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Best Mascaras for Volume — Tested & Ranked

Volume mascara does two things: coats each lash and builds thickness. These are the formulas that actually deliver on both — no spider lashes, no flaking.

✍️ My Beauty Centre Editorial Team⏱️ 6 min read🔄 Updated regularly

What makes a mascara volumising?

Volume comes from the formula (thickening waxes and fibres that coat each lash) and the brush (a dense, full brush deposits more product per stroke). Lengthening mascaras use lighter formulas and sparse brushes. Many mascaras claim both but deliver neither at full efficacy.

Top volumising mascara picks

Best overall: L'Oréal Voluminous Original Mascara

The benchmark drugstore volumising mascara. A thick, waxy formula and a dense brush that builds serious volume without clumping. Available in waterproof and regular. Consistently ranked as one of the best mascaras at any price point by professional makeup artists.

Best for impact: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High

A thinner formula than Voluminous but a flexible brush that separates while adding length and volume simultaneously. The most popular mascara in the world for much of the past three years. Builds beautifully with multiple coats without clumping.

Best premium: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes

A volumising, lifting mascara that also curls. The hourglass brush shape pushes lashes up from the root while depositing colour evenly. Significantly more expensive than drugstore options but the formula is genuinely impressive for both volume and curl retention.

Best for sensitive eyes: Physicians Formula Eye Booster

Ophthalmologist-tested, fragrance-free, and formulated for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Surprisingly good volume for a sensitive-formula mascara. Removes easily with warm water.

Application technique for maximum volume

  • Start at the base of lashes and wiggle the wand side to side before sweeping upward
  • Apply 2-3 coats, waiting 30-60 seconds between each for the formula to set
  • Apply to upper lashes only for everyday wear — lower lashes add drama but age the eye in daylight
  • Curl lashes before mascara (never after) for maximum lift
  • Clean the brush with a paper towel before your second coat to prevent overloading

Waterproof vs regular: Waterproof mascara stays put through heat, humidity, and tears but requires an oil-based remover and causes more lash breakage with regular use. Use regular formula daily, waterproof for special occasions.

Recommended products

L'Oréal
Voluminous Original Mascara
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Maybelline
Sky High Mascara
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Charlotte Tilbury
Pillow Talk Mascara
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e.l.f.
Lash N Roll Mascara
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Frequently asked questions

3 coats is the practical maximum for most formulas before clumping and flaking become significant. Build gradually — one coat for natural, two for definition, three for full drama.
Usually one of: applying too close to the waterline, using a formula too rich for your skin oils, or not using an eye primer. A light dusting of translucent powder under the eye before mascara creates a barrier that catches smudges.
3 months after opening — not 3 months from purchase. The pump in the tube introduces air and bacteria with every use. Using mascara beyond 3 months increases the risk of eye infections.
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