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Best of · Eyes & brows · 5 picks

The best mascaras.

Five mascaras compared by what they are built to do — volume, curl or length — with brush, shades, waterproof versions and UK price.

By Kaiser Khan, Founder & Editor Updated Editorial policy

Quick answer

What is the best mascara in the UK?

YSL Lash Clash is the best volumising mascara, with black, brown, blue and green shades, at £33. Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes is the luxury volume-and-curl pick, Too Faced Better Than Sex the hourglass-brush option, Maybelline Sky High the lengthening pick with nine shades, and L’Oréal Telescopic Lift the budget lengthener at £12.99.

Selection is editorial and never paid for. Prices are UK guide prices from official pages or named retailers when checked, and may have changed. How we chose.

Our top picks

The shortlist, by what each does best.

  1. Best for volume Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara Yves Saint Laurent Beauty · Extreme volume · 4 shades · 9ml
  2. Best volume and curl Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara Charlotte Tilbury · Curved brush · 28-hour claim · 10ml
  3. Best hourglass brush Better Than Sex Mascara Too Faced · Hourglass brush · peptides · 8ml
  4. Best for length Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara Maybelline · Flex Tower brush · 9 UK shades
  5. Best budget Telescopic Lift Mascara L’Oréal Paris · Double-sided brush · ceramides · £12.99

Side by side

How the picks compare.

Specifications are summarised from each official product page. Read across a row to see where a product fits; the detailed notes below explain the trade-offs.

Best mascaras: how the picks compare
ProductAwardFinishKey specGuide price
Lash Clash Extreme Volume MascaraYves Saint Laurent Beauty · Volumising mascara Best for volume Bold lashes Extreme volume · 4 shades · 9ml £33
Exagger-Eyes Volume MascaraCharlotte Tilbury · Mascara Best volume and curl Volumising Curved brush · 28-hour claim · 10ml £28 / $29
Better Than Sex MascaraToo Faced · Volumising mascara Best hourglass brush Volume and curl Hourglass brush · peptides · 8ml £28
Lash Sensational Sky High MascaraMaybelline · Lengthening and volumising mascara Best for length Length + volume Flex Tower brush · 9 UK shades See official page
Telescopic Lift MascaraL’Oréal Paris · Lengthening mascara Best budget Lifted length Double-sided brush · ceramides · £12.99 £12.99

Specifications from official brand pages; prices are UK guide prices from the brand’s official page or a named UK retailer, checked 25 September 2026. Prices and formulas can change.

The picks in detail

Why each one earns its place.

Strengths and limitations are drawn from specifications — texture, finish, shade range, filters, fragrance, price and availability — not from wear testing.

Best for volume

Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty

Lash Clash is YSL’s volume-first mascara, sold in black, brown, green and blue. The colour range lets lashes be the feature in more than one way, from a softer brown outline to a deliberate colour.

Format
Volumising mascara
Finish
Bold lashes
Key spec
Extreme volume · 4 shades · 9ml

What stands out

  • Black, brown, green and blue
  • Volume-focused formula
  • A travel size is sold
  • Separate waterproof version

Consider first

  • £33 for 9ml — the highest price here
  • The standard version is not waterproof
  • Volume can look heavy on very fine lashes
Read the full product guide Yves Saint Laurent Beauty official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £33

Best volume and curl

Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara

Charlotte Tilbury

Exagger-Eyes pairs Charlotte Tilbury’s Ultra-Curved Lash Styler brush with a volumising formula, claiming nine-times volume after one coat and up to 28-hour, smudge- and flake-proof wear. It suits lashes that need lift as well as fullness.

Format
Mascara
Finish
Volumising
Key spec
Curved brush · 28-hour claim · 10ml

What stands out

  • Curved brush for volume and curl
  • Up to 28-hour, smudge- and flake-proof claim
  • 10ml — the largest full size here
  • £28

Consider first

  • One shade, Exagger-Black
  • Volume and wear figures are brand claims
  • Sold by Charlotte Tilbury and its named retailers
Read the full product guide Charlotte Tilbury official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £28 / $29

Best hourglass brush

Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced

Better Than Sex uses an hourglass-shaped brush with curl-holding polymers and conditioning peptides. It is the pick for full, curled lashes from a single tube, in black or a softer chocolate.

Format
Volumising mascara
Finish
Volume and curl
Key spec
Hourglass brush · peptides · 8ml

What stands out

  • Hourglass brush for volume and curl
  • Peptides and acacia extracts
  • Black or Chocolate
  • Vegan-friendly, per Boots

Consider first

  • £28 for 8ml
  • The standard version is washable, not waterproof
  • Can look heavy if overbuilt
Read the full product guide Too Faced official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £28

Best for length

Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara

Maybelline

Sky High uses Maybelline’s Flex Tower brush and a bamboo-extract formula for length and volume, in nine UK shades from Blackest Black to Burgundy Haze. It is washable, with a separate waterproof version.

Format
Lengthening and volumising mascara
Finish
Length + volume
Key spec
Flex Tower brush · 9 UK shades

What stands out

  • Flexible brush designed to reach root to tip
  • Nine UK shades, including colours
  • Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, per Maybelline
  • Widely stocked on the UK high street

Consider first

  • Length first; less volume than the prestige picks
  • Specify washable or waterproof when buying
  • Colours read louder than black
Read the full product guide Maybelline official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: See official page

Best budget

Telescopic Lift Mascara

L’Oréal Paris

Telescopic Lift pairs a double-sided brush with a ceramide formula, claiming up to 5mm longer-looking lashes and up to 24-hour lift. At £12.99 it is the lowest-priced pick with a verified UK price.

Format
Lengthening mascara
Finish
Lifted length
Key spec
Double-sided brush · ceramides · £12.99

What stands out

  • £12.99 at Boots and Superdrug
  • Double-sided brush for length and lift
  • Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, per the brand
  • Waterproof version available

Consider first

  • Three shades only
  • Length and lift rather than dramatic volume
  • Easily confused with the original Telescopic and Telescopic Extensionist
Read the full product guide L’Oréal Paris official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £12.99

What to look for

Read the label before the award.

Volume, length or curl

Volumising formulas thicken; lengthening formulas separate and extend; curved or hourglass brushes help hold curl. Choose the one job you most want.

The brush

Brush shape changes the result as much as the formula. Flexible and double-sided brushes reach the roots; curved and hourglass brushes lift and fan.

Washable or waterproof

Most mascaras come in both. Waterproof formulas hold through humidity but need a suitable remover; do not assume the standard version is waterproof.

Shade

Brown gives a softer outline than black; colours such as blue, green or burgundy make the lashes the feature.

Sensitive eyes

Look for ophthalmologist-tested formulas if your eyes are sensitive or you wear contact lenses, and stop using anything that irritates.

Replace regularly

Mascara is applied close to the eye. Do not share tubes, and replace a mascara that has dried out or changed smell.

How we chose

Desk research, stated plainly.

This guide is desk research. We compared mascaras sold in the UK using the brands’ published formulas, ingredient lists, specifications and directions, together with UK prices from official pages or named retailers on 25 September 2026. None of the products was tested in a laboratory or worn by our editors for this guide.

We grouped mascaras by their main job — volume, curl or length — and compared brush design, formula, shades, washable and waterproof versions, sizes and UK prices. Wear and volume figures are reported as brand claims.

Awards describe fit — the job a product is best suited to — rather than a single overall score. Brand claims are reported as brand claims. No brand paid for inclusion, and shopping links elsewhere on the site do not influence which products appear here.

Questions

Best mascaras, answered

What is the best mascara for volume?

YSL Lash Clash and Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes are the volume-focused picks here; Too Faced Better Than Sex adds volume and curl with an hourglass brush.

What is the best budget mascara in the UK?

L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Lift, at £12.99, is the lowest-priced pick with a verified UK price. Maybelline Sky High is the other high-street option in this guide.

Are these mascaras waterproof?

The standard versions are washable. YSL, Too Faced, Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris all sell separate waterproof versions; check the name on the tube.

Which mascara is best for sensitive eyes?

Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris say Sky High and Telescopic Lift suit sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and Too Faced says Better Than Sex is ophthalmologist-tested. Stop using any product that irritates.

How often should I replace mascara?

Replace it when it dries out, clumps or changes smell, and never share it. Eye products carry a higher risk of contamination than most makeup.

Sources

Where the facts come from.

  1. YSL Beauty UK — Mascara Lash Clash (opens in a new tab)
  2. Charlotte Tilbury UK — Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara (opens in a new tab)
  3. Maybelline UK — Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara (opens in a new tab)
  4. L’Oréal Paris UK — Telescopic Lift Waterproof Mascara (opens in a new tab)
  5. Yves Saint Laurent Beauty — Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  6. Charlotte Tilbury — Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  7. Too Faced — Better Than Sex Mascara, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  8. Maybelline — Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  9. L’Oréal Paris — Telescopic Lift Mascara, official product page (opens in a new tab)

All sources checked . Spotted an error? Email desk@thecastindex.com or read our corrections policy.

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