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9 best waterproof mascaras for lengthened lashes that won’t flake or smudge

Go for a balm or oil-based eye make-up remover or cleanser when removing water-resistant products (iStock/The Independent)
Go for a balm or oil-based eye make-up remover or cleanser when removing water-resistant products (iStock/The Independent)

A great waterproof mascara is a holy grail make-up product. Long, voluminous lashes are the fastest way to look more awake and to finish off your eyeshadow work, but panda eyes are never far from normal formulas.

Waterproof options are well known and loved for their staying power, and since the weather is heating up and we’re still wearing face masks, finding one that won’t smudge, clump, smear or flake is essential to keeping your make-up intact.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been putting waterproof products to the test and have narrowed it down to the top nine, rating each on staying power, ease of application, types of wands and bristles, along with how easy they are to remove.

As they are designed to resist water, we’d recommend using a specific eye make-up remover or a cleanser with a rich texture, such as a balm or oil, to remove every scrap and avoid the dreaded panda eyes.

Spanning luxurious brands and budget beauty buys, we tested these products during downpours, facials, sunny days and even in the shower to find the very best waterproof mascara money can buy.

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You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

The best waterproof mascara for 2021 are:

  • Best overall – Bobbi Brown no smudge waterproof mascara: £25.50, Bobbibrown.co.uk

  • Best for lengthening – Byredo mascara tears in rain: £35, Byredo.com

  • Best for adding volume – Milk Makeup kush waterproof mascara: £24, Cultbeauty.co.uk

  • Best for holding a curl – Maybelline lash sensational waterproof mascara: £9.99, Lookfantastic.com

  • Best for sensitive eyes – Clinique high impact waterproof mascara: £21, Boots.com

  • Best for short lashes – L'Oreal Paris air volume mega mascara waterproof: £10.99, Superdrug.com

  • Best budget option – Rimmel London scandaleyes volume on demand waterproof mascara: £8.49, Boots.com

  • Best for weddings – Chanel le volume de Chanel waterproof mascara: £30, Johnlewis.com

  • Best for every day – The Body Shop lash sport waterproof mascara: £11, Thebodyshop.com

Bobbi Brown no smudge mascara

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

If you simply can’t do without long, fluttery lashes, this small but mighty mascara is well worth the splurge, giving lashings of volume with just a couple of coats.

The brush picks up an even coat of product without overloading it, and even when worn in the shower, it doesn’t budge. We found it was brilliantly buildable, too, allowing us to add coat after coat without leaving lashes looking clumpy.

Despite being the brand’s smallest mascara, with a compact tube that’s 5.5ml, it’s lasted our reviewer well over six months.

Buy now £26.00, Bobbibrown.co.uk

Byredo mascara tears in rain

Best: For lengthening

While indie fragrance house Byredo is well loved for its pioneering unisex scents, in 2020 it dipped its toes into the make-up world, slowly expanding its debut collection to feature products for your face, lids, lips and lashes. Don’t be put off by the slim, short wand with even shorter bristles – this is the best lengthening mascara we’ve tried. It instantly made us look wide awake and the brush was easy to navigate around smaller hairs on the inner corner of our eyeliner. If you’re shopping with a bigger budget, this is well worth it. The formula is on the wet side, so make sure to wait a few seconds before heavy blinking or touching hair to avoid smudging your careful work. A soaked cotton pad with eye make-up remover takes it off in seconds too.

Buy now £35.00, Byredo.com

Milk Makeup kush waterproof mascara

Best: For adding volume

Rating: 8/10

This kush mascara comes in a chunky, weighty tube with an oval-shaped brush, which we found worked best for adding volume and thickness to lashes, while the weight of the wand made it feel sturdy to apply.

The vegan-friendly formula is rich in a plant-derived oil to nourish lashes, and we saw no flaking or clumping. Not only that, it’s easy to remove too. So, if you want the staying power of a waterproof mascara but don’t want to spend ages taking it off, this is a worthwhile option.

Buy now £13.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk

Maybelline lash sensational waterproof mascara

Best: For holding a curl

Maybelline has plenty of different mascaras that give luxury brands a run for their money. The curved brush and fine bristles on the wand allow it to easily follow the natural shape of your lashes, coating each one evenly. As a result you need less product for a dramatic, fanned out look with zero clumps. While it won’t thicken hairs, it does a great job of giving lashes a lifted, fluttery look for just less than a tenner.

Buy now £7.95, Lookfantastic.com

Clinique high impact waterproof mascara

Best: For sensitive eyes

Rating: 9/10

For defined, lengthened lashes, this mascara is hard to beat, and is one of the brand’s most popular make-up products, thanks to its serious staying power – it didn’t smudge, smear, flake or crumble on a sweaty tube carriage, while wearing a face covering, or during drinks in the park in 25C heat.

The brush is full of evenly spaced bristles, but not so jam-packed that it’ll leave you with flecks of product on your eyelids. The wand is easy to navigate into the corner of your inner lash to coat each hair without them looking clumpy.

OK, it wasn’t the easiest to remove, so we recommend using a cleansing balm or eye make-up remover to ensure it’s all off before you hit the hay.

Buy now £22.00, Lookfantastic.com

L'Oreal Paris air volume mega mascara waterproof

Best: For short lashes

One of L’Oreal Paris’s newest mascara launches, this product has a thick brush but small bristles, so it works quite nicely on short lashes. It’s very lightweight and even immediately after application it barely feels like you’re wearing any. Lashes are surprisingly soft throughout the day too, instead of feeling spiky. The only downside is the formula is quite wet, so be sure to let it fully dry before you touch it to avoid any smudging. It’s not as dramatic as the other mascaras we tried, but is an excellent everyday staple.

Buy now £10.99, Superdrug.com

Rimmel London scandaleyes volume on demand waterproof mascara

Best: Budget option

This chunky, hourglass-esque wand works well to elongate the lash hairs on the outer corner of your eye, without leaving you with longer bits in the middle of your lash. It builds well too, so you can layer up as many coats as you like while keeping lashes separated and free from clumps. Removal is a fuss-free process too – our usual balm cleanser was able to break it down within seconds, so we didn’t wake up with panda eyes.

Buy now £8.49, Boots.com

Chanel le volume de chanel waterproof mascara

Best: For weddings

Rating: 8/10

If you’re looking to splurge, Chanel’s waterproof mascara is one of the best we’ve tried. It didn’t move a jot throughout the day, even during a facial, or while wearing a face covering when jumping on and off the underground and going and in and out of shops. It also comes in a neat and compact tube, making it easy to pop into your bag.

The formula added length, volume and thickness to even the sparsest of lashes, and had brilliant staying power. There was no clumping on our reviewer's lashes and it remained free from flakes. Worth every penny.

Buy now £31.00, Johnlewis.com

The Body Shop lash sport waterproof mascara

Best: For everyday

We loved the firm but short bristles on this wand, which meant separating lashes was easy, despite applying multiple layers. It’s great for everyday use as it won’t give you that false-lash effect, but has more staying power than a non-waterproof formula. And we had no excess product under our eyes after eight hours of wear. A solid option from The Body Shop, the formula is completely vegan and enriched with sustainably sourced marula oil from Namibia.

Buy now £11.00, Thebodyshop.com

The verdict: Waterproof mascaras

Coming out on top is undoubtedly the Bobbi Brown no smudge waterproof mascara, which gave us lashes with ample volume, thickness and drama without smudging or clumping. Easy to layer up with multiple coats without budging even after hours of wear, it’s fast become an everyday essential in our make-up kit.

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