Best Mascaras That’ll Transform Straight, Short Lashes

When it concerns the available top mascaras, are we looking for massive volume, lift, and overall Vava Voom? If you’re not born with naturally curly and full lashes, you may have discovered that just a few coats of the wrong formulation results in clumping and the sad feeling of being weighed down.

Luckily, we’ve collected the best mascaras suitable for shorter lashes. When you browse our selection, you’ll see that our top picks are available with a wide range of formulas ranging from long-lasting waterproof and tubing; however, feel free to mix, blend, and layer. The makeup expert from New York City, J Guerra, advises beginning with a lengthening formulation, letting it dry, and then completing the process with a curling formula. “This combo can give your short, straight lashes the ultimate boost.”

The makeup expert Amrita Mehta suggests curling from the lashes’ tips downwards for application. “When applying mascara,” she claims, “I first focus on building at the base, then work my way to the tip of the lashes in a zig-zag pattern to create lift, volume, and separation.” But, while we’d love to rub with mascara and leave, some prep work could be far away. The makeup professional Molly R. Stern uses Shu Uemura’s eyelash curler to create a more eye-opening look before applying mascara. Benjamin Puckey gives his clients a midday eyelash lift using the hot eyelash curler. Puckey says this tool “works great at lifting lashes that already have mascara on them.”

We examine the top mascaras for tiny lashes. The options range from tried-and-true editors’ choices to high-end possibilities.

Our Top Picks:

1. Best Overall: Chanel Le Volume De Chanel, $38
2. Best Volumizing Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex, $29
3. Most Allure Accolades: Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara, $33
4. Most TikTok-Famous: Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, $13
5. Best Tubing Mascara: MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara, $27
6. Best Mascara for Round Eyes: YSL Beauty The Curler Mascara, $29
7. Best Waterproof Mascara: Cle de Peau Beaute Perfect Lash Mascara, $55

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• As per Mehta, The Chanel Le Volume De Chanel mascara will “give you (as the name implies) the volume you’re looking for.” This is mainly due to the acacia-based gum in the formula that, according to the makeup artist, “helps to quickly set, lift, and hold a curl — making it the perfect option for someone with short and/or straight lashes.” Mehta also quickly points out the bristles’ mixed length, which spreads the product evenly without creating clumps. The result? “A beautiful separated eyelash, which, in turn, has an eye-opening effect.”
• P.S. Guerra is also a fan of Chanel’s Noir Allure Mascara for its pro-vitamin B5-rich formula that is strong and a slim, flexible brush that “grips every lash and creates a beautiful fanned-out effect.”
• Don’t be a victim of the next huge beauty sale.
• An Allure Readers’ Choice Award winner, Too Faced’s Better than Sex Mascara provides volume, definition, and length to the most difficult of mascaras in one smooth product. For a long time, this darker-than-black formula has been a popular choice for beauty editors and editors alike due to its attractive hourglass-shaped wand that, according to Allure contributor Sable Young, “really helps to hug every lash” as well as increasing volume with each swipe. The cute packaging in pink and the playful name make it a more fun experience.
• Define and lengthen is the motto with Lancome’s Definicils High Definition Mascara, which is the mascara with the longest-lasting bristles. What makes it stand out from other mascaras- in addition to the numerous Best of Beauty and Reader’s Choice Awards -is the innovative brush. According to the company, it has the hedgehog-like pattern of a grooved bristle, which allows for a uniform distribution of product from the root to tip without any bunching. Select from three colors: Black, Deep Black, and Deep Brown.