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These Are the Only Mascaras You Should Ever Buy

Let’s say bye, bye, bye to clumpy, goop-y mascaras forever.

By Courtney Thompson Feb 15, 2017, 4:10 PM ET

For me, mascara is like Chapstick. I pretty much wear it every day, and consider it a basic life necessity. When I was a working in the city, it was one of many makeup products I applied daily. But now that my life is more mom-driven—comprised of school drop-offs, grocery store runs, playdates and soccer games—I am less inclined to throw on foundation and primer and do a full eye, but I still want to look…um…awake. And when you’ve spent half the night trying to convince your three-year-old that monsters aren’t under her bed, a little mascara (and a tinted lip balm!) is just what the doctor ordered the next morning.

That said, I’m not looking for va-va-va-voom lashes at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday. I want my eyes to pop in a way that’s subdued and natural-looking—and what I definitely, definitely do not want is clumping, goop-y mascara that I spend 30 seconds applying and then another ten minutes dabbing with a Q-tip. Conversely, some nights call for mega lashes, and for those occasions you want to turn to a big-time mascara that’s going to add volume and lift your lashes (and not do the opposite). So here we’ve rounded up the 15 mascaras that won’t fail you, whether you’re looking for low-key lashes appropriate for that parent-teacher conference tomorrow morning or party-time lashes that look as big and full as extensions. Starting at just $4, we promise you’ll find all of these to be worth their weight in gold once you make the investment.