For beauty aficionados and casual makeup users alike, the quest for perfectly curled lashes without the hassle of an eyelash curler is a familiar one. Curling mascaras have emerged as a powerhouse in the beauty arsenal, offering a convenient way to achieve that wide-awake, lifted eye effect. Unlike their volumizing or lengthening counterparts, these specialized formulas are engineered to lift, fan, and define each individual lash, mimicking the transformative power of a traditional eyelash curler. The result is a naturally enhanced, open-eyed look that can instantly brighten the face, even before the first sip of coffee.
These innovative mascaras strike an ideal balance, providing robust lift and hold without weighing lashes down. The finish is typically smooth, avoiding the stiff, crunchy, or clumpy texture that can plague lesser formulas. Many are further enhanced with hydrating and nourishing ingredients, such as vitamin E and castor oil, which contribute to lash strength and health over time. The brush design is paramount to a curling mascara’s efficacy, often featuring curved wands with a strategic mix of short and long bristles. This design is crucial for gripping lashes at the root and fanning them outwards for that coveted eye-opening effect. Whether your desired look is soft and fluttery or dramatically bold, there is a curling mascara to suit every preference. After rigorous testing of numerous formulations, a select few have emerged as true standouts, consistently delivering sky-high, elongated lashes.
Our Top Curling Mascaras
Best Overall: Tower 28 Beauty MakeWaves Mascara
The secret to Tower 28 Beauty’s MakeWaves Mascara lies in its innovative triple-wave wand. This uniquely designed brush features shorter bristles that hug the lash line, effectively grabbing and lifting lashes from the root, while longer bristles work to extend and define each strand. The formula incorporates Aquaflex Technology, a component also found in hair care products designed to provide volume and hold. In this mascara, Aquaflex Technology helps to lock in curl and lift, preventing lashes from falling flat throughout the day. A conditioning blend of castor oil further supports lash health, minimizing breakage.
Renée Loiz, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist, affirms that the formula remains flexible, ensuring that the curl endures without feeling weighed down or stiff. This flexibility also means users can build up the intensity with multiple coats without encountering clumps, maintaining an airy and natural appearance. True to Tower 28’s commitment to sensitive-friendly formulations, this ophthalmologist-tested mascara is gentle enough for those with sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
Tester Feedback:
"This mascara consistently delivers long, fluttery, and lifted lashes with a curl that lasts all day," shares Lily Wohlner, an Allure commerce writer. "I appreciate that it provides volume without making my lashes look thick or clumpy. As a contact lens wearer, I often experience eye watering with mascaras, but I’ve never had that issue with this one."
Shanna Shipin, Allure’s shopping director, also praises its performance: "The hold on this mascara is incredible. I have short, dense, and stubborn straight lashes, and this mascara manages to coax out both length and curl. It’s comfortable to wear, doesn’t flake or smudge, and provides just the right amount of natural-looking definition."
Best for Brittle Lashes: Well People Expressionist Curling Mascara
Formulated with plant-based oils and vegan waxes, including olive oil and carnauba wax, the Well People Expressionist Curling Mascara nourishes lashes while providing lightweight, reliable hold. This makes it an excellent choice for individuals with brittle or short eyelashes. The mascara’s curved brush is instrumental in its effectiveness, gently separating each lash without pulling, thus preventing clumps. Its flexible bristles move in sync with the lashes, ensuring a smooth application experience.
The brush features a dual-sided design: one side has short, dense bristles that deposit rich black color and build volume, while the longer bristles on the other side guide lashes upward. A recommended technique involves gently wiggling the wand at the base of the lashes before sweeping upward to maximize separation and lift.
Tester Feedback:
"I use this mascara several days a week as part of my makeup routine, applying two coats after curling my lashes," states Sarah Felbin, senior commerce editor. "My personal standards for mascara are high due to oily eyelids and watery eyes; the formula must stay put all day without flaking or transferring, and it must not irritate my eyes. Well People’s Curling Mascara meets all these criteria. The curved brush makes it incredibly easy to coat every lash, and I can build up intensity for a more dramatic effect. It wears exceptionally well throughout the day without smudging or running. It’s a solid daily mascara that offers the perfect balance of lengthening and volumizing."
