15 best mascaras for length and volume, tested by a beauty writer with short lashes

If you have blonde lashes, you’ll know how annoying it can be to seemingly finish coating every lash only to turn your gaze downwards to reveal a white blonde lash line. This is something I’ve become used to over the years and is, aside from the occasional lash tint, part and parcel of the fair-hair experience – or so I thought.

Milk Makeup’s high roll mascara wand somehow gets underneath the lashes in a way that reaches both the top of the lash line and encapsulates the hairs. This surprised me, given the fairly straight and narrow design of the spoolie. What’s more, the formula enables you to apply multiple coats without any clumping. It also gives some serious volume at the root. I reach for this product all the time and have no doubt I’ll be repurchasing after I’ve scraped every last ounce out of my current tube.

Finding a budget-friendly mascara that applies and wears like a dream is often a thing of, well, dreams. If you’ve heard everyone wax lyrical about Maybelline’s lash sensational sky high mascara, you may have written off this one but do not overlook ‘great lash’. This is a do-it-all product that effectively lifts, curls, lengthens and defines, leaving your lashes looking gorgeous and wispy, all for less than £10.

Complete with its single-sided applicator, Refy’s lash sculpt is not only unique but actually does what it says on the tin: sculpts your lashes. The spoolie is crescent-shaped and, contrary to expectation, curves in the opposite direction to your lashes (no, you can’t flip it). Somehow, it works, with the outer edge of the brush gripping those hard-to-reach outer lashes, while the petite tapered end reaches the stubby, previously inaccessible ones towards the inner corner of the eye.

It’s a bit clunky on the bottom lashes and doesn’t lend itself to multiple coats but the formula is reliable and neither smudges nor crumbles. It’s a product I genuinely reach for in my day-to-day routine.

As someone with naturally poker straight/droopy lashes, I’ve always been sceptical about curved spoolies on mascaras, deeming them more of a gimmick than a productive feature. With Lancôme’s lash idôle mascara, however, this isn’t the case. While those with straight lashes will still reach for a lash curler, once your lashes are curled, Lancôme’s brush helps to plump the curl even further.

It’s best to be sparing with this water-based formula, to prevent weighing down the curl, but I enjoyed how easy it is to coat the lash from root to tip in just one pass, thanks to the spoolie’s lash-hugging shape. My one bugbear is that the cumbersome size of the brush doesn’t bode well for the clumsy among us. On more than one occasion, I caught my eye while applying this formula and, as is always the way, blinked the product onto a full face of make-up – not ideal.

This mascara impressed me from the first swipe until the end of the day. I’m not normally one for a fibre brush and, more often, reach for plastic/silicone spoolies. However, this one separated every lash; looked just as good whether I’d opted for a hasty or precise application; and maintained all the height from my lash curling. The formula neither clumps nor smudges, and the fact it happens to be water-resistant is a bonus. Full marks, no notes.

I’m obsessed with both Clinique’s black honey almost lipstick and the matching lip oil, so, naturally, I had high hopes for this mascara. Initially though, this product had me letting out a sigh of disappointment as, from the first stroke, it appeared as though nothing had come off the spoolie. As I continued to brush the product through all my lashes, however, the subtle burgundy hue began to develop, giving my lashes a natural definition, as though they’d been freshly tinted.

With this formula, your eyes are left looking bright and awake – especially blue/green eyes, thanks to the magic of colour theory – in a way that would leave passers-by none the wiser that you’re wearing make-up. It’s perfect for those ‘no make-up’ make-up days. Plus, the brush is easy to use and forgiving to beauty beginners.

There’s no denying this is a premium product but I think it’s worth its price tag. Often, when mascaras are good at lengthening it’s because of some extra fibres in the formula. This isn’t something that bothers me, per se, but it does mean the finish is bolder than you might like. With the Givenchy l’interdit couture mascara, the formula coats every lash but does so without pushing clumps of lashes together. Rather, it pulls the lashes apart, to give the appearance of a wispy, full lash line, without the heaviness of extra fibres or a thick, gloopy formula. It does, however, have the sort of brush that’s bound to encourage smudge accidents but, in my opinion, the final results are worth it.

Brown mascaras are great when you want to draw attention elsewhere – for instance, to a red lip or shimmering highlighter – and the Diorshow iconic overcurl mascara is a top pick. That’s not to say it makes your lashes look ‘less than’. In fact, it leaves them looking – much like Clinique’s black honey option – like perfect natural lashes. We’re talking full at the root, defined at the tips and expertly combed without even a hint of product detectable. It’s a tad clunky when it comes to coating your bottom lashes but, if you’re aiming for the barely there look, bypassing the lower lashes might not be the worst idea.

When I removed Lancôme’s hypnôse drama brush from its tube, I found quite a lot of product exits with it and, from first glance, it appeared quite clumpy, as though it would be a nightmare to distribute. I’m pleased to say this wasn’t the case, however – rather, the cluster of fibre bristles ensured every hair was reached, without slicking them all together. The finish is bold, with a thick lash line and volume throughout. I wouldn’t say it’s an everyday mascara (unless you’re one for a daily sweep of eyeshadow and liner) but it’s definitely a top pick for a night on the town.

