Best Budget Beauty Mascaras

January 13, 2021

Today I’m excited to share a budget beauty roundup for the new year! A few of my holy grail products are from L’Oreal and long-time readers know the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara and Primer have been my go-to’s since the day they launched. It was love at first swipe and based on some of your feedback I decided to give a few other formulas a try. I’ve partnered with Walmart to give you a closer look at some new favorites! Read on to see how they held up on my super straight lashes.

L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Primer and Waterproof Mascara

First another look at my favorites the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Primer and Waterproof Mascara. The primer has a light pink tint which I find helpful so you can actually see that you’ve coated your lashes evenly. I apply the mascara on top when the primer is still wet for the best results. This has been the best formula for my straight lashes. It holds the curl and does not smudge while adding volume and length. It does take a good remover to take off at the end of the day but I don’t mind the extra work if it means I don’t have racoon eyes by afternoon!

L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara

The L’Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara has been rated one of the best consistently among magazines and I tried it many years ago and couldn’t remember what I thought so I decided to give it another try. I really like the volume it gives and it did not smudge on me. I think it’s a good everyday no-fuss kind of mascara. I prefer the other formulas I tried for holding the curl but if you don’t have issues like me I do think this is a good one to try out. (I’m going to try the waterproof version of this next.)

L’Oreal Telescopic Lengthening Mascara

There are a few formulas of the L’Oreal Telescopic Lengthening Mascara and I tried both the Regular formula (gold tube) and Waterproof formula (blue tube). This has a super skinny rubberized wand with a four sides. The flat sides allow you to load product onto the lashes while the comb/teeth separate and lengthen product. This is the best lengthening formula I’ve tried. I was impressed that both formulas did not smudge and held the curl. If you want more volume you can layer this one with 2 coats (or layer another formula on top). But if you want length this is a great one. I can also use this on my bottom lashes without getting product on my skin. I prefer the regular formula since it’s easier to take off at the end of the day. Since it doesn’t smudge on me I give it a huge thumbs up! It held up during a sweaty workout too.

L’Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara

The L’Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara has a chubby bristle brush and gives mega volume with a few coats. I like that it’s not clumpy but coats the lashes with an even semi-thick layer of product to add serious volume. It feels weightless like the name implies so it’s not heavy at all. You will need to give the bottle a couple pumps to get it going.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara

My new holy grail is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. I tried the regular washable version and it has rubberized applicator. This coats the lashes evenly, adds volume in a natural way, applies smoothly without clumping. I just ordered the Waterproof version to try in the next week to compare, but I love the regular formula. It holds the curl, doesn’t smudge, adds length and volume.

My top two favorites out of the new ones I tried are the L’Oreal Telescopic and Maybelline Sky High. I still really love the L’Oreal Lash Paradise but sometimes it’s nice to have other options to rotate with. I’m even more thrilled to find non-waterproof formulas too that don’t smudge so taking it off at night is easier! I feel lucky I haven’t had any recent fails with mascara testing. I will be adding more to my try-on list so if you have any suggestions let me know!

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