The best budget mascaras under £12 – for every lash effect you could ever desire

The best mascara for a feathery effect:

Nyx Professional Makeup Worth The Hype Waterproof Mascara, £10

Waterproof mascaras are fantastic if you have watery eyes or for events where you know the tears are going to come (hello, wedding day makeup), and this is a great budget option. As well as the waterproof formula, it has a lovely chunky brush making it very easy to coat all lashes in just a few swipes and the spaces between each bristle helps create that soft feathery look.

The best mascara for inner corner lashes:

Avon Legendary Lengths Mascara, £9

Available in both inky black and brown-black, this is an excellent budget option that gives you change from a tenner. It has quite a small tapered brush, making it a great choice for getting the teeny tiny lashes in the inner corners of the eyes coated and making coating bottom lashes much easier.

The best blue mascara:

3ina The Colour Mascara 850, £7

Are you looking to step away from the usual black or brown? 3ina is known for having a wide range of great shades across all of their makeup, but they probably have the widest colour selection when it comes to mascara. As well as this playful bright blue, they also have green, pink, yellow (!) and burgundy, which is super flattering.

The best waterproof mascara:

Beauty Pie The Perfect Waterproof Mascara, £12 for members

It’s quite a big claim to call your product ‘The Perfect Waterproof Mascara’, but this does live up to the title. It has a fairly narrow brush, which makes coating every lash in the jet black formula really easy. The formula stays put for a dip in the pool (trust us, we’ve tried it on holiday) and on hot, humid days when others can melt down your face. Unlike many other waterproof mascaras it doesn’t feel dry or powdery but you do need a good cleansing oil or cleansing balm that you can really massage into the lashes to break it down.

The best brown mascara:

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Pro Stylist, £10.99

Whether you’re looking to create a slightly less defined and more natural look, or you simply prefer brown mascara over black – this is a great option. The formula is a deep chestnut brown shade, great for fair hairs or paler complexions, but will also add definition to darker lashes too. The brush is curved to sit along your lash line, lifting and curling the lashes as you sweep it through.

The best defining mascara:

Revolution Lift & Define 5D Lash Mascara, £8.99

As the name might suggest, this mascara has the amazing ability to coat each and every lash all the way around, making each one stand out more. It comes with a fairly small and narrow wand, which makes it easier to grab even the teeny tiny lashes in the inner corner too.

The best budget mascara for travel:

Milk Makeup Rise Mascara, £9

Firstly, a caveat: this is the travel-sized version of this cult, bestselling mascara (the full size, which is double in size, is also double the price) however, we have this one in our makeup bag, and it has lasted an inordinate amount of time. So while it may be small in size, it’s mighty in its long-lasting capabilities and value.

The best budget mascara for fluffy lashes:

Revlon So Fierce! Big Bad Lash, £9.99

This shouty red-tubed mascara has, indeed, got a lot to shout about. Rich, glossy lashes are a go with this dual-sided wand, which takes care of no-holds-barred volume on its curved side and fanned-out separation on its flat side. And if that wasn’t enough, it gradually tints your lashes over time – we’re talking seven days’ use for long-term tint. Genius.

The best lengthening mascara:

Lottie London Superfake Mascara, £8.95

If you favour a skinny, short-bristled wand for maximum control, stop right here. And if you prefer lashes that err on the subtle side, don’t be put off by the name. Sure, some clever layering will give you a “super fake” finish, but just a couple of swipes will leave the perfect daytime flutter, with no flakes or smudges to be seen. No fake news here.

The best curling mascara:

Elf Lash N’ Roll Mascara, £6

We’re still in the dark about how a genuinely good brand can keep its products at such low prices. This mascara comes with a dual-sided wand. The curved edge creates lift, and fans lashes out whilst the flatter side combs through, making lashes look longer. The formula is vegan and cruelty-free, and it’s also smudge-proof.

The best budget mascara for lifting:

Collection Mile High Mascara, £6.99

Full marks for the name, and luckily you’re not paying £6.99 just for a play on words. You also get endless lashes. Enriched with bamboo extract for extra nourishment and a tapered brush that captures and coats even the tiniest hairs, delivering an all-over slick finish. Bravo, Collection.

The best budget mascara for keeping lashes lifted:

Maybelline Colossal Curl Bounce, normally £10.99

Thanks to brilliant beauty retailers and the offers they can conjure up, you will rarely have to pay full price for this bad boy so it’s often more around the £8 mark. It’s USP is a clever hairspray-like polymer that fixes your lash curl in place (because no one wants a midday droop). Like Revlon, this boasts a dual-sided bristle brush – the shorter bristles add volume, and the longer ones ensure effortless separation for that sought-after Bambi flutter.

The best plumping budget mascara:

L’Oreal Paris Collagen Mascara, £8.49

You only have to look at this fluffy, hourglass-shaped wand to realise it’s going to deliver on its promise. Infused with collagen (the plumping skincare go-to), L’Oreal Paris’ most affordable mascara to date isn’t just a one-trick pony. You get plumped lashes, sure, but it also gives 5-star length and separation, with minimal swiping energy required. Drama… but without the drama.

The best budget vegan mascara:

Rimmel London Kind & Free Lengthening Mascara, £9.99

If you take your beauty vegan seriously, then Rimmel’s offering is worth a go. Made with 99 per cent naturally derived ingredients, the creamy shea butter and biotin formula glides on with zero clumping. But don’t be fooled by this angelic-looking product. Inside the post-consumer-recycled packaging is a formula that delivers a seriously impressive false-lash finish, so you can polish your halo while you party.

The best hydrating budget mascara:

Barry M Insta Lash Mascara, £4.19

Not just a pretty pastel tube, this lengthening mascara gives an impressive ultra-black definition in a single swipe. It’s infused with Argan oil – a haircare favourite known for its hydrating and softening abilities. And in case you’re wondering, using an oil-laced mascara does not compromise its long-lasting abilities. This one stayed put all day (and night) without so much as a smudge.