Mascaras are among Benefit’s most iconic products and, as evidenced by my two Benefit inclusions here, they don’t let you down. The original they’re real mascara was my poison of choice as a late teen and I wasn’t actually familiar with the magnet edition, despite it being released back in 2021. Comparing the product on just one eye versus my naked lashes on the other, it was clear the unique, magnetically charged brush was working wonders. Despite coating my lashes with several layers of the formula, they weren’t weighed down. Rather, my lashes appeared tall, flicking upwards at the outer corners, for a sultry effect.

As the day wore on, those several coats did begin to smudge around my under eyes – something the original formula didn’t do – though, even with this, it didn’t appear as though the product had dissipated from the lashes themselves, leaving a glamorous finish from dawn until dusk.

I’ve long been a fan of By Terry’s ‘terrybly’ mascara (£39, Cultbeauty.co.uk), so I was intriguied to try out this mascara. I found an exceptional product. The unique, wide-spaced bristles made for easy application. Even a novice can get professional results with this brush.

The brush head has clusters of different bristles. There are densely-packed bristles for volumising on one side and, on the other, spaced out bristles for lengthening. I preferred the latter type, as it easily reached between every eyelash. The brush head is long, too, which makes it easy to reach the inner and outer hairs in just one sweep.

As for the formula, I loved the keratin, protective jojoba oil and soothing rice, and they all felt light on my eyes. However, I found that this same jojoba oil caused the formula to smudge under the lower lash line. I have oily skin, so there’s a strong possibility that my shine-prone complexion was to blame, but it was a bit of a pain nonetheless.

Hate the way false lashes obscure your eyes but love how they create extra height and volume? This recent Lancome launch might just be the trick. Released at the start of 2025, the newer lash idole iteration keeps the original formula’s definition but swaps its curl power for a serious length boost. As someone with blonde lashes that get very fine and sparse towards the ends, I loved how this mascara brought them to light, giving the appearance of extra height and a fuller lash line.

I found that the product stayed put on my lashes without smudging and, though the sharp bristles did nudge some product onto my eyelids, this was quickly remedied with a cotton bud.

Though a more premium pick at its full price, Gucci’s le magnetisme mascara is a must if you want to achieve Audrey Hepburn lashes (the actress famously separated every single lash with a pin). This is thanks to the wand’s sharp bristles and dual construction, which coat the lashes with pigment from two angles. This also ensures that the brush can reach even the outer and innermost hairs, no matter how fine or fair they appear. On me, this gave the illusion of a wider lash line and, as a result, bigger peepers – something I’m definitely not opposed to.

I did need to scrape off the excess formula on the inside of the tube but, once this was sorted, I was able to fluff around the roots and pull the pigment to the ends of the lashes for a clean, separated finish.

If you’re on a budget and want a more dramatic lash to accompany that smokey eye or bold eyeliner, then Elf’s lash xtndr will be the way to go. Don’t be fooled by the simple tapered spoolie, those miniature bristles get in between every single lash to ensure thickness and length exactly where you want it. Think: a bold lash line and fluttery, floaty tips. With all this for less than £7, you’d think there had to be a catch? Well, there is – but it’s avoidable.

If you suffer oily under-eyes, you might see some product smudging under the bottom lashes; however, if you’re one to top up on setting powder anyways, a quick dusting under each eye shouldn’t prove a hardship. After trying this out myself, I was able to negate the issue entirely.

If you’re one to get a lash perm or LVL (length, volume and lift) treatment, you’ll know the annoyance of irregular regrowth. This is when lashes grow in the time after your perm, leaving you with new hairs shooting down while the permed lashes curl upwards. An eyelash curler may seem a quick fix, but as soon as mascara hits the natural lashes, they’ll drop once more. The solution? A tubing mascara. Specifically, Blinc’s lash extension tubing mascara.

It has a lightweight formula, meaning it won’t cause the lashes to fall flat, and is designed to resist sweat, sebum and humidity. Where regular mascaras paint the lashes with pigment, tubing mascaras use polymers (mouldable solids) to encapsulate – tube – the lashes from all sides.

Water is the primary ingredient in Blinc’s lash extension mascara, so it doesn’t require heavy make-up remover to wash off. In fact, you can soak off the product using warm water and a fluffy flannel or cotton pad – you can even do it by gently massaging your lashes between your fingertips. This takes longer than using cleansing oil but, as our lash perm care guide explains, these oils can shorten the life of your LVL when used in excess.

After curling my lashes, the lash extension mascara made it easy to grab onto every hair. The wand is petite, so I could deftly coat the inner and outer lashes without catching my skin, and the formula lasted all day. Given how it left my lashes looking evenly lifted, I’ve come to love using it as my bi-monthly lash perm begins to wear off.