Editors' Favourite Mascaras Under $25 at Sephora
14 Mascaras Our Editors Swear by — All Under $25
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The quest for the best mascara can be a lot like dating — you may meet several duds before your eyes pop, or you may luck into it on your very first try. No matter what the case is for you, when you find one you love, hold tight and never let go.
Our editors have also been on this journey, and have coupled up with mascaras that continue to make our own hearts skip a beat. Whether you're still looking for your happy ever after or have a bit of a wandering eye, these 14 options are quite tempting indeed.
As a bonus, there's not a single one on this list that costs more than $25. See the mascaras we're hopelessly devoted to, because who said money can't buy you love?
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Full-Frontal Volume Lift and Curl Mascara
Item: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Full-Frontal Volume Lift and Curl Mascara ($13-$24)
What our editor said: "What makes [this mascara] unique is a 'flat-to-fat' brush, which is designed to create the type of full, voluminous, and fanned-out look I've only ever been able to achieve with lash extensions. I did have to swipe the wand through my lashes a good seven or eight times to build up the volume of each individual lash, but the formula didn't clump, which is a huge bonus." — Victoria Moorhouse, senior editor, Native
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch, Volumizing, and Lengthening Mascara
Item: IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch, Volumizing, and Lengthening Mascara ($13-$25)
What our editor said: "In the same way art collectors can appreciate a good watercolor painting, every day I thank all that is holy for great mascaras. I used to think I could play the product field in this department, but after I hurriedly left my apartment without applying my go-to It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara, I realised there was no other formula in our beauty closet that delivered the same volume, pigment, and false-lash effect." — Kelsey Castañon, senior editor, Beauty
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara
Item: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara ($13-$25)
What our editor said: "For someone like me, who has fairly long, plentiful lashes (yes, I know that I'm blessed), the hourglass-shaped wand is the perfect size. The fibre bristles (versus rubber ones) aren't so long that they smudge pigment all over my lids, but they're also not so short that I have to apply a dozen coats to cover all my lashes.
I really love how full and separated Lash Brag makes my lashes look. I've used it every day for three weeks now and I'm still impressed every time I see the final results — sometimes my lashes are so voluminous that they almost look fake." — Sophia Panych, content director, POPSUGAR UK
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
Item: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara ($13-$25)
What our editor said: "I love how black [this mascara's] pigment is. It makes my lashes look miles long and adds just the right amount of volume without being clumpy. When I want extra oomph, I layer it over Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer, which gives the formula even more power." — Sarah Siegel, contributing writer, Beauty
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Tarte Sea Surfer Curl Volumizing Mascara
Item: Tarte Sea Surfer Curl Volumizing Mascara ($12-$23)
What our editor said: "I can count on two hands the number of tubes that have made it into my regular rotation. On that list: the new Tarte Sea Surfer Curl Volumizing Mascara, which somehow manages to lengthen, curl, and bulk up my lashes in just a few swipes without then later transferring a veil of black pigment to my upper eyelids by 5 p.m. It's magic." — KC
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Too Faced Damn Girl! 24-Hour Mascara
Item: Too Faced Damn Girl! 24-Hour Mascara ($13-$25)
What our editor said: "WHO IS SHE? When I applied this mascara, I actually started grinning — I was giddy with how well it applied . . . Damn Girl! seems to grab each and every lash on your lash line so that your lash line appears fuller." — Kirbie Johnson, contributing beauty writer
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang! Volumizing Mascara
Item: Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang! Volumizing Mascara ($13-$25)
What our editor said: "The Benefit BadGal Bang! Volumizing Mascara is maybe the best mascara of all time. So there's that. It lifts, separates, and gives amazing volume with zero clump. I'll never part with it." — India Yaffe, assistant editor, Shop
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
Item: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara ($12-$23)
What our editor said: ""When it comes to mascara, I'm not only picky about the formula itself but also the wand. The Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara ($23) is one of my favourites, thanks to its ultrasoft brush that grabs and separates each lash and its curl-enhancing formula."" — Jessica Harrington, associate beauty editor, Beauty
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara
Item: Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara ($12-$24)
What our editor said: "Mascaras expire after three to four months, and I just hit that sad milestone with [this mascara]. Before I run off to Sephora and buy a new one (or five), I intend to give this little guy a Viking funeral to commemorate how much he meant to my lashes. I love that I can apply it without a mirror and still get a lifted-but-natural look every time. An added bonus? The formula is made with CBD oil (hence, Kush), not beeswax, which means it's vegan." — Alaina Demopoulos, contributing writer, Beauty
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara
Item: Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara ($25)
What our editor said: "Slick looking-lashes aren't only gorgeous to look at, but they can keep your lashes from looking dry and ultimately flaking. (Unlike your loser ex.) And if you want a natural-looking lash, they're typically a great option because they don't clump and appear softer than other mascaras.
While Volume Panoramic . . . does add thickness to the lashes, the finish works best for a no-makeup makeup look, so it's great for a do and go, for running errands, brunch, etc. I have naturally long lashes, so I wore it when I didn't want to fully do my whole face, with a slight wash of colour on the lid." — KJ
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
IT Cosmetics Lash Blowout Volumizing Mascara
Item: IT Cosmetics Lash Blowout Volumizing Mascara ($25)
What our editor said: "After just a few swipes, I can attest: this mascara gives you major volume . . . With Lash Blowout, you get that perfectly separated, darker-than-dark, miles-long-lashes look (versus Superhero's va-va-voom effect). I'm thinking this is the perfect daytime mascara.
Even better, the formula builds nicely — meaning it left behind zero clumps, even after I layered it on thick — and it stayed put the entire day." — KC
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Tarte Big Ego Mascara
Item: Tarte Big Ego Mascara ($12-$23)
What our editor said: "As I swept the brush from the roots to the tips my eyelashes, I saw a visible lift. A few more coats gave them the same curvature my lost eyelash curler would have.
I let the mascara set before combing through a few more layers, which left them "big, wide, and strong" — as Beyonce said in her early 2000's track "Ego." (What? She was referring to someone's confidence). The fibres lengthened and thickened without ever clumping. The result: eyelashes so fierce, even the megastar herself would approve of them." — Jesa Marie Calaor, contributing writer, Beauty
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume and Curl Mascara
Item: Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume and Curl Mascara ($12-$24)
What our editor said: "For something that was supposed to transform my lashes, I expected some innovative brush tip. Instead, I found a pretty mundane one — there were zero gimmicks, no weird wand, and no spiky bristles. It only had a slight curve at the end, and it turns out that was all I needed. Combined with a buildable formula, I went from having barely there hairs to fanned-out fringe in just a few swipes. . . With just one coat, they looked visibly longer, lifted, and separated. Three more coats gave me extra long, fluttering lashes that had a slight curl.
[This mascara] is a lash curler, mascara, and miracle-worker in one — keeping my lashes in line." — JMC
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
KVD Vegan Beauty Go Big or Go Home Mascara
Item: KVD Vegan Beauty Go Big or Go Home Mascara ($13-$24)
What our editor said: "First of all, the tube itself is, dare I say, chonky. It feels heavy — like you're holding the weight of your eyelashes' future in your hands. What makes [this mascara] really cool, though, is that it's made with plant-based fats (as opposed to beeswax or other polymers) to give it its volumizing properties, and, boy . . . does it work.
Not only does the mascara not clump going on, but it also doesn't flake or — and I can't stress the importance of this part enough — budge, for a full day. What else could someone want?" — KC
If you want to read more, here is the complete review.
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