Best Cheap Mascara

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly reviews laud this mascara for lengthening and thickening lashes. The asymmetrical brush is designed to give lashes a winged-out look, and impresses users with efficient application of just the right amount of product. Reviewers assert that this mascara (starting at $7) is just as good as, if not better than, more expensive products.

Hundreds of consumers writing on the review site Makeup Alley have awarded this product an average rating of 3.7 out of 5. Two out of three reviewers indicate they would purchase the mascara again. One consumer admires the winged effect created by the trademarked Butterfly Brush, which has longer bristles at the base to emphasize the outer lashes. She doesn't find the mascara very volumizing but still considers it a favorite choice. On the other hand, a reviewer posting on the retail site Ulta Beauty reports that her lashes transform from long and thin to long and full.

On Target, some less-than-positive reviews lament that the product doesn't make much of a difference in the look of lashes and tends to flake off. One shopper wasn't impressed with the formula or scent but liked the brush enough to say she would keep the wand to use with another product.

An editor from Allure highlights the winged brush and clump-resistant, waxy formula. The beauty magazine featured L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly on a list of seven "great mascaras" alongside high-end brands such as Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana. It's available in a waterproof version and comes in black, blackest black, and black brown.

This mascara is relatively new; L'Oreal launched the product in October 2013. An even more recent line extension, L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza, has a double-wing-shaped brush that purports to fan out lashes even more. We haven't seen enough reviews yet to evaluate this claim.

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara is a go-to product for those seeking longer, thicker lashes. It's been touted for truly eye-opening results by outlets such as Elle and Allure. Despite some complaints, this mascara is a top choice for all-around fuller lashes.

Clinique Bottom Lash reviews praise this product for its ability to reach small, scattered, and corner lashes on the top as well as the bottom. Beauty experts and shoppers alike are fans of this mascara, which has a wand and brush about half as long as a regular mascara. The unique design employs tiny bristles to catch and coat bottom lashes.

Beauty magazines Harper's Bazaar and Allure both include this product on lists of the best mascaras. An expert at Harper's Bazaar mentions that the team there likes Clinique Bottom Lash (starting at $10) because it coats every last lash and creates the look of larger eyes. An expert from Allure agrees that Clinique Bottom Lash doesn't neglect corner lashes and has staying power, crucial for avoiding the raccoon effect from smears underneath the eyes.

Consumers have likewise found that this mascara lengthens and thickens bottom lashes. Several users who have posted reviews online appreciate the wand's lash-catching design and admire the way the brush coats the small lashes at the inner and outer corners of the eyes without smudging or getting product on the skin. A reviewer posting on Sephora gives Clinique Bottom Lash mascara 5 stars and credit for transforming the look of her eyes.

This mascara also counts many fans among consumers writing on the review site Total Beauty. One user describes the mascara as long-lasting yet easy to take off. More than one expresses surprise that there aren't more products like this on the market. The tiny brush allows precise application and accentuates small lashes. One reviewer appreciates that the formula doesn't bother her sensitive, watery eyes. Clinique Bottom Lash mascara is allergy tested and available in black and brown. To remove it, you need only rinse with warm water gently press on your lashes.

Clinique's cosmetic products are usually priced out of the Cheapism range, but this is a welcome exception. It's one of the only mascaras on the market that specifically targets bottom lashes, and reviews assert that it's more versatile than that. If you are looking for a way to make meager lashes stand out, give this mascara a try.

If you want the look of false lashes without the time-consuming, gluey process of the real thing, Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes mascara (starting at $5) just might be worth adding to your shortlist. Several Maybelline Volum' Express reviews praise the mascara's ability to create long, thick lashes. On the retail site Ulta Beauty, two reviewers say people often assume their lashes are false when they use this mascara. Another declares the product better than false eyelashes.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes mascara features two brushes: a flexible brush for upper lashes and a separate, smaller brush for lower lashes. Many reviews on the CVS Pharmacy website point to the brush designed for bottom lashes as the best part of this product. Even reviewers who aren't too fond of the mascara itself appreciate the small brush, which separates and evenly coats tiny lower lashes.

A majority of users who have reviewed this mascara on Walmart are likewise impressed by the lower-lash wand but not so much by the regular full-size brush. Many complain that the mascara tends to clump during application. Otherwise, the many positive reviews suggest that this is a good mascara for the price.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes mascara is formulated to lengthen, separate, and volumize lashes to create a false-eyelash effect. The mascara includes keratin, a fibrous protein formula intended to thicken lashes and make them appear fuller. The mascara is also available in a waterproof variety. Colors available are very black, blackest black, and brownish black.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes is a budget mascara with a big following. If you like the look of false lashes or an extremely plush, volume-packed fringe, give this one a shot.

Cover Girl Professional All-In-One Curved Brush (starting at $5) has a new look, but the mascara itself doesn't seem to need improvement based on the raves it garners. Cover Girl Professional All-In-One reviews praise this mascara for leaving lashes curled and lengthened. They attribute these effects in part to the curved brush.

The brush isn't always seen as a positive, though. A reviewer posting on Total Beauty grumbles that the curve makes the wand difficult to handle and the mascara difficult to apply.

We should note that a majority of the negative reviews for this product on the Cover Girl website stem from consumers' preference for Cover Girl's Marathon line of mascara, which was discontinued. Many users were disappointed to see this product put forward as a replacement and posted complaints to try to get the company to bring back their beloved brand. In general, reviews on Amazon and elsewhere focus on how well this product lengthens and thickens lashes. It also gets credit for staying put and resisting smudges.

Cover Girl Professional All-In-One mascara comes in two other versions, straight brush and waterproof, and three colors: very black, black brown, and brown. Cover Girl advertises this mascara as safe for contact-lens wearers and people with sensitive eyes. One reviewer says this is the only mascara that doesn't bother her eyes and another recommends it to people who have watery eyes.

If you are looking for a mascara that stays put and leaves lashes looking more naturally enhanced than falsified (the aim of many of today's mascaras), then Cover Girl Professional All-In-One Curved Brush mascara is a good pick.

Wet n Wild Mega Plump is unquestionably an inexpensive mascara (starting at $4). It can be purchased just about any major drug or retail store for less than $5. However, it shows in the quality, with a lumpy, messy formula.

There aren't many Wet N Wild Mega Plump reviews; the brand is not as popular as major cosmetics companies such as L'Oreal and Maybelline. The reviews that do exist are mostly negative. On Walmart, one user expresses regret over purchasing this mascara and advises other consumers to steer clear. Users who have weighed in on Wet N Wild Mega Plump for the review site Total Beauty cluster at the low end of the rating scale. They complain that it doesn't last more than 20 minutes and leaves a large, smeary mess. As a result of gripes like this, the product has ended up on a "worst mascaras" list.

At the same time, some users reviewing the mascara on Makeup Alley are quite happy with Wet N Wild Mega Plump. Whereas some reviewers see no difference in the length or volume of their lashes, another describes the effect as natural yet defined; she says she doesn't understand why the product gets such poor reviews. One reviewer took a day or two to warm up to the drier consistency of this mascara but ultimately decided she liked how it made her lashes look.

Wet n Wild Mega Plump mascara has a short wand with dense, small bristles. While short wands are typically good for short lashes, the brush doesn't seem to have helped this mascara gain any fans.

Most of the poor reviews for this mascara seem to stem from the gooey formula. Wet n Wild Mega Plump simply lacks the consistency most users are looking for. While the cheap price of this mascara is alluring, just a couple more dollars will get you a mascara that's much more effective.