Beste: Algehele

Giving lashings of volume with just a couple of coats, this small but mighty mascara is well worth the splurge. The brush picks up an even coat of product without overloading it, and even when worn in the shower it doesn’t budge. It’s a hot weather essential if you can’t do without long, fluttery lashes, as this didn’t disappoint, and we found it was brilliantly buildable – it allowed you 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 has lasted our reviewer well over six months.

Beste: 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.

Beste: For adding volume

This has quite a chunky, weighty tube with an oval-shaped brush that we found worked best for adding volume and thickness to lashes. The weight of the wand makes it feel sturdy to apply and the formula is vegan too. It’s rich in a plant-derived oil to nourish lashes and we saw no flaking or clumping. Nie net dit nie, 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.

Beste: 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.

Beste: For sensitive eyes

For defined, lengthened lashes, Clinique’s mascara is hard to beat, and is one of the brand’s most popular make-up products thanks to its 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, and the wand is easy to navigate into the corner of your inner lash to coat each hair without them looking clumpy. It’s not 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.

Beste: 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.

Beste: Vir gebruik saam met 'n maat

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.

Beste: For weddings

If you’re looking to splurge, Chanel’s waterproof mascara is one of the best we’ve tried. It didn’t move an inch throughout the day, even during a facial or while wearing a face covering on the tube and in and out of shops. The tube is neat and compact too, making it easy to travel with. It adds length, volume and thickness to even the sparsest of lashes, and has brilliant staying power. There was no clumping on our reviewer’s lashes and it remained free from flakes. Worth every penny.

Beste: 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.