The best volumizing mascaras offer the ultimate trifecta in lash enhancement: they lift, lengthen, and add density, visually transforming even the finest lashes into fuller, thicker ones. It’s the difference between taking your natural lashes from barely noticeable to impossible to miss—all without being clumpy.
Vogue’s Favorite Volumizing Mascaras
Whether paired with eyeshadow or the shining star against a bare lid, mascara is the finishing touch in your eye makeup routine—and no matter if your lashes are long, short, straight, or curly, there’s a perfect formula just waiting to make its way into your shopping cart.
In This Story
Best Overall: Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara
- Why We Love It: A longstanding bestseller, this cheeky named mascara is known for its hourglass-shaped brush with fluffy bristles. The mascara wand coats each lash, giving the ultimate doe-eyed look with lifted, fanned-out, and dramatic (think: beauty icon Shannon Tate) lashes. If you bat your lashes too much, you may create a light breeze (Kidding! But you get the point). Film-forming polymers contribute to a gravity-defying curl, while peptides and acacia senegal gum extract work to moisturize lashes and deliver a less gritty application. A single swipe offers dramatic-enough results, but a more-is-more approach is always welcome here.
- Benefits:
- Key Ingredients: Acacia Senegal tree gum extract, peptides
- Shades: 1
Best Subtle Volume: Chanel Le Volume de Chanel
- Why We Love It: A favorite of pro makeup artist Timothy MacKay, Chanel’s Le Volume is ideal for those seeking extra volume without an intense, false-lash look. It doesn’t skimp on curling, pigment, or lifting—your natural lashes will look thicker but in a natural-glam sort of way. A blend of natural waxes offer subtle yet buildable volume, acacia senegal gum locks in the curl, and jojoba esters keep lashes looking supple (bye-bye, flakey dried out lashes!).
- Benefits: Curling, lengthening,
- Key Ingredients: Rice bran wax, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, jojoba esters, acacia gum
- Shades: 3
Best Pigment: YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
- Why We Love It: YSL Beauty’s mascara delivers a hyper-pigmented lash without flaking or smudging for daily wear. Color choice ranges here from ultra-black for defined eyes, brown for a natural look, and electric blue for the adventurous beauty enthusiast. Formulated with a blend of waxes, film-forming polymers for extended wear, and soothing iris extract, this mascara will stand up to the challenge (quite literally, because your lashes will be super lifted) of a long day without the need for touchups.
- Benefits: fragrance-free, oil-free, silicone-free, paraben-free,
- Key Ingredients: Iris extract, long wearing film-forming polymers
- Shades: 3
Best Vegan: Ilia Fullest Volumizing Mascara
- Why We Love It: For the fullest possible lashes in a vegan-friendly formula, Ilia’s volumizing mascara is a natural choice powered by clean ingredients. Best of all, the lack of harsh ingredients means this mascara is extra gentle on your lashes (and ideal for those with sensitive skin), all while providing maximum lift, curl, and thickness. The extra fluffy hourglass-shaped brush evenly applies product to each lash, creating the illusion of density while still maintaining a weightless feeling. By the end of the day, you’ll still find your under eyes flake-free, and washing off this formula is a breeze.
- Benefits: Thickening, lifting, silicone-free, sulfate-free, cruelty-free, oil-free
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, panthenol, tocopherol, jojoba esters
- Shades: 1
Best Buildable: MAC Cosmetics MACStack Mascara
- Why We Love It: This MAC mascara promises dramatic volume and length for up to 24 hours of wear without smudging. Most notably, the buildable formula allows you go to bold—or bolder. One swipe does the trick for a more demure look, but those who prefer maximalism can keep layering without fear of clumping.
- Benefits: Volumizing, lengthening, long-wear, clump-free
- Key Ingredients: Copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, kaolin, vitamin B5
- Shades: 1
Best False Lash Effect: Lancôme Monsieur Big Volumizing Mascara
- Why We Love It: Monsieur Big is a fail-proof volumizing mascara—even if you positively hated the Sex and the City character of the same name as this beauty writer does. Thanks to wax fibers that smoothly coat lashes and the formula’s jet-black shade, your lashes will resemble falsies. Plus, emollient ingredients help prevent flaking once the product has dried out. By the end of the day, you’ll be pleased to have avoided any unsightly draining under your eyes or pesky flakes.
- Benefits: Thickening, hydrating, hypoallergenic, alcohol-free
- Key Ingredients: Water, caprylyl glycol, synthetic beeswax, beeswax
- Shades: 1
Best Curling: Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
- Why We Love It: Clean girl makeup enthusiasts, keep scrolling. To put it simply, Charlotte Tilbury’s Exagger-Eyes mascara is a sure bet for bigger lashes, exaggerated volume, thickness, and curl. The curved, fluffy brush ensures a precise application, catching even your inner corner lashes. Safe to say, you’ll achieve the dramatic, fanned out lashes of red carpet dreams with two slick swipes. Plus, jojoba esters in the formula help to nourish lashes from root to tip.
