The Best Mascaras For Curling Lashes

Let's face it — pretty much all of us dream of having long, voluminous lashes. While lash lifts and temporary false eyelashes can offer incredible results, they aren't always all that safe or affordable. But finding a good mascara isn't always easy. Bad mascara can lead to clumps or smudging, which we all know is not a good look. It's no wonder that when you find a great mascara, it quickly becomes a staple in your makeup routine.

So, we've done a little research. We've tracked down the top 14 mascaras that really work. These are the makeup artist-approved mascaras that will give you loads of curl, tons of volume and absolutely no clumps. Plus, they'll last you all day long, giving you that fresh, awake look for hours on end. Without further ado, get ready to bat your eyelashes. Here are our top picks for the best mascaras for curling your lashes.

Lancôme is a Parisian brand known for high-quality, sophisticated beauty products. Their Lash Idôle Mascara is one of their classic items. As Woman & Home notes in its review of the mascara, it was created after decades of scientific research. The mascara wand itself has 360 micro-bristles and the formula is made with white tea extract to ensure that your eyelashes are perfectly curled and evenly coated with no clumps. It even helps to strengthen your lashes in the long run. The formula reportedly feels lightweight and is great for layering, so you can build up long lashes without making a mess of your eyelids. In fact, it claims to open your eyes by 140%.

Not only does the Lash Idôle Mascara really work, it will also look great on your bathroom shelf or in your makeup bag. With its stunning rose gold and black packaging, this tube of mascara looks like something straight out of a French drugstore.

Zendaya herself apparently uses this mascara. "It literally stays put all day long — I often forget I even have it on," she told InStyle. Well, we are totally sold.

On the more affordable end of our list of picks is the L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Curved Brush Mascara. While this may not be a designer brand, L'Oreal certainly delivers with this product. The Voluminous mascara line has been around for a while, and in the time it's been on drugstore shelves, it's established itself as one of the all-time best mascaras. This version of the famed mascara's curved brush curls by pushing and lifting the lashes away from the eyelid while fanning them out to create the illusion of more volume. It's no wonder it has a 4-star rating on the L'Oreal website.

If you're hoping to add curl and volume, this is the brush and the formula for you. "When choosing a curling mascara, the wand is very important, but also the formula," Paris-based makeup artist Andreea Ali told Byrdie. The formula helps to hold the curl, while the curved brush helps to lift the lashes and fan them out, creating volume.  

Glossier, known for its Millennial pink packaging and minimalist "clean girl" branding, has quickly become a cult favorite brand for fans of that "no-makeup makeup" look. And its mascara is one of those products that we just keep seeing everywhere. Apparently, the product took 18 months to develop and 248 different formulations before its launch (via Marie Claire). But, in the end, it's become a Millennial favorite. As one editor wrote for PopSugar, "One coat leaves you with that 'your lashes but slightly better' look, which is perfect if all you need is a little oomph." In other words, this mascara is perfect for curling and lifting your lashes in a natural way that doesn't look fake.

It's no wonder people like Michelle Obama and Holly Willoughby are fans. As Obama's makeup artist told The Cut, she wore this mascara for the 2021 inauguration — and we have to say, she looked amazing. As for Willoughby, her makeup artist has also revealed that this is the TV presenter's go-to (via Red).

Chanel's Le Volume de Chanel Mascara is one of those products that seems to offer the full package — curling, color, length, and drama. The brand describes this product as "a mascara that offers instant volume from the very first stroke for longer, plumper and thicker lashes."

"I love it because it's an intensely black mascara that does it all!" said Andrea Tiller, a celebrity makeup artist. "With only two coats you can get a dreamy false-lash effect. It's a staple in my kit that I can't live without," she told Vogue. 

Emma Roberts also loves this Chanel mascara. "I love the Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara," she told Harper's Bazaar. "It makes me look so much more awake and I like that the formula is really dark." This mascara also made an appearance in "The Suicide Squad," as Allure noted that the product was used for Harley Quinn's eye look. Clearly, this product is doing something right!

Gwyneth Paltrow is the Creative Director of Juice Beauty, whose Phyto-Pigments Ultra-Natural Mascara offers an all-natural formula containing aloe leaf juice, candelilla wax and purple carrot. It will add rich color, give you that curled look, and volumize your lashes, all while conditioning and protecting them.

Paltrow isn't just a member of the team that creates and sells this mascara; she's also a big fan of it herself. While showing off her daily makeup routine to Vogue, the actress described the product: "It's a clean mascara that works beautifully, which is really hard to do."

Apparently, this product was especially hard to create. As Paltrow explained in a video for Ulta Beauty, "When I spoke to other people in the natural makeup industry, they always say mascara is impossible to do with all natural ingredients and we have a lot of trouble with it." Paltrow went on to explain that when applying this mascara, you need to use a slightly different technique than the one you might use with traditional mascaras, as you need to let each coat of this one dry before building it up. But if you're after an all-natural mascara that will give you plenty of length and volume, this is the one for you.

Want to look like a living doll, complete with curled, fluttery, glossy lashes? Lancôme's Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara might just be the product you've been looking for. One beauty writer for Into the Gloss noted that she couldn't help but keep coming back to this mascara because of its unique cone-shaped applicator and the one-of-a-kind FiberShine formula that offers gloss, weightlessness, and a bit of drama. 

Kim Kardashian also loves the Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara  — in fact, she calls it one of her favorite mascaras "in the entire world." In her Vogue makeup routine, Kardashian explained that she likes to layer both this mascara and Charlotte Tilbury's Legendary Lashes mascara for the ultimate dramatic lash look. "It's good to layer and mix," she said after experimenting with both. Based on her final result, we totally agree.

Looking for a "get-out-of-jail-free card for short and sparse lashes"? According to Hourglass, their Unlocked Extreme Length and Definition Mascara is sure to do the trick. This mascara promises to take short, straight lashes and give them both curl and length. Think of it as extension-less extensions.

Based on the reviews, this product does exactly what it says on the tin. What makes this mascara special is that it is versatile enough to suit all lash types. "Unlocked is a completely different formula and further builds the credibility of the brand in truly owning this make-up category," Margaret Mitchell, Space NK's chief merchant told Vogue. "As a tubing mascara, it is smudge proof and easy to remove, but it has the exceptional lengthening and separating benefits which are second to none."

The only downside, according to one Glamour reviewer, is that this mascara is not exactly water resistant. But for this amount of curl, we're willing to risk it.