For Curling: This is always debatable, but I've found that curved wands are helpful with curling. I also love the rounded mascaras tips, (like the one on Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Lengthening Mascara) — they are excellent with curling since the wand lets you easily get all the angles. Shade The only downside is that we noticed a pretty strong fragrance, which isn’t ideal, especially for eye products, since it can be irritating. However, it is very common in waterproof formulas.

It might seem obvious but, according to Gboyega, many of us aren’t using enough mascara formula to begin with. “One of my pet peeves is when I see people not applying their mascara properly,” she says. “They only get the tips of their lashes instead of fully coating their lashes with the mascara.” Looks like we’ve gotta layer that stuff on, guys. BRUSH UP YOUR TECHNIQUE Selecting a formula comes down to what’s important to you. Besides benefits like volume or length, you can choose between clean and vegan formulas (like Ilia Limitless Lash Lengthening Mascara), those with nourishing oils (our favorite is UOMA Drama Bomb Extreme Volume Nourishing Mascara), and/or tubing technology that offers more water-resistance (like Tarte Tartelette™ Tubing Mascara). Your Questions, Answered What’s the best way to apply mascara?The gentle formula contains shea butter, keratin, and beeswax to naturally nourish and lift your lashes. Another standout feature is the two-sided brush — the short bristles curl while the longer ones do the lifting. “I love how full and dark my lashes looked,” says our tester. “It has great pigment.” Flake-free and easy to remove, it gives you all the drama — it’s no wonder Melanie Simon, Jennifer Aniston's facialist, once said this mascara is " almost as good as lash extensions." I always have a drugstore mascara in my kit. Some of them are right up there with luxury mascaras," says New York-based makeup artist Neil Scibelli. "Many drugstore brands have the budget to do extensive testing and reformulating, and some even use the same research departments and formulations labs as the luxury brands." I love to coat both the top and bottom of the lashes by curling and combing the lash out from above before wiggling [the mascara wand] upward from the root,” says Whitfield. “This evenly distributes the product to keep the lash from looking heavy and less curled. You will also have less product transfering onto your under eye skin as the mascara is not solely underneath the lash.”

We've trialled and tested so many mascaras over the years that we've genuinely lost count. From Bobbi Brown's Smokey Eye Mascara– a cult classic – to Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes, which has taken the industry by storm, we've done our fieldwork. And what we can definitively say is that the best mascaras really do have transformative effects. When it comes to mascara, everyone has their own preference in what they are searching for. Personally, I love a full and voluminous lash look, combined with a formula that doesn't flake throughout the day and won't transfer onto my eyelid. A lot to ask for, I know. Long, lengthy lashes are usually a favourite. My go-to is Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara, but I am always testing new releases to find the very best out there, because who doesn't want to find the best mascara? For Lengthening: Thin wands that have lots of rubberized bristles (like Honest Beauty Extreme Length 2-in-1 Mascara and Lash Primer) help with combing each individual hair without clumping. This is ideal for people that already have a lot of volume at the base.Smudge-proof formula: It goes without saying that you should seek out a mascara formula that won’t smudge, bleed, or run when an unexpected rain shower (or cry session) crops up. Each of the mascaras on this list has been rigorously tested to withstand showers of all kinds. Caitlyn Martyn is a commerce writer on staff at Byrdie, where she covers beauty and style-related topics. She is an experienced product tester and has tried hundreds of mascaras over the years, including a number of the formulas that appear on this list. So how do we test? There are certain things that we look out for when testing any new mascara that lands in our laps. We're interested in things like the wand - bristle type and shape; the effect on lashes - whether it adds volume or length (or both?!); the formula - can you feel it on your lashes or does it nourish those tiny hairs? and finally the price. Each mascara was rated on a scale of one to five for performance, separation and clumping, wand design, wear, and ease of removal. At the end of the testing period, Rebecca selected the top eight drugstore mascaras and offered input as to why the others didn’t make the cut. All testing was conducted at her home in the Washington, D.C. area. Curl your lashes, focusing on the ends and corners. Make sure to clamp down for at least 15 seconds to allow the curl to set.