- Benefits: Lifting, lengthening, thickening, paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic beeswax, jojoba esters, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax
- Shades: 1
Best Skincare Benefits: Victoria Beckham Beauty Vast Lash Mascara
- Why We Love It: No matter the product, Victoria Beckham Beauty always manages to fortify its products with skin-loving ingredients. This mascara blends nurturing ingredients like microalgae and panthenol, giving them a fuller appearance over time from increased hydration. Meanwhile, niacinamide and vitamin E work together to help deeply condition lashes, preventing future breakage.
- Benefits: Conditioning, lifting, lengthening, cruelty-free, smudge proof, clean formulation
- Key Ingredients: Tahitian sea microalgae, panthenol, niacinamide, tocopherol (vitamin E)
- Shades: 1
Best for Bold Lashes: Pat McGrath Dark Star Mascara
- Why We Love It: Beauty icon Dame Pat McGrath certainly isn’t known for minimalism—all her runway looks and products are high-impact. And her mascara achieves exactly that. Despite the notable increase in thickness from just one swipe, its gel-like texture (thanks to a blend of both synthetic and natural waxes) applies smoothly, without being flakey or clumpy.
- Benefits: Lifting, paraben free, phthalates free, sulfate free, ophthalmologist-tested
- Key Ingredients: Synthetic beeswax, stearic acid, rice bran wax, hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Shades: 1
Best Drugstore: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High
- Why We Love It: This Maybelline mascara is the gold standard for the best bold lashes on a budget. Delivering both length and volume, the buildable formula provides long-lasting results thanks to its formulation containing polyurethane (a synthetic ingredient that extends makeup longevity). In terms of easier-to-pronounce ingredients, a combination of beeswax and carbon wax work to condition lash hair to prevent breakage. A viral choice on TikTok, fans of this mascara particularly love its flexible, spiky nylon brush that separates each lash, giving a fanned-out look.
- Benefits: Lengthening, lifting, buildable
- Key Ingredients: Beeswax, polyurethane, silica, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, bamboo extract
- Shades: 6
Best Nourishing Formula: RMS Beauty Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara
- Why We Love It: Look no further than RMS Beauty’s volumizing mascara for a clean formula that gives your lashes oomph without clumping. In addition to boosting their appearance, it treats each hair with its peptide-powered formula that helps condition and strengthen them over time. The result? Lashes that not only look fuller but are also healthier thanks to a high-performing formula free from harsh ingredients.
- Benefits: Smudge proof, flake resistant, cruelty-free
- Key Ingredients: Candelilla wax, shea butter, glycerin, copernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax, peptides
- Shades: 1
What is a volumizing mascara?
Not all mascaras are created equally; different types of mascaras yield different results. “A volumizing mascara is a fuller, more robust formula than a standard mascara, which bulks up the lashes, adding volume and density,” celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles explains. Professional makeup artist Kirin Bhatty agrees; adding that volumizing mascaras are also known for the tendency to add dimension to natural lashes, creating an open-eyed, fluttery look. According to professional makeup artist Timothy McKay, the differentiator of volumizing mascaras is not only in the formula, but the mascara wand itself. “The brush usually applies the formula on thicker and does not separate the way a more defining or lengthening mascara would,” MacKay tells Vogue.
How to Apply a Volumizing Mascara:
Bhatty reminds us that just two coats go a long way in adding both fullness and thickness to lashes for a dramatic result. For the best possible application, she suggests giving your lashes a good squeeze with your curler and then placing the brush at the root of your lash line. Next, wiggle the brush up- and outward to ensure lashes are sufficiently and evenly coated. Mackay adds that, especially with volumizing mascaras, it’s important to first neatly clean off the excess formula from the brush, before starting application process, to avoid clumping or uneven product distribution.
Stiles agrees, and using this application method has another unexpected perk. “One of the things I love the most about volumizing formulas is the way they create the illusion of eyeliner by pushing the mascara deep into the roots of your lashes,” says Stiles. “This also creates the appearance of denser lashes, adding a lot of depth and easily framing the eyes.” Stiles does caution that applying mascara to the bottom lashes can be tricky to achieve without clumping. “For bottom lashes, I’ll reach for a tiny fan brush or a clean spoolie dipped into the tube to get a clean, controlled application,” she adds.
Meet The Experts
- Fiona Stiles is a celebrity makeup artist with over 25 years of experience, whose clientele includes Gabrielle Union, Ashley Park, and Lily Collins.
- Kirin Bhatty is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lorde, Bel Powley, Kaya Scodelario, and more.
- Timothy MacKay is a New York based professional makeup artist with over a decade of experience. MacKay is the key makeup artist for the Women’s Sports Foundation, owned by Billie Jean King, where he works with female Olympic athletes.
