Drugstore Mascara Review
Hi friends!
This isn’t the first time I have done a review like this, I did my Sephora Mascara Review back in 2020 and then I did my Tarte Mascara Review last April and you guys always love them. I’ve always been curious to see how well drugstore mascaras hold up against their high-end counterparts, so I finally decided to put them to the test. I set out to review a handful of the most talked-about formulas—the ones I’ve heard people rave about and the ones that constantly pop up in beauty recommendations.
While I originally gave myself just a month to finish this, life had other plans (as it often does), and it ended up taking me nearly four. That said, I’m actually glad I took my time—it gave me a chance to really see how each mascara performs over time and in different situations. If you’re looking for affordable mascaras that actually deliver, I hope this roundup helps you narrow it down. Let’s dive into the smudge tests, volume claims, and all the real-life results drugstore beauty has to offer.
Happy Reading!
15. NYX ON THE RISE
PRICE: $11.99
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Curling, Lengthening
COLORS: Black
REVIEW: I honestly hated this mascara, halfway through I was in actual pain because the bristles are so tough when applying it. They were hurting my lash line, they aren’t bendable at all which it made it very painful. Besides that, it was a fine mascara but the pain to me was not worth the price or mascara at all, I know there are better ones out there!
14. REVOLUTION 5D LASH
PRICE: $10.00
PURPOSE: Volumizing
COLOR: Black
REVIEW: I had really high hopes for this mascara but it took a lot of effort to put it on and there was really nothing to show for it afterwards. It took a lot of time to even get a little bit of product onto my lashes and it was really messy. I also had a hard time cleaning up the mess around my eyes after putting it on. It did lengthen them but it didn’t make them any longer or fuller. Then throughout the day, I felt like it was irritating my eyes. The longer that I had the mascara on the more I just wanted to take it off.
13. WET N’ WILD MEGA LENGTH
PRICE: $3.69
PURPOSE: Lengthening
COLORS: Black
REVIEW: I thought that I was going to like this when I first put it on, but I think I was trying to force myself to like it because of the price point (which is so nice!). But I didn't like it, within a few hours of putting it on it started to flaked off my lashes which is so frustrating. I reapplied mascara before the afternoon was over! Such a bummer because I wanted it to be a good mascara for just over $3, but if you go up $2 for a mascara, you can get my favorite one out of this whole experiment which just feels worth it to me!
12. BAMBI EYE MASCARA
PRICE: $10.99
PURPOSE: Volumizing Waterproof, Lengthening, Curling
COLORS: Black, Blackest Black, Black Brown
REVIEW: I had never heard of this before purchasing it but wanted to give it a try because it was on an end cap! It is waterproof and honestly pretty awful. After putting it on I felt like I knew why I had never heard of it before. It took a TON of effort to put on and it felt like after all of that effort I had no mascara on my eyes. Another thing that was a fail for me was that it was so hard to get a grip on my lashes to even put the product on. As a result of it being so hard to put on, it was just completely messy from how many swipes it took to get the product onto my lashes. I was excited because. the brown shade this one came in wasn’t great at all. Even after JUST putting it on, it looked smudgy under my eyes
11. NO7 AGE DEFYING
PRICE: $10.99
PURPOSE: Curling, Volumizing
COLOR: Black
REVIEW: This is a very light and natural mascara that went on easily. It’s not what I am looking for in an everyday mascara because it is much too light on my lashes. I tried really hard to make it work but to me it just wasn’t buildable. I think this mascara got worse towards the end of the day too because I think that whatever the serum is inside the formula made the mascara come off of my lashes throughout the day giving me the super awesome raccoon look. I really wouldn’t recommend this product, if you need a serum I would buy one separate from a mascara.
10. THE COLOSSAL VOLUM’ EXPRESS
PRICE: $8.49
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening
COLORS: Glam Black, Classic Black, Glam Brown
REVIEW: I have used this before! It is waterproof so I wouldn’t use it every day. One downside is that it transferred a lot to my lid which with it being waterproof, I struggled to get it off and then had to redo parts of my makeup. This honestly could have been a “me” thing though or user error haha. I had this mascara on for a whole park day it did last the whole time, it’s just not my favorite overall.
9. MILANI HIGHLY RATED
PRICE: $10.99
PURPOSE: Lengthening, Curling, Thickening
COLOR: Black
REVIEW: I don’t know if I just picked to do all the worst ones first or what but I feel like I have really only liked one I have tried so far. This mascara wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t spend my money on it again. I did mention that I am trying another version of this mascara this month so maybe it is like the new and improved version? This one just took so much time to get a normal amount of product onto my lashes and it really felt like there was zero product on the wand the whole time. It is $10 and not worth it, IMO.
8. ELF LASH IT OUT LOUD
PRICE: $6.00
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening
COLOR: Black
REVIEW: Its not bad, and I was actually really surprised to see both of the Elf mascaras that I tried in this whole experiment to be right next to each other in the line up of overall mascara choices. This mascara definitely lengthened my eye lashes but in my opinion, it didn’t really lift them at all. It also took a lot of swipes to put the mascara on to the extent that I wanted but I didn’t mind it on once it was on there!