Best Volumizing: Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash Mascara
Inspired by the naturally full and straight lashes common in South Asian beauty standards, the Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash Mascara delivers a dramatic lifted, eye-opening effect with just a few applications. Its tubing formula instantly volumizes, enveloping each lash to provide significant length and a va-va-voom effect without smudging, melting, or clumping. The mascara’s flared-tip brush is expertly shaped to follow the natural curve of the lash line, capturing even the shortest inner-corner hairs and fanning lashes outward for a wide-eyed, fluttery appearance.
Beyond its aesthetic benefits, the Badi Lash Mascara contains a conditioning blend of castor seed oil, rambutan extract, and a tripeptide complex, which work to soften and strengthen lashes over time. The tubing nature of the formula also ensures effortless removal; it slides off with warm water and minimal rubbing, leaving lashes clean and intact.
Tester Feedback:
"Kulfi’s mascara provides jet-black lashes with a curl and volume that I don’t naturally possess," reports Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director. "I rarely use an eyelash curler and find no need to when using this mascara. It offers hours of hold with minimal fallout, as it’s a tubing mascara. A significant advantage for me is its smudge-proof quality, which is essential given my tendency to reapply moisturizer, SPF, or facial mists. For those seeking dramatic lashes, this mascara delivers."
Best Buildable: YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
A recipient of a 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award and a perennial favorite among editors, the YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara is renowned for its intensely bold volume and impressive longevity. Its performance is often likened to that of false eyelashes, thanks to an oversized brush that, despite its size, is surprisingly easy to maneuver and effectively coats every lash.
New York City-based makeup artist Sara Talias notes, "It’s excellent for building fluttery volume with additional coats and truly helps capture all the lashes." The mascara is also exceptionally pigmented, even in its brown shade, making a single coat impactful for those in a hurry. However, its true potential is realized when layered, building fluffy volume without descending into clumpy territory.
Tester Feedback:
"The texture of this mascara is thick, almost paste-like, which adds a comical amount of volume and thickness," exclaims Sarah Hoffmann, Allure commerce producer. "People have interrupted me mid-conversation to ask if my lashes are real while wearing it. The brush is quite large, making it easy to coat every lash. Even though it’s not curved, it magically adds a lifting curl that rivals the best eyelash curlers I’ve tried."
Best for Short Lashes: Lancôme Lash Idôle Curl Goddess Mascara
For those seeking an alternative to lash extensions and the associated cost, Lancôme’s Lash Idôle Curl Goddess Mascara offers a way to achieve longer, more curled lashes with just a few swipes. The mascara’s twisted brush is designed to capture even the shortest lashes, creating a separated, fluttery effect that appears naturally enhanced. It features low-density setting polymers that thicken lashes and add volume while simultaneously setting the curl, ensuring it holds throughout the day without falling flat. The brand claims up to 30 hours of wear without smudging, and testers have reported impressive longevity with only minor smudging, even without a waterproof formula.
Tester Feedback:
"My lashes are naturally short, straight, and notoriously stubborn. I typically never apply mascara without a curler, but for this review, I opted out," admits Sarah Han, Allure commerce editor. "I was pleasantly surprised. While my lashes weren’t dramatically curled—they are, after all, very stubborn—I definitely observed a noticeable lifting effect that held throughout the day, which is quite significant. I experienced minimal smudging, which is common for non-waterproof mascaras, especially without the aid of a curler. While I won’t be abandoning my eyelash curler entirely, I can rely on Curl Goddess to do a commendable job on its own when I’m short on time."
Best Color Options: Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang Volumizing Mascara
Infused with ultra-light aero-particles, the Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang Volumizing Mascara delivers substantial volume without making lashes feel heavy or stiff. Pro-vitamin B5 is included to strengthen lashes over time. The exceptionally slim wand is designed to reach from corner to corner, coating every lash. The formula boasts impressive staying power, with the brand claiming up to 36 hours of wear without smudging or flaking. Beyond its classic black and brown options, this mascara is available in plum, a deep burgundy that adds subtle drama with a single coat, and a vibrant electric blue, perfect for adding a pop of color for concerts or special events.
Tester Feedback:
"BadGal Bang is one of my all-time favorite mascara formulas, so it was no surprise that I also love its burgundy iteration," says Kara McGrath, former content director. "While wearing purple eye makeup can be a strategic choice to complement green eyes, this plum-brown shade truly makes mine stand out without being overtly obvious that I’m wearing a colored mascara."
More Curling Mascaras We Like
Best Tubing: Grande Cosmetics GrandeWrap Tubing Mascara
Tubing mascaras are celebrated for their ease of removal, typically sliding off with warm water, but they sometimes lack long-lasting power. The Grande Cosmetics GrandeWrap Tubing Mascara addresses this by employing smudge-proof tubing polymers that encase each lash, providing all-day wear without flaking or smudging. Ingredients such as provitamin B5 and mango butter contribute to soft, flexible lashes. The brush features domed bristles at the tip, designed to reach inner corners and define the entire lash line, even the shortest hairs. Makeup artist Nicholas Wlodarski describes it as the ideal mascara for achieving a "mini lash-lift effect" that makes eyes appear wider and more awake. Its tubing nature ensures a clean removal process with just warm water.
Best Lightweight: e.l.f. Cosmetics Lash ‘N Roll Mascara
The e.l.f. Cosmetics Lash ‘N Roll Mascara is a go-to for its ability to deliver a "lifted, wide-eyed look without feeling heavy or crunchy," according to makeup artist Renée Loiz. This mascara is also remarkably budget-friendly. Its curved brush is adept at hugging the lash line and lifting from the root, while the lightweight formula, enriched with castor seed oil, helps maintain the curl without weighing lashes down. It offers all-day wear without flaking, and users can apply multiple coats for added intensity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you look for in a curling mascara?
According to makeup artists, a lightweight formula is paramount for curling mascaras, as heavier formulas can cause the curl to fall. A curved brush that contours the lash line is essential for lifting from the root. Additionally, formulas that dry down to a flexible finish are preferred, ensuring lashes remain lifted without becoming stiff or flaky. Opting for a waterproof formula can also help maintain the curl throughout the day.
What’s the difference between curling mascaras and other mascaras?
Curling mascaras are specifically engineered to shape and hold lashes in an upward position, unlike mascaras primarily focused on adding volume or length. They typically feature lightweight formulas and curved brushes designed to guide lashes upwards. Much like an eyelash curler, these mascaras help to open up the eyes, creating a more awake appearance.
Meet the Experts
The insights and recommendations within this article are informed by the expertise of professional makeup artists like Renée Loiz and Nicholas Wlodarski, alongside the dedicated testing and editorial judgment of Allure’s beauty team, including commerce writers, editors, and producers.
How we test and review products
Allure’s product reviews are conducted with a rigorous methodology that considers various factors. When evaluating beauty products, the team assesses ingredients, shade range inclusivity, suitability for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers, price point (splurge vs. budget-friendly), and packaging sustainability. For this review of curling mascaras, a diverse group of editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists tested the products. Performance was evaluated across four key categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For a detailed understanding of our testing process, please refer to our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
At Allure, we understand that beauty choices are deeply personal. Whether seeking a solution for persistent dryness, exploring new nail products, or discovering the latest hair innovations, our goal is to ensure that every recommendation resonates with our readers. This commitment is upheld through a diverse team of writers and editors, complemented by a broad network of external testers and industry experts.
Read more about our favorite eye makeup products:
- Best Volumizing Mascaras
- Best Lengthening Mascaras
- Best Waterproof Mascaras
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