These are the best L'Oreal mascaras for definition, length, volume and more

Wondering what the best L'Oreal mascara is for your preferred lash look? We tested them all and here are our favorites

Three of the best L'Oreal mascara on a pink chevron collage background.
(Image credit: Future)

Browsing for the best L'Oreal mascara? Look no further. From ultra-thin wands that lift every lash to one-of-a-kind formulas that condition your eyelashes, we've rounded up our favorite L'Oreal mascaras.

Like most things in life, the best mascaras come in different shapes and sizes, resulting in different lash results. And the best part is L'Oreal has a mascara for every lash goal. So whether you're looking for the best mascara for short lashes or the best volumizing mascara, L'Oreal has over 30 on its site alone to choose from. But don't worry. You won't need to sit and read over two dozen mascara descriptions. We've narrowed the list by category and picked our top seven L'Oreal mascaras.

From the mascara that offers the most length to the one that gives the curliest lashes, we've put each of these mascaras through the ultimate wear test and picked the best L'Oreal mascara that gives us the lift, volume, length and flutter every lash girl desires.

How we tested the best L'Oreal mascara

Why you can trust Woman & Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

A picture of the seven best L'Oreal mascara.

(Image credit: Kenedee Fowler)

What better way to find the best L'Oreal mascara than wearing each of them ourselves? We paid close attention to the mascara's longevity and how well it wore after 12 hours, assessing whether there was any flaking and smudging. Length, volume, thickening and curling capabilities, wand shape, and formula were all kept in mind when categorizing each mascara's performance. 

The best L'Oreal mascara, chosen by our beauty team

1. L'Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara

The best overall L'Oreal mascara

Specifications

RRP: $11.99 / £7.53
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shades: Blackest Black, Black, Black Brown, Mystic Black
Extras features: Floral oil infused, parabens and fragrance free, sensitive eyes friendly

Reasons to buy

+
Adds volume and length to lashes
+
Non-clumping
+
Curls lashes
+
Conditions lashes
+
Buttery and silky formula

Reasons to avoid

-
May experience flaking by the end of the day

Its buttery and nourishing formula, lengthening and volumizing lash effect, and soft contoured brush scored this as the best overall L'Oreal mascara. First off, can we take a moment to appreciate its gorgeous and sleek rose gold packaging? Which twists open to a wavy brush that coats and thickens every lash. When you separate the wand from its tube, you can literally feel and hear how silky and thick the formula is. And thanks to its infused floral oil, we loved how lightweight and conditioned our lashes felt throughout the day. 

One of our shopping writers tested the Lash Paradise mascara on her short eyelashes and was amazed at how much fuller, more defined, and longer it made her lashes. And the best part is it they stayed lifted and full of volume throughout her long workday and evening workout, although there was a little bit of fallout by nighttime. But thanks to its easy removal, it wasn't anything a little micellar water or a makeup wipe couldn't clean off. 

See our full L'Oreal Paris Lash Paradise review

2. L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

The best L'Oreal mascara for length

Specifications

RRP: $11.99 / £10.99
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shades: Black, Carbon Black, Blackest Black, Black Noir, Black Brown
Extra features: Ultra-thin wand, waterproof, suitable for sensitive eyes

Reasons to buy

+
Lengthens lashes
+
Slim mascara wand
+
Sensitive-eye friendly
+
Brown mascara shade
+
Buildable

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't volumize eyelashes

The L'Oreal Telescopic mascara is hands down the best lengthening mascara. Its ultra-slim wand broke social media, with TikTok users from left to right in disbelief at the before and after of their lash's length and separation. We too, were left amazed at how much longer our eyelashes were with just two strokes of the wand.

As we mentioned, the star of the show is the mascara's thin, flexible brush that lifts and defines each lash, including your bottom eyelashes, with no smear or smudge in sight. We love how solid the Telescopic mascara is, with no watery formula and unnecessary product to be wiped off or wasted. So if you're looking for a buildable mascara that'll leave your lashes clump-free and lengthened beyond measure, L'Oreal's Telescopic mascara will be the best drugstore mascara in your cosmetic bag. But if you're looking to add some volume, we recommend our next favorite L'Oreal mascara for fullness and extreme volume.

3. L'Oreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara

The best L'Oreal mascara for volume

Specifications

RRP: $12.99 / £9.99
Waterproof version available: No
Shades: Black, Brown
Extra features: Natural ingredients, free of parabens and mineral oil

Reasons to buy

+
Volumizes eyelashes
+
Vegan formula with 99% natural ingredients
+
Buttery, smooth texture

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't give extreme length

Whether you're looking for a mascara that'll give your lashes loads of volume or the best brown mascara, the L'Oreal Voluminous Noir Balm offers both. When we applied this voluminous mascara, it gave us the same fluttery and full effect as the best false eyelashes without the annoyance of applying them.

