For many of us, mascara is an indispensable part of our eye makeup. Who doesn’t love curling, lengthening and volumising mascaras that give us full and lush lashes in just a few swipes?
Besides opening up your peepers, some mascaras also have additional benefits such as boosting lash growth, strengthening and even hydrating lashes. Here are our top picks for the best conditioning mascaras that not only make your lashes look good, but also keep them strong and healthy.
Best for: Sparse, short, and fine lashes
Lash care ingredient: Biotin Peptide, Provitamin B5 and vegan plant waxes
Our review: Want longer and fuller lashes? This product will do the job. The vegan mascara is enriched with lash conditioners Biotin Peptide and Provitamin B5 to create length and curl and nourish the lashes. The lightweight formula is also smudge-resistant and does not flake easily.
Best for: Droopy lashes
Lash care ingredient: Pearl extract, rosemary extract, lavender oil and avocado oil
Our review: This mascara not only gives your lashes an instant lift, it is also formulated with pearl extract to repair your lashes and keep them healthy. Softening wax also helps to create an ultra-light texture that is gentle on the lashes, coating them smoothly and evenly.
Best for: Sparse, thin lashes
Lash care ingredient: Caviar Care Complex
Our review: For a dramatic look, use Laura Mercier’s Caviar Volume Panoramic Mascara to get lashes with intense volume. The thickening mascara is formulated with the brand’s signature nourishing Caviar Care Complex, which protects and hydrates lashes for long lasting wear.
Best for: Those who struggle with clumpy lashes
Lash care ingredient: Hydrating Polysaccharide
Our review: You’re probably wondering why this mascara wand looks different from the regular wands you use. Well, the brush is made specifically for those who struggle with lashes that clump together as it helps to catch the lashes from the root and separate them for a thicker and more voluminous look.
Bonus: this lengthening mascara is also smudge-proof and has a comfortable formula that lasts all day – no touch-ups required.
Best for: Getting a dramatic curve without having to use an eyelash curler.
Lash care ingredient: Palmitic acid
Our review: What we really love about this mascara is the lift that it gives.
You don’t need too much curling before because the brush really grips the lashes at the roots and lifts them.
With just one coat, the ultra-black formula is able to lengthen thin, light lashes.
Best for: Sensitive eyes
Lash care ingredient: Avocado oil
Our review: The thick, densely bristled brushes add amazing volume to your lashes.
Once it sets, it does not budge, leaving you with a defined finish. The formula is also free of nasties and feels comfortable on the lashes and doesn’t irritate the eye area.
Best for: Voluminous lashes fast
Lash care ingredient: Lauroyl lysine
Our review: Want beautifully voluminous lashes in a rush? The YSL Beaute Mascara Vinyl Couture does just that with its ultra-concentrated black pigment and tapered bristled brush that creates instant length and volume without transferring to the under eye area.
Best for: Short, stumpy lashes
Lash care ingredient: Rose-cell extract so that lashes remain soft and supple.
Our review: This has a liquidy formula that coats lashes easily and doesn’t feel clumpy. It has less wax so it doesn’t flake even with 3 coats. Available at Lancome counters and stores.
Best for: Scant, short lashes
Lash care ingredients: Vitamin E and panthenol
Our review: Silica and ultra-light fibers boost volume weightlessly while vitamin E and panthenol nourish and condition every strand to boost growth. It glides onto lashes and gives them instant oomph that lasts all day without flaking or smudging too. Available at Urban Decay counters and stores.
Best for: Droopy, sparse lashes
Lash care ingredients: Neuropeptides and biotin
Our review: Gives lashes natural-looking definition with one coat and the advanced formula is clinically proven to make lashes look fuller and more lifted with a curl that holds all day. Available from www.8apothecary.com.
Best for: Thin, stumpy lashes
Lash care ingredients: Pro-vitamin B5 and blackberry extract
Our review: The brush applicator coats lashes effortlessly and the formula even has tiny extensions made of plant fibres for instant lengthening. The lash care ingredients condition lashes to make them fuller in time. Available at Sephora.
Best for: Weak lashes that break easily
Lash care ingredients: Beeswax and jojoba oil
Our review: Coats lashes with intense colour pigments but also leaves them feeling nourished and conditioned. After two weeks of use, it lessened breakage when we rubbed our eyes.
Best for: Sparse, short lashes
Lash care ingredients: Amazonian clay and vitamin C
Our review: Give lashes instant fullness thanks to the slightly thicker consistency of the formula. However lashes remain soft and fluttery all day. Available at Sephora.
Best for: Dry, brittle lashes
Lash care ingredients: Panthenol, olive wax and rice extracts
Our review: Clump-free and fuller, this mascara transforms lashes instantly while its lash-loving formula nourishes and softens lashes making each strand stronger and thicker. Available at Sephora.
Best for: Brittle, breakable lashes
Lash care ingredients: Macadamia nut oil, vitamin B5 and bamboo extract
Our review: The lash nourishing and softening ingredients made lashes feel soft and hydrated so they’re more resilient. The formula also makes lashes look naturally long and defined. Available at Sephora.
Best for: Scanty lashes
Lash care ingredient: Peptides
Our review: This smudge-free, flexible coat mascara is souped up with peptides, an ingredient mostly used in anti-ageing skincare to rebuild and regenerate skin. On lashes, it reportedly boosts growth so that it’s longer and more fluttery. Available at Sephora.
