This $5 Mascara Has Earned Every Single One of Its 357,000 Reviews on Amazon (2025)

The winner of our most recent test, this YSL wand got perfect scores when it came to volumizing and lengthening, and performed best for being buildable. The rich, true-black hue "gives a sexy, dramatic look without being too clumpy," said one tester, though a couple noticed some flaking by the end of the day.

Still, multiple testers attested to its ability to withstand smudges even through tears, saying, "even when I rubbed my eyes, it didn't smudge." Overall? "A great mascara that gives volume and length in two swipes."

A hypoallergenic formula that won't irritate sensitive eyes, Lash Blast's comb-like wand and plastic bristles define lashes and give a natural-looking, separated look without adding too much bulk. Just take note that this pick may not be high-impact enough for those who love a dramatic look.

In our consumer tests, Lash Blast got high scores for smooth application, volumizing, lengthening and separating lashes, and the formula got near-perfect marks for water-resistance, too.

In a recent test, this tubing mascara climbed to the very top of the pack of all mascaras. Tubing mascara instantly mimics the look of lash extensions by encapsulating each lash in a tube-like coating, making it excellent for adding length to lashes. According to testers, it was the ultimate winner in curling, resisting clumping, flaking and smudging, best for adding volume and length, and it earned rare perfect scores for going on smoothly and for consumer satisfaction.

The tapered silicone wand was a hit, easily applying the perfect amount of product for "good volume and lengthening without giving a clumpy or spidery look," said one tester. "Love the way this coats my lashes with a great balance between volume and length without looking clumpy" raved another. At the end of the day, removing it is a breeze: "It comes off with water, and no rubbing is needed" noted a tester.

This winning formula strikes the ideal balance. It not only got perfect scores for going on smoothly and not causing irritation or redness, but the buildable formula doesn't clump or flake even with extended wear. "This formula is fantastic. I love how it made for natural lashes but it was buildable to a more dramatic look without being clumpy," said one tester, while another said, "made for a very soft, doe-eyed look."

And it stays put: "did not budge throughout the day; no smearing, smudging or flaking, yet was easy to wash off at the end of the day," said another tester. Despite its name, it only got mediocre scores for volumizing and curling lashes, but the spiky, flexible wand does a great job at separating and stretching lashes.

If you have short lashes, this lengthening powerhouse is the pick for you. In testing, it got a perfect score for not irritating eyes and was the best at lengthening lashes in our tests. Testers loved the inky, deep pigment of this mascara, saying "this is one of the deepest blacks I have tried."

Another praised the brush, saying, "the bristles on the brush are well-spaced and abundant, so it layers on the lashes easily and evenly." Keep in mind, though, it scored only mid-range for curling and volumizing, and some testers found it hard to remove.

With over 357,000 reviews on Amazon and a certified cult following on Reddit and TikTok, this mascara doesn't disappoint. For under $5, it delivers clump-free volume and serious length, living up to its name.

In a past Lab test, it ranked highest for lengthening and got similarly high scores for volumizing and curling lashes — a triple threat. Some testers found its tapered, bristled wand to be “too long and hard to get to all the lashes, especially the inner, smaller ones." The formula is thick enough to offer impact in one application, but thin enough to avoid clumps with additional coats, and testers liked its deep pigment and even granted it a perfect score for being non-irritating.

Testers praised Maybelline's Total Temptation for separating lashes, not clumping and creating a natural, subtle look that's perfect for everyday wear. The large brush has a bit of a learning curve, but offers smooth application that remains clump-free throughout multiple coats.

While it had low consumer scores for volumizing, one user said that "it made my eyelashes look thick and lush and it was super buildable." You'll just need one coat for long, separated lashes, but two to three coats delivers drama "with virtually no smearing ... even as the day goes on (and during yoga class!)."

While we haven't Lab tested this formula yet, the double-sided primer/mascara combination is a beauty editor favorite for sky-high, beautifully fanned lashes.

"The formula is the perfect consistency," raves one GH editor. "It's thick enough to add great impact in a single coat, but it never clumps and gives gorgeous separation to my lashes. It sets quickly, but never flakes. I also use it without the primer with results that are just as impressive." Just note that the primer can, at times, make lashes feel a bit crunchy.

Inspired by Dry Bar's iconic round brushes, this mascara’s innovative wand is designed to separate, lift and volumize lashes — like a professional blowout for your eyelashes.

The smudge-free mascara earned top scores with testers, who loved that the smooth formula offered long-lasting volume and "nice separation." The "great everyday mascara" scored highly for resisting smudges and going on smoothly, and 100% of testers agreed it wasn't irritating even on sensitive eyes, though some noted "a few fine flakes in the late afternoon." Still, it's "like a lash lift in a bottle," said one tester. "This one is a keeper."

Perfect for weddings, hot summer days and everything in between, this mascara doesn't budge. The clear winner among all of the waterproof mascaras we tested, consumers said it excelled in volumizing, lengthening and separating while also creating a natural look.

It scored high in every single category, except for one: easy removal (but to be fair, that's the whole point of a waterproof option!). The coverage was so voluminous after one application that a tester decided to forego her eyeliner, while another said it stayed on when she cried, sweat and even rubbed her eyes.

Longer lashes and flake-free coverage are a promise with this tube from IT Cosmetics. The results are so impressive that one of our consumer testers said, "Someone actually asked me if I was wearing fake lashes."

If you like dark, dramatic, in-your-face lashes, testers say "this mascara makes that easy and fast to achieve" with its rich, true-black formula. Our panel loved that while it resisted flaking exceptionally well, it was easy to remove at the end of the day, but some noted it has a tendency to clump. This mascara was a game changer for me," raved one tester. "I threw out all my other mascaras."

In Lab tests, this mascara scored tops for not irritating eyes and for resisting flakes. Several testers commented that it was comfortable to wear, saying, "I forgot I was even wearing it," and "lashes feel flexible," and "it gives mega length and volume but somehow doesn't feel heavy on the lashes."

Users had mixed feelings about its perfume-y scent that some found "unnecessary," though "not offensive." Testers reported that "it didn't flake or smudge at all throughout the day," yet it earned the top score for removing easily at the end of the day.

Our Beauty Lab experts evaluate performance (volume, length, curl, separation), wearability (flaking, smudging) and ease of application; we also send mascaras home to a panel of consumer testers who weigh in on their everyday performance in real life, too.

When our Beauty Lab pros test mascara, we start by rounding up hundreds of the most popular mascara formulas on the market and then whittle down the field. We test each product for performance, wearability, ease of application and consumer satisfaction. For waterproof mascara, the Lab monitors results as testers doused their mascara-coated lashes in warm water to see how well each product resisted smearing and running. We've tested hundreds of mascaras over the past decade, but in our most recent test, experts tested 10 mascaras individually and evaluated them across 40 surveys, resulting in over 100 data points and comments.

Since wearability outside the Lab is just as important as performance in the Lab, we also send mascara samples to hundreds of real consumers around the country. These women wear the product and weigh in on its performance, like whether it volumized, lengthened and curled lashes, or clumped, flaked and smudged under eyes through the day. In our penultimate test, our consumer use study was carried out on 402 testers, and we tallied results from 6,432 questions answered in addition to compiling results from 3,766 people on their eye makeup habits.