Allure / Clara Hendler
When you think of the best drugstore mascaras, the classic Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara probably comes to mind. But it isn't the only amazing drugstore option for taking your lashes to new lengths. (By all means, if you love it, don't let it go.)
While picking up your necessities, take a stroll down the makeup aisles to check out these other options. Recommended by both professional makeup artists and Allure editors, the following drugstore picks will make your lashes look fuller and longer with just a couple swipes — and they all ring up for less than $15. Yes, it is possible to get voluminous lashes for as much as a fancy turmeric latte. You can even shop a tube for as little as $5 and it will give you the same results of a $50 mascara with falsies stacked on top. Trust.
Keep scrolling to find out the best new and all-time-favorite drugstore mascaras you should be adding to your cart as soon as possible — why not get a couple while you're at it? — and why they're mainstays in makeup artists' kits.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Maybelline New York The Falsies Lash Lift Ultra Black Intensifier Mascara
For intense pigment, swipe on the Maybelline New York The Falsies Lash Lift Ultra Black Intensifier Mascara. It comes in three ultra-dark shades (Blackest Black, Ultra Black, and Very Black), and uses a fiber-fueled formula that delivers all the dramatic volume, definition, and length you desire.
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L'Oréal Paris Bambi Eye Mascara
You've heard of doe eyes? Consider L'Oréal's Bambi Eye Mascara a shortcut to them. And that's the only thing short about this mascara — available in both black and brown, it promises to elongate lashes to create a wider-eyed look. It also won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award.
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Rimmel Wonder'Luxe Volume Mascara
We don't just love Rimmel Wonder'Luxe Volume Mascara for the way it makes our lashes look — which is amazing, just FYI — but also for the way it feels. Never crusty or gluey, it goes on super-smooth (and feels super-expensive) thanks to argan, maracuja, marula, and camellia oils.
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E.L.F. Cosmetics Big Mood Mascara
The hourglass shape of E.L.F. Cosmetics' Big Mood Mascara, combined with its volumizing and lifting formula, makes this Best of Beauty Award winner hard to beat. This jojoba wax-based mascara holds your lash's curl effortlessly throughout the day while creating a fuller, thicker finish. The unique brush head separates and defines your lashes so well that you may reconsider picking up false lashes ever again.
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Wet N Wild Mega Volume Mascara
You might expect the kind of thickening formula in Wet N Wild's Mega Volume Mascara to be Clump City, but thanks to the spiral fiber brush, the rich, black pigment is distributed evenly. All you get is volume, with no lumps or flakes.
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Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
The Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara is the viral sensation of drugstore mascaras. In September 2017, a Redditor shared before-and-after photos using the $5 find, and people on the makeup side of the Internet freaked out. Her lashes were dramatically lengthened to false-lash proportions.
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CoverGirl Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara
We all know and love the original formula of this mascara, and this newer iteration is just as impressive. CoverGirl's Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara stands out from its predecessor for its argan- and marula oil-infused formula that conditions lashes while creating length, lift, and volume — without clumping or flaking. Its fresh formula is so long-lasting and defining that it even won a Best of Beauty Award in 2021.
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Joah Lash Uprising Mascara
If you're not yet familiar with Joah, its Lash Uprising Mascara is a fantastic place to start. It's a do-it-all formula that promises well-defined, longer, thicker lashes, all while being undetectably lightweight. Don't be surprised if, after using it, you suddenly need to try everything in the K-beauty-inspired line.
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Burt's Bees All Aflutter Multi-Benefit Mascara
When natural ingredients are a priority, Burt's Bees comes through, even with mascara. The brand says All Aflutter Multi-Benefit Mascara's ingredients are 100 percent of natural origin, including jojoba oil to let the lengthening, volumizing formula glide right on.
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Flower Beauty Warrior Princess Mascara
For a feathery, fanned-out look, look no further than Flower Beauty's Warrior Princess Mascara. The buildable formula simply refuses to clump, instead creating a silky, soft finish with an incredibly dark pigment.
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Maybelline New York The Falsies Lash Lift Washable Mascara
Maybelline is basically the brand to look to for incredible, affordable mascara, which is why it seems every Allure editor has their own favorite pick from the brand. The Falsies Lash Lift Mascara (which won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award) has made a major impression on digital beauty editor Devon Abelman. And how could it not with its fibers that mimic the look of, as the name suggests, a lash lift.
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L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara
We've lost track of how many professional makeup artists have told us they swear by L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara. Even Kardashian go-to makeup artists Mario Dedivanovic and Ariel Tejada keep it in their kits. Reason being? "It's probably the darkest black mascara I've used, which is very hard to find in other mascaras," Tejada explains. "It provides clump-free, intensely thick-looking lashes, and it happens to be very affordable."
Mai Quynh, who's worked with Chloë Grace Moretz and Alison Brie, agrees: "It adds volume to the lashes and doesn’t flake or smudge."
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CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara
Makeup artist Benjamin Puckey and Allure editors alike reach for 2020 Best of Beuaty Award-winner CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara when they don't want to deal with clumps. This wand separates lashes as you comb it through, while making them lush and thick at the same time.
Keywordsmascaradrugstoredrugstore beautydrugstore makeupMaybelline New YorkL'Oreal ParisessenceRimmelCoverGirlshoppingshopping guideAllure Best of BeautyBest of Beauty 2021