
You probably don’t want to spend big bucks on an item you need to replace so often, which is why drugstore mascaras are so popular. They can darken, lengthen, volumize, separate and curl your lashes just as well as formulas from luxury beauty brands but at a fraction of the price, so you don’t have to break the bank to look good.
Whether you want mega volume, length or definition, these formulas can give you a false lash effect without blowing your beauty budget.
Best drugstore mascaras 2021
L’Oréal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara
This mascara helps accentuate each and every lash, thanks to its wingtip brush. It also helps lift the outer lashes to create a winged-out effect that instantly opens up your eyes. The innovative cocoon fibers surround the lashes for both length and volume.
Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara
This mascara isn’t just seriously affordable, it also provides excellent definition for the most fluttery lashes possible. It features a unique cobra-style brush that helps reach every lash. The formula is ophthalmologist tested, so it’s safe for even sensitive eyes.
Sold by Ulta
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara
If volume is what you’re after, this mascara can deliver eight times the thickness as natural lashes. Its patented supersonic brush has micro bristles that apply the ideal amount of mascara in a single coat for easy application. The formula resists clumping and smudging.
Sold by Ulta
Neutrogena Healthy Lengths Mascara
This mascara instantly makes your lashes look better, and it conditions them at the same time for a long-term improvement in their appearance. The formula contains vitamin E, rice protein and olive oil to help strengthen and nourish your lashes. It doesn’t clump, flake or smudge and is safe for contact lens wearers.
Sold by Amazon
CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara
Boost your lash volume up to 10 times while adding impressive length with this drugstore mascara. It’s available in four shades, including a softer brown option, and doesn’t clump at all. The formula is also cruelty-free, so it’s not tested on animals.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Mineral Infused Mascara
If you prefer makeup products with more natural ingredients, this is the mascara for you. It contains all-natural mineral wax with kaolin and zinc oxide to help condition the lashes. Its brush head is specifically designed to prevent clumping for full, fluttery lashes. The mascara is vegan and cruelty-free.
Sold by Ulta
L’Oréal Voluminous Original Mascara
For full, dramatic lashes, you really can’t beat this affordable mascara. It builds lashes up to five times their natural thickness for maximum impact. The brush features a design that evenly and smoothly applies the mascara to every lash. It doesn’t flake, smudge or clump and is allergy tested for sensitive eyes and contact lenses.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
This ophthalmologist tested mascara helps fan out your lashes for a full, fluttery effect. It provides both length and volume and doesn’t clump. The formula features liquid ink to ensure that your lashes are as dark and evenly coated as possible.
NYX Professional Makeup Worth The Hype Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara
If you want to add both length and volume, this buildable formula is for you. Its brush has a tapered tip that allows you to apply the mascara quickly and easily. It’s able to grab even the smallest of lashes. It’s available in four shades, including blue and purple.
CoverGirl Professional All-in-One Curved Brush Mascara
This 3-in-1 mascara helps lengthen, volumize and define your lashes for a natural look that’s sure to get you noticed. It features a curved brush that evenly coats your lashes, so you never have to worry about clumps. The formula is cruelty-free.
Essence Get BIG Lashes Volume Boost Mascara
With its mega brush and lightweight formula, this mascara can deliver intense volume for your lashes. It grabs onto even the smallest of lashes but doesn’t clump. It’s paraben- and cruelty-free and ophthalmologist tested for those with sensitive eyes or allergies.
Sold by Ulta
If you want long, lifted lashes, this mascara has got you covered. It has a molded, tapered wand with over 250 multilayered bristles that grab onto every lash, coating them from root to tip. The lash-lifting polymers help lengthen your lashes in a major way. The formula contains a blend of rice bran and paraffin waxes to provide a rich, glossy black color.
Sold by Ulta
There’s a reason this budget-friendly mascara has been a cult favorite for years. It offers a lash-doubling formula that applies quickly and easily to build up your lashes. It washes off easily, so you don’t have to worry about tugging at your eyes to get it off. It’s hypoallergenic, making it safe for allergy sufferers.
FLOWER BEAUTY Lash Warrior Mascara
Get bold length, volume and definition with this affordable mascara. It contains pure coated pigments that don’t flake, fade or crease and has a spiked brush that applies the formula to every lash from root to tip. The 360-degree bristles help fight clumps for beautifully defined lashes.
Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara
With a unique lengthening formula, you’ll get the long lashes of your dreams from this drugstore mascara. It has a high-definition brush with densely packed bristles that help coat and separate every lash. The formula doesn’t clump and is buildable to help boost volume. It’s safe for sensitive eyes.
Sold by Amazon
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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