I am a mascara girlie through and through. My lashes are basically translucent, so it’s been a constant in my makeup bag since I was allowed to wear makeup. In the many years since then, I have probably tried hundreds of mascaras and witnessed the evolution of clean-ish mascaras from “leaves a lot to be desired” to “downright amazing.”
And now, there are more effective clean-ish mascara options than ever. As it was time to replace my old mascara, I decided to test out a few popular clean-ish alternatives. You know—for research purposes.
Ofc, I documented my findings. And even though I’m a little camera shy, I decided to include photos to show what they looked like when applied. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.
Limitless Lash
Price: $28
Ilia
Price: $28
Formula: Lengthening
Colors: Soft Black
Other: Ophthalmologist-tested, safe for sensitive eyes, and safe for contact lens wearers
Easy to remove? Yes
Messy application? No
Cruelty-free? Yes
The brush for this mascara is so good, y’all. It’s double-sided. The shorter bristles add curl and volume, and the longer bristles add length. Plus, the longer bristles act as built-in lash separators, which results in a natural, feathery look.
The wand comes out with a small amount of product that’s easy to apply and layer without clumping or getting it all over my face. And the formula is infused with strengthening, conditioning ingredients like keratin, shea butter, and beeswax.
Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara
Price: $24
Caliray
Formula: Tubing, lengthening, water-resistant
Colors: Black
Other: Tube is 100% recycled ocean plastic
Easy to remove? Yes
Messy application? Slightly
Cruelty-free? Yes
If you abhor removing makeup like I do, you will love this mascara. While all the mascaras here are easy to remove, this one is by far the easiest.
I’ve worn it to work out (don’t @ me), and it doesn’t budge—even though I am, alas, a perspiring princess. Yet, it slides right off my lashes with just a little warm water and a gentle rub. Also, seeing the little tubes is somehow strangely satisfying.
It’s infused with nourishing argan oil, which makes the formula super creamy, but I also found it a smidge messy to apply. However, I’m impatient, so that could be because I was rushing. Overall, this is a great everyday mascara that gives natural-looking length and definition.
MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara
Price: $20
Tower 28 Beauty
Formula: Lengthening, volumizing, water-resistant
Colors: Jet Black
Other: Ophthalmologist-tested, contact lens safe, allergy-tested, and safe for sensitive eyes
Easy to remove? Yes
Messy application? No
Cruelty-free? Yes
If I said this mascara is like the leather bustier from that old identity theft commercial, in that it lifts and separates, am I dating myself? Maybe that’s just a weird, early-aughts thing that’s taking up space in my brain, and no one else knows what I’m talking about. It happens!
ANYWAY. As I said, this mascara lifts and separates lashes like nobody’s business, and it also gives some volume at the base. Love. Also, the perfect amount of product comes out on the brush, so it’s easy to apply and layer for more ~drama~. And it gives nice definition to my upper lash line. (If you have pale lashes like I do, you know the struggle of “floating lashes.”)
Lash-Amplifying Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara
Price: $19
Ami Colé
Formula: Lengthening
Colors: Rich Black
Other: Made from 87% natural-derived ingredients
Easy to remove? Yes
Messy application? No
Cruelty-free? Yes
I love the brush on this mascara. It’s an easy size to maneuver, even on lower lashes, and it has lots of bristles that give lashes a lovely, delicate look.
The formula contains shea butter and jojoba oil to help condition and strengthen lashes. But surprisingly, it remains on the drier side (in a good way, like it’s not super slick and goopy). This is a great, natural-looking option for every day.
Cleantopia Lash Blast Mascara
Price: $8
Covergirl
Formula: Volumizing, lengthening
Colors: Brown, Black Brown, Black, Extreme Black
Other: Ophthalmologically-tested and suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
Easy to remove? Yes
Messy application? Slightly, but initial smudges come off easily
Cruelty-free? Yes
Okay, stop. I am obsessed with how this mascara makes my lashes look. It definitely gave me the boldest result out of all the ones on here, and I love that my upper lash line looks so defined. This is the brand’s first plant-powered, clean, vegan mascara, and the formula contains cellulose plant fibers, aloe leaf extract, ceramides, and sustainably sourced rainforest maracuja oil.
As I noted above, I had some slight smudging while applying this, probably because the formula is a little thicker than some of the others (and because I am almost always rushing my mascara application). But those smudges were super easy to remove, and once this mascara dries, it is NOT budging. Bonus: Even with the thicker formula, it didn’t clump on me.
Also, I love that this comes in a couple shades for all the brown mascara babes out there.
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