Best Holiday Season Mascaras

A Roundup Of The Best Mascaras This Party Season Tried And Tested

Category: Beauty

Words by Emma Champtaloup

Nov 27, 2024

Eyes are my most favourite feature on people – the point of connection that we all interact with on a level deeper than we probably realise each time we lock eyes.

People’s eyes say a lot, so mascara is a beauty product that can speak volumes, as it coats the most looked-at feature in your daily life. It’s where people meet you, and where you meet them. So for me, mascara needs to honour that, and become a part of the communication.

Even though there is no denying the beauty of a fresh-faced, no mascara look, and one that seems to be increasingly popular. I still feel there is something that feels ultra feminine about mascara, opening up the eyes and adding a touch of magic to a face.

It’s a step I don’t often skip – and as we all know, eyes are the windows to the soul, so why not let them have a moment.

So, what's the best mascara?

Whether your lashes are long, short, thick, thin, curly or straight, finding the right mascara depends on the look you want – whether that’s a more subtle, natural look or a full-fledged batting eyelashes look, there are incredible options to choose from.

Big, fluffy brushes are great for adding volume, while skinny brushes can help with definition. Regular mascaras often use waxes, oils, and dyes to enhance your lashes, but if you find your mascara smudging, a tubing formula might work better for you. These new formulas coat each lash with tiny tubes that prevent smudging or flaking and tend to add length rather than volume, plus the easy removal works well for those with sensitive eyes.

And as I have been told, we be should changing our mascara every 4-6 weeks as they dry out, and are little magnet wands for germs, it’s easy to mix it up and try a few different ones – see our picks below.

Westman Atelier, Eye Want You, £42.00

Westman Atelier products are some of the best on the market. Founder Gucci Westman has spent years perfecting her makeup skills on the international runways and her celebrity clientele, to feedback and deliver exactly what we need with her exquisite product line. The new Eye Want You Mascara lives up to the brand’s spot-on reputation. In a striking bright red case, it not only enhances your eyelashes perfectly but is very much a gorgeous addition to the handbag. The mascara itself is all about versatility – the wand has a slight hourglass curve to it, and the bristles are short on one side and longer on the other, to help define lashes with ease, so no jolting wrist actions needed – helping to create beautiful, open, fresh-looking eyes. This mascara enables you to create a perfect every day, defined, lengthened lash, or if you want to up the drama simply add more coats, and the lashes take off without any clunks or lumps.

BYREDO, £40

Anything Byredo is a yes. This mascara is a particularly pretty product leveling up the packaging game. After wanting this mascara basically for the slick case (chic chili pepper on the shelf), I was thrilled to discover the naturalness and texture of this mascara. No clumps, nothing dramatic, just a beautiful enhancement of what’s already there – the typical no makeup, makeup look effortlessly so. It feels like you are combing through your lashes as you apply, offering a fanning effect and beautiful definition. It is probably not for those who want a loud lash moment, but it’s a really beautiful product honoring your lashes without overdoing it. We love.

CHANEL, £36

If you are feeling for more drama, here Chanel has delivered some – Le volume De Revolution mascara is perfect for party night. It’s a very inky black with an old-school chunky bristle brush that picks up loads of product to volumise the lash. It’s quite a wet consistency so give yourself a bit of drying time after application to avoid smudging!

ILIA, £28.00

I love everything Ilia, with hydrating and conditioning formulas, the colors and textures are some of the best out there, that you know are supporting your skin and face. I am hooked on their lip products so was very excited to try this mascara, and the hype was true. It gives a beautiful definition to the lashes, and the beautiful ultra-black pigment is super easy to remove, making sure your lashes are safe! Because I have longer lashes I did notice some smudging on the upper lids, but if you are patient and stay looking down for 30 secs to let them dry, this shouldn’t be a problem.

MAYBELLINE Great Lash, £7

The OG – I discovered Maybelline Great lash on one of my first shoots when I was about 15. I remember the makeup artist applying it to my eyes telling me to start near the top of the lash and almost roll it down the lash to the lashline, then wiggle it to almost lock it into the lashes at the very base, then glide it back up the lash from there – I still use this technique today, and I still always come back to this mascara. It is probably my most trusted mascara, it lengthens and thickens the lashes in a big way (hence the name) but doesn’t remain clunky. You can easily build it up for more drama, which I sometimes do, or keep it slightly fresher with fewer strokes for day to day. Plus as you should be changing mascara every 4 weeks (eek!) this mascara is a super affordable way to do so.

HOURGLASS Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, £31.00

This mascara is a cult favourite amongst those who know their products. It contains weightless pigments to coat and extend the lash in one swipe, keeping the lashes set in place, with no weighing down, giving a fanned-out finish with extra length and definition, with little risk of clumps. The tube-like film slides off with warm water so is super easy to remove which for me is essential to not lose any lashes in the process!

REFY, £20.00

Refy is the most recent brand to try and reimagine the traditional mascara wand, and with thousands of videos and hundreds of thousands of likes on TikTok, its Lash Sculpt Mascara has very much caught our attention with its hook-like design. Initially, I found using this was tricky to navigate, and I can’t say it was love at first go, but after a few uses, I learnt how to hold and apply this wand. The wand is very curved. The best way is to go in with the bristles tilted slightly upward and pull the comb through my lashes. The formula is beautiful – thin, silky, and super glossy and the waxes (carnauba, candelilla and synthetic beeswax) lightly coat the lashes to help lift and actually stay in place.

VB Vast Lash Mascara, £32.00

VB has topped the charts with her beauty line, and we are big fans. Her smudge-proof volumizing mascara is a beautiful addition to the brand. The formula is lightweight and smooth, it doesn’t necessarily curl or hold curl as well as other lifting mascaras, but the benefits outweighed this; the glossy black finish, dramatic volume in a single coat, lack of clumping, and of course the fact that it didn’t flake or smudge. The mascara wipes off using a gentle sliding motion with warm water, it’s one of the easiest mascaras to remove without losing any precious lashes. This mascara is top level quality, as can be expected with any product Victoria puts her name to.