7. ELF BIG MOOD
PRICE: $8.00
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening
COLOR: Black, Pitch Black, Deep Brown
REVIEW: My first reaction I was excited about the wand but when I was using it, it took a TON of swipes to even get anywhere near having enough on my lashes. Originally I thought that it was $3, but it is $8 and not worth that money. I was impressed with how well it lengthened my lashes but there was definitely no lift to them. It also seemed like there was a ton of product n the wand but there really wasn’t! It wore fine throughout the day, it didn’t have much fall off but I wasn’t THAT impressed. I would say it’s a nice everyday mascara.
6. MILANI ANTI GRAVITY
PRICE: $10.99
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening
COLOR: Black
REVIEW: I think this is the new and improved version of the Milani Highly Rated mascara. Initially I was worried about the bristles being painful, but they weren't! I did feel like I had to put the wand in the tube over and over to get more product out of it. Which I’m not an expert but could potentially cost you more money in the long run. It was great though for lengthening my lashes, it also seemed like the mascara lifted my lashes as well!
5. HONEST BEAUTY EXTREME LENGTH
PRICE: $22.49
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening
COLORS: Black
REVIEW: My first thoughts were really impressed by this mascara and pleasantly surprised! I didn’t have to stick the wand back into the tube to get more product, there was enough just on the wand. I couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t fair because this mascara has a primer and mascara in one. It made me think I should use a primer with all of them but ultimately decided it didn’t matter because of the price point difference between this and the others. This one is $23 but I do think that it is a very nice everyday mascara. The primer lengthened my lashes, and then the mascara went on so well over top. It didn’t lift my lashes but if you were to use a lash curler, I think it would be nice. Apparently, I don’t have an eyelash curler anymore! It also looked nice throughout the entire day!
4. COLOSSAL CURL BOUNCE
PRICE: $8.99
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Curling
COLORS: Blackest Black, Brownish Black, Very Black
REVIEW: I was initially excited about this mascara because of the shape of the wand and let me tell you it did not disappoint me. Even days after testing this mascara I found myself grabbing for this one! I love that it lifts and lengthens, I am a big fan! It lasted all day long and I am more than happy with the results of it!
3. MAYBELLINE SKY HIGH
PRICE: $10.39
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening
COLORS: Blackest Black, True Brown, Cosmic Black, Very Black
REVIEW: I feel like this one was popular with a lot of people so I had high hopes and it did not disappoint! I was so impressed and it felt like I had tried so many duds in the process so I knew when I really liked this one because I didn’t have any complaints. It went on really easily, it lengthens my lashes really well. It didn’t transfer all over my under eyes from my lashes so that was good. The wand was pretty bendable which made me have to be a little more careful when applying but I felt like I got used to it pretty quick when I was testing this one out.
2. LOREAL LASH PARADISE
PRICE: $10:39
PURPOSE: Volumizing, Lengthening, Thickening
COLORS: Black, Blackest Black, Black Brown, Mistique Black
REVIEW: I mentioned this in my review video but I have tried this in the past and it used to be one of my go-to’s until I found It Cosmetics Superhero or the Tartlette Tubing Mascara! It lengthens, lifts, and is definitely buildable. You can make your eyes as dramatic as you want. I love this mascara and how easy it is applied and stays completely put throughout the day while not being hard to get off at the end of the night! I think this mascara will always be one I keep on hand as a backup or something I use when I run out of my others! It does a great job of lengthening while making my lashes look fuller and it’s perfect.
1. ESSANCE LASH PRINCESS
PRICE: $5.19
PURPOSE: Volumizing
COLORS: Black
REVIEW: WOWOWOWOW. I am impressed with this mascara. My first reaction within the first couple of swipes onto my lashes I knew it was going to be good. It lasted all day long without falloff and I can’t even believe that this mascara is just over $5! Like seriously that blows my mind. I like it just as much as my It Cosmetics Superhero or the Tartlette Tubing Mascara. One thing that someone did mention to me was that when the tube is half gone it doesn’t apply as well. But I will make an update to this review when I finish half of it and let you guys know. But WOW. So so good!
These types of reviews usually end up taking me a lot longer than expected so going forward, I’m giving myself a little more grace and flexibility with timelines so I can share more thoughtful and complete reviews. I know this roundup doesn’t include every mascara under the sun, but I focused on the most popular drugstore options and the ones I’ve seen recommended again and again. I’d love to hear your thoughts—was your favorite mascara included? Is there one you swear by that I missed? Or is there a feature you'd like me to include next time, like a specific category for each mascara type? Let me know in the comments or feel free to email me anytime at hello@emmatarynjones.com. I’m always happy to chat beauty picks with you!
Much love,
Emma
XO