Our beauty team consistently ranks mascara as one of the most crucial items in their makeup arsenal. This essential product can transform your look, making the difference between appearing bright-eyed and alert versus tired and drained. Finding the perfect formula, however, often involves extensive trial and error, with countless options available at prices ranging from under £10 to over £30.
Our Beauty Team's Ultimate Mascara Recommendations
Our experts have rigorously tested a wide array of mascaras both personally and professionally over many years. Some have remained loyal to beloved, time-tested formulas renowned for their gravity-defying results, while others have enthusiastically embraced newer launches that have secured a permanent place in their beauty collections. For anyone nearing the end of their current tube and seeking inspiration for their next lash product, here are the definitive picks from our beauty writers.
Eve Rowlands' Top Picks
ICONIC London Triple Threat Mascara - £22
Eve discovered this mascara three years ago in a beauty advent calendar. Initially a dedicated Maybelline user, she was skeptical but became an instant convert after just one application. This mascara delivers impressive drama, volume, and dark pigment that beautifully lines the eyes, providing serious length for her relatively wispy lashes. While one coat is usually sufficient, adding a second or third intensifies the look, though it can lead to subtle flaking and smudging on the lower lash line. The rectangular brush and slim handle allow for easy application to inner lashes with minimal smudging, and the formula feels lightweight once applied.
Sweed Lash Lift Mascara - £22
This vegan mascara has become Eve's recent obsession for everyday wear. Beloved by makeup artists and celebrities, it feels light on the lashes and features an innovative wand with a wide-tooth comb side that delivers impressive height and curl without heaviness. It excels at separating lashes, especially when applied with a half-blink technique and a wiggle motion. The skinny brush allows for easy reach to the lash roots and inner corners, though some users find it messier compared to thicker brushes.
UKLash Tubing Mascara - £16
Eve understands why Millie Bobby Brown loves this tubing mascara. It offers a lovely, natural look that amplifies lashes with its mocha brown tint. Enriched with Arginine and Shea Butter, it nourishes lashes while the precision pine cone wand helps achieve longer-looking lashes. The polymer-based formula wraps around each lash for a defined finish, though removal requires a few attempts with warm water and often a follow-up facial wash to avoid residue.
Maybelline Sky High Mascara - £12.99
A fan since its 2021 launch, Eve frequently returns to this formula when she needs reliable, sky-high results. Favored by SAS Who Dares Wins winner Gabby Allen, it promises limitless length and full volume. The Flex Tower brush bends and flexes for easy application, minimizing clumping and flaking. Infused with bamboo extract, it delivers long, full lashes that feel comfortable and light, even for those with sensitive eyes or contact lenses. It also comes in fun colors like burgundy, green, blue, purple, and brown to make eye colors pop.
Phoebe Barton's Top Pick
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara - £18.90
Phoebe relies on mascara for long, curled, and bold lashes, never wearing falsies. After trying dozens of options, she consistently reaches for Benefit's Roller Lash, discovered in a 2024 beauty advent calendar. She immediately purchased the full-size version and hasn't looked back. The mascara features bristles of different lengths on a slightly curved brush, making it easy to roll through lashes and hold a curl all day and night. It is buildable and clump-free, with excellent water resistance that prevents transfer under the eyes, though it can be tricky to remove if it gets on the skin.
Bethan Shufflebotham's Top Pick
Merit Clean Lash Mascara - £23
Having tried over 50 mascaras in the last decade, Bethan has repurchased very few, but Merit's Clean Lash mascara is a standout. Discovered nearly a year ago, she is now on her second tube. This tubing mascara wraps little tubes around each lash, staying put all day without smudging. Enriched with fatty acids and olive oil esters, it conditions lashes for a flexible, non-crunchy feel. It lifts and separates lashes for a fluttery, natural look, though it may lack the drama sought for full glam occasions.
Lucy Addicott's Top Pick
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara - £28
A general fan of Charlotte Tilbury makeup, Lucy makes no exception for the Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara, launched in 2024. It has been a staple in her beauty bag ever since, creating bold, statement lashes as the name suggests. The curved brush hugs each individual lash, separating them with minimal clumping. Even after several coats, lashes do not stick together, and the mascara wears all day without transfer, keeping lashes curled upwards. While at the higher end of the price spectrum, Lucy believes the premium quality of both packaging and results justifies the cost.
Lauren Codling's Top Pick
Kylie Cosmetics Kylash Volume Mascara - £17.25
Having tried countless mascaras from luxury to high-street brands, Lauren was surprised to name Kylie Cosmetics' iteration as her top pick. It delivers incredible volume with just a few swipes, lifting, fanning out, and noticeably fuller lashes without clumping. The brush is perfectly sized to coat each lash while separating them for even definition. It wears beautifully throughout the day with zero smudging or flaking, though its longevity makes removal challenging, often requiring multiple makeup wipes.