Many of the mascaras in this guide volumize your lashes, but the Noir Balm's conditioning and vegan formula are what sets this mascara apart from the rest. Made with 99% origin ingredients and some of the same key ingredients as the best face moisturizers, your lashes will look and feel their best. Although this L'Oreal mascara offers some, it isn't the best lengthening mascara. But if you're looking for a remedy for your sparse eyelashes, we highly recommend adding Voluminous Noir Balm mascara to your cart.  

See our full L'Oreal Voluminous Noir Balm Mascara review

4. L'Oreal Bambi Eye Mascara

The best L'Oreal mascara for curling

Specifications

RRP: $11.99 / £10.99
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shades: Blackest Black, Black, Black Brown, Extra Noir
Extra features: Washable formula, suitable for sensitive eyes,

Reasons to buy

+
Curls and defines lashes
+
Volumizes eyelashes
+
Washable formula
+
Clump and flake free

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the most lengthening mascara
-
Thick wand

If you're not fond of your straight lashes and in need of a little lift, the Bambi Eye mascara is the best curling mascara that defines and volumizes each lash. And if you need any more persuading, even L'Oreal rated it as their best curliniteg mascara

Our shopping writer tested the Bambi Eye mascara on her naturally short lashes and was surprised how well it not only curled her lashes but added a little length as well, seeing that its brush is on the thicker side. She could still reach and curl every lash, creating a bold, doe-eyed look with no smudges or clumps.

And nothing is worse than scrubbing away stubborn mascara that doesn't come off right away. Luckily, that's not the case with this washable L'Oreal mascara. We loved how quick and easy it was to remove the Bambi Eye mascara. Our lashes were left clean and mascara-free with just a one-time wash of the face.

5. L'Oreal Telescopic Lift Mascara

The best L'Oreal mascara for length and volume

Specifications

RRP: $14.99 / £12.99
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shades: Blackest Black, Black, Black Brown
Extra features: Ceramide-infused formula, double hook brush, 36-hour wear

Reasons to buy

+
Lengthens and volumizes lashes
+
Unique, two-sided bristle brush to lift and separate lashes
+
Curls lashes

Reasons to avoid

-
36 hour wear makes it hard to wash off

It seems like the Telescopic L'Oreal mascaras have a lengthening lash reputation. So if you're looking for a L'Oreal mascara that'll take your lashes to new heights, you can't go wrong with either the Original L'Oreal Telescopic mascara or the Telescopic Lift. But if you want to add extra volume to that length, the Telescopic Lift's two-sided bristle brush allows you to lift and volumize your lashes on one side and comb and separate them on the other. Before combing through the lashes, we noticed our eyelashes clumping together the more mascara we built on, but thankfully we were able to define and separate each lash with the brush's other side.

We loved how smooth this buttery, ceramide-infused formula glided on our lashes, leaving them feeling conditioned. It was super easy to reach and coat each lash with the mascara's ultra-slim wand. 

The brand promises 36 hours wear of lift, which sounds amazing, but when it came to washing off the mascara, there was no budging—leaving my lashes semi-coated going into the next morning. So it's safe to say this is a long-wearing mascara.

6. L'Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara

The best waterproof L'Oreal mascara

Specifications

RRP: $14.99 / £11.99
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shadess: Blackest Black, Black
Extra features: 24-hour wear, sweat-resistant, waterproof, double bristle brush

Reasons to buy

+
Waterproof air whipped formula
+
Lightweight
+
24-hour wear
+
Volumizes lashes
+
Double bristle brush

Reasons to avoid

-
Prone to clumping
-
Can be hard to wash off 

Whether you're looking for a beauty gift for the person who stays in the gym or if you need a long-wearing mascara that'll give you loads of volume, the L'Oreal Air Volume Mega Mascara is the perfect option with its ultra-lightweight and waterproof formula.

For long nights out with friends or cold, windy days that leave you teary-eyed, It never hurts to have waterproof mascara in your makeup bag. But with tons of waterproof options, we picked the Air Volume Mega mascara as our favorite because of its soft, double-bristle brush that separates, lifts, and volumizes each lash. We also love that it's a sweat-resistant mascara, so no matter what, you'll have a smudge-free under-eye. 

When we first pulled the mascara wand apart from the tube, we noticed excessive formula covering the brush. Although it glided on smoothly, we did experience a little clumping after a few coats of mascara. But its volumized lash effect