Best Mascara UK
Mascara is decided by the brush far more than by the formula. A dense, straight brush deposits product and builds volume; a thin or curved brush separates and lengthens. That is why two mascaras with near-identical ingredient lists produce completely different results, and why reading reviews for lash type is more useful than reading them for brand. The picks below are mascaras available on Amazon UK, ranked on customer rating weighted against review volume. This is one of the categories where budget products consistently beat expensive ones in blind comparisons, so price is a particularly weak signal here.
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Best Mascara UK
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£7.91View on Amazon UKWas £12.47Price checked 15 September 2026
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£4.02View on Amazon UKWas £11.57Price checked 15 September 2026
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£6.85View on Amazon UKWas £7.69Price checked 15 September 2026
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£7.80View on Amazon UKWas £12.99Price checked 15 September 2026
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£7.96View on Amazon UKWas £9.28Price checked 15 September 2026
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£28.97View on Amazon UKWas £71.08Price checked 15 September 2026
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£6.20View on Amazon UKWas £24.27Price checked 15 September 2026
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£18.84View on Amazon UKWas £27.29Price checked 15 September 2026
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How we picked these
We compare every product in this category on customer rating, review volume, price and listed ingredients. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not test products ourselves — the ranking reflects what Amazon UK shoppers actually rated.
Prices and availability are accurate as of the date shown and are subject to change on Amazon.
What to look for
Choose the brush for the effect you want
Volume comes from a dense bristle brush that loads product onto the lash. Length and separation come from a thinner brush, often with plastic bristles. Curved brushes lift, which suits straight lashes that drop.
Waterproof is harder to remove for a reason
Waterproof formulas resist humidity and tears, but need an oil-based or dedicated remover. Repeated tugging to remove them is a common cause of lash loss, so they suit occasions more than everyday use.
Tubing mascaras are a third option
These wrap each lash in a polymer tube that slides off with warm water. They hold up like waterproof formulas but come off without scrubbing, which suits sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
Replace it sooner than you think
Mascara is the shortest-lived product in most routines — around three months once opened. The wand carries bacteria back into a wet, dark tube every time, which is why eye infections trace back here more than to any other product.
Fibre formulas add length and mess
Mascaras containing fibres extend lashes noticeably but can flake into the eye. If you wear contact lenses, a fibre-free formula avoids a specific and unpleasant problem.
Frequently asked questions
- How often should I replace mascara?
- About every three months after opening. Unlike most cosmetics, the applicator repeatedly reintroduces bacteria into a moist tube, so the risk is contamination rather than the formula degrading.
- How do I stop mascara smudging under my eyes?
- Smudging is usually oil transfer rather than mascara failure. Setting under-eye area with a light powder, and choosing a waterproof or tubing formula, addresses it more reliably than switching brands.
- Is expensive mascara better?
- Rarely by enough to matter. Several of the highest-rated mascaras on Amazon UK cost under £10 and outperform products at four times the price, because the brush shape does most of the work.
- What is a tubing mascara?
- One that forms polymer tubes around each lash instead of coating them with pigment. They resist humidity like waterproof mascara but slide off with warm water and gentle pressure, so removal is far less abrasive.
- What's the difference between volumising and lengthening mascara?
- It comes down to brush shape more than formula. Volumising mascaras use a dense, straight brush that deposits more product and builds thickness; lengthening mascaras use a thinner brush, often with plastic bristles, that coats and separates each lash individually. Two mascaras with near-identical ingredients can look completely different because of this brush difference alone.
- Is fibre mascara safe for contact lens wearers?
- It's worth avoiding if you wear contact lenses. The fibres that extend length can flake off into the eye, which is more likely to cause irritation for anyone with a lens in already. A fibre-free formula sidesteps that specific problem without giving up length entirely.
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Last updated 15 September 2026