The Best Affordable High Street Mascaras UK
These Are the 14 Best and Most Affordable High Street Mascaras
Product Credit: A.L.C. Top + Skirt, Kathleen Whitaker Earrings
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For most people, mascara is the one beauty item they just can't live without. It has the ability to make even the sleepiest of people (I blame binge-watching "Bridgerton" all night) look wide-awake and ready for the day ahead in an instant.
With so many different types of mascaras out there, it's difficult to know where to start. You've got to find your perfect formula (Long-wearing? Flake-free? Nonclumpy?) and perfect wand (Dual-sided? Dense bristles? Curved edges?), then find a mascara that perfectly marries the two together. No easy feat. But once you do find "the one", it truly is a beautiful, long-lasting companionship — and no, I'm not being dramatic.
A great mascara also doesn't need to break the bank. There are plenty of gems hidden in your local high street, with prices starting at just £4. So, to take the hassle out of having to read endless reviews and wasting money on formulas that just don't work for you, I rounded up 14 of the very best mascaras you'll find in your local Boots or Superdrug.
Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
The Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (£3) is a mascara masterpiece. There are dozens of before-and-after photos online that show off its extreme lengthening ability. The tapered brush allows easy coating of each strand of hair, and paired with its jet-black formula, it gives an intense false-lash effect. For people with longer lashes, this mascara can practically lift them right up towards the brows.
L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara
The L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara (£14) wand contains lots of short and densely packed bristles, allowing for even coating and separation of your eyelashes. The tube has a good internal wiper that removes any excess, meaning you're guaranteed to get the perfect amount of product on the brush with every application. This mascara is ideal if your lashes are on the slightly shorter side and you are looking for added length and volume but still want the overall result looking natural.
Maybelline New York Colossal Volum' Express Mascara
The Maybelline New York Colossal Volum' Express Mascara (£7) is an affordable option that has long been a resident in my makeup bag. It's got a chunky brush with nicely spaced-out fibre bristles that grab every single lash, giving intense volume on a single application. Additional coats of this formula will give your lashes a dramatic effect, minus the clumps.
Maybelline New York Falsies Lash Lift Mascara
The Maybelline New York Falsies Lash Lift Mascara (£10) promises to give the effect of an in-salon professional lash lift, and I'm happy to confirm it truly does achieve that. The hourglass-shaped wand both curls and lifts your lashes with very little effort needed. But the best part about this formula is that not only does it lift lashes instantly, but it also ensures they stay that way all day. This is thanks to the polymers and film-formers in the formula, which kind of act like a glue for your lashes so it lasts all day. And when you're ready to take it off, I promise it's not a total b*tch to remove.
Rimmel London Kind & Free Clean Volume Mascara
The Rimmel London Kind & Free Clean Volume Mascara (£10) has seriously impressed me. The clump-free length that this mascara delivers is unlike anything in my makeup stash right now. It gives a natural, but buildable finish and doesn't smudge or flake after hours of wear.
CYO On a Roll Curl Mascara
The CYO On a Roll Curl Mascara (£6) is another supernatural-looking one. The dense and slightly curled wand makes it harder to reach each and every lash, but this means you can easily control how much product you want to be applied. The formula is buildable without clumps, allowing for a dramatic finish if desired. Best of all, it is pretty long-lasting and doesn't flake off. For £6, it's a great option for everyday wear.
Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara
The Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara (£21) might be the brand's first mascara, but obviously it's great, because, well, it's Fenty. It's on the more expensive end of the high street mascaras, but there's a reason. The first feature that sets Fenty's mascara apart from other brands is the "flat-to-fat" brush. The fat edge is a closely packed cluster of bristles aiming to give the lashes a curled effect, while the flat edge of the brush aims to lift them from the base. Together, this creates a powerful wand, and when used with the superblack pigment, it adds volume, lift, and curl all without a single clump.
Sleek Take You High Lengthening and Defining Mascara
The Sleek Take You High Lengthening and Defining Mascara (£9) is the ultimate affordable mascara if you like fluffy, natural-looking eyelashes. The formula is buildable without a clump in sight, and the extra bristles at the tip of the brush help you grab all the teeny-tiny hairs, allowing for maximum precision. If you like an incredibly thick mascara that gives you dramatic length and volume, then this is not the formula for you. But if you prefer your lashes to look longer and fuller without it actually looking like you have mascara on, then you'll love this. For me, it gives the effect of a lash lift without the in-salon treatment.
Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara Black
On Superdrug, the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara Black (£12) boasts 4.5 out of five stars and 287 reviews. And there's a reason it's so well-loved: the tapered wand features hundreds of teeny-tiny bristles that make it easy to control as you drag and wiggle it through your lashes. Three to four coats gives you an intense, false-lash effect, however, using a slightly lighter hand and focussing on the tips of the lashes makes them look fluffy and full.
L'Oréal Paris Castor Oil-Enriched Paradise Volumising Mascara
If you've got thin, short lashes, then the L'Oréal Castor Oil-Enriched Paradise Volumising Mascara (£12) is a great option. The brush is double sided, one with thin bristles that are densely packed together and the other with more separated bristles clumped close together, which allows control over how intense you want the final result to be. Another element that sets this mascara apart from other drugstore options is that it contains castor oil, which helps keep lashes hydrated throughout the day.
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast High Definition Mascara
Thanks to the even separation of bristles on a straight wand, the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast High Definition Mascara (£10.50) coats each lash quickly, adding volume and length without that dreaded spidery effect. It's definitely on the more dramatic end of the mascara spectrum, so not one for the natural-effect lash-lovers. The only downside to this mascara is that it can smudge (particularly on the eyelid) before completely drying.
B. Volumizing Mascara
If you're looking for a vegan, cruelty-free option, the B. Volumizing Mascara (£10) might just be the one. The helix-shaped wand and evenly spaced-out bristles help give lashes a full, thick appearance, while the formula is totally smudge-proof. However, one thing to note is that this can make it a little more difficult to remove. For best results, soak a cotton pad in makeup remover that can remove waterproof products, and press onto the eyelashes for 20 seconds before gently wiping away.
Makeup Revolution 5D Lash Pow Mascara
Makeup Revolution 5D Lash Pow Mascara (£9) seriously impressed us with its clump-free formula and unique airtight push and twist cap. One coat gives incredible natural-looking lashes and two coats creates a fanned out and more dramatic finish. The formula is jet-black, smudge-proof, cruelty-free and vegan.
L'Oréal Paris Bambi Eye Oversized False Lash Mascara
L'Oréal Paris Bambi Eye Oversized False Lash Mascara (£11) quickly become a favourite high-street mascara of ours after launching in Feb. 2021. As you comb through your lashes, it's almost like the triangle-shaped wand is stretching out each and every hair — that's how much length you end up getting with this formula. We also like how it fans out your lashes, giving you that doe-eyed, Twiggy effect. Available in both waterproof and non-waterproof options.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
The Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara (£9) is pretty much a lash extension in a bottle. The wand is jam-packed with bristles meaning each lash is coated in just a few swipes and feels practically weightless on lashes. It's not named sky high for nothing.
