12 Mascaras That Will Strengthen And Protect Your Lashes
If your lashes are in need of a dire pick-me-up, these mascaras will give them volume while helping to strengthen and protect them.
For many of us, our makeup just isn't complete without mascara. It helps to curl, lengthen, and create volume in our lashes, helping our eyes appear bigger.
But did you know that some mascaras also have additional benefits? These include 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: Thin lashes that get weighed down easily
Lash care ingredients: Lashfood’s patented Phyto-Medic complex, rice bran
Our review: A comfortable and conditioning mascara, this mascara gives length and depth without weighing your lashes down. Some users even report that their lashes still feel moisturised after using it for an entire day.
Buy it here.
Best for: Droopy lashes
Lash care ingredients: 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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
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.
Buy it here.
Text: Her World Team/HerWorld