Mascara 2021 Recap: The good, the bad, and the flaky
This March in honor of March Madness for those of us who know more about beauty products than basketball I decided to go on a quest to find the absolute best mascara out there for you guys!
Here were the rules: mostly that there were no rules. I just picked mascaras I had heard good things about or from reputable brands. I would wear one on one eye of lashes and one on the other and the public would vote on my Instagram. I did however realize that my lashes on my right eye were better than the lashes on my left eye so a few days into the competition comparison photos were all of the mascaras on my right eye.
Evaluation of each below!
Longest Overall Win Streak (14 days) / Overall Winner: Maybelline Sky High mascara
Price: $11
Where to buy: Drugstores, Target, Ulta
Strengths: Length, volume, minimal clumping, no flaking, comb brush. This one went viral on TikTok for a reason. I had several of you purchase this and message me immediately telling me how incredible it is!
Runner Up: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara
Price: $23, but can be found in multipacks and often on sale
Where to buy: Ulta, Sephora, QVC (Mutlipack), Tarte.com
Highlights: Did beat Sky High in a one on one match up. Great lengthening & volume, can buy multipacks to lower the cost to drugstore level, best of the overall premiere brands. Minimal flaking.
Runner Up: Urban Decay Perversion mascara
Price: $25
Highlights: If you like a classic spoolie brush this is a great one. Spoolies give you a softer mascara look (combs give you really defined lengthen lashes). This was my go to for years! Beat Lights, Camera, Lashes in a head to head.
Best of the Clean Beauty Mascaras: Tarte Surfer Curl mascara
To be fair we didnt try that many clean mascaras BUT I really do love this formula!
Price: $23, but can often be found in multipacks or on sale
Where to buy: Sephora, QVC (multipack), Tarte.com
Highlights: lifts & curls lashes, organic / clean beauty product, often can be found in multipacks lowering the cost significantly.
Best Drugstore Clean Mascara: Honest Beauty Mascara
Price: $17
Where to buy: Target, Honest Beauty, Ulta, Amazon
Highlights: It is a little toughh to apply as the bristles on the applicator are realllllly short but the payoff is good. It also comes with a built in primer! It is a little on the high price end of drugstore mascaras, if you are really committed to Jessica Alba (this is her brand) it is worth a shot!
One Mascara I Really Liked but didn’t win: Benefit BadGal Bang! mascara
Price: $26
Highlights: I saw another girl doing a similar mascara comparison but just by what her favorites were (no public voting) and this was her overall favorite. A little on the higher side than I like to pay for mascara especially when the other ones are so good and you can get them in such cost effective ways BUT the payoff with this one is quick and long lasting. Pigment is super black and bold.
My least favorite mascara: NYX Worth the Hype mascara
Price: $8
Where to buy: Ulta, Drugstores
Highlights: Truly there were none…. I know this is an $8 mascara but I really think this is a wild misnomer. This product did absolutely NOTHING for your lashes until like the 3rd coat. Even then it was flakey. All in all while I do think that NYX has some great products this one is not worth the hype.
Biggest Loser: Tarte Lash Paint mascara
Pice: $23
Where to buy: Ulta, Sephora
Highlights: Honestly, this one didnt get a single vote from anyone against a drugstore mascara. This honestly might be the least effective mascara I have ever tried. I was honestly shocked because generally I LOVE all of Tarte’s mascara but this one aint it! Save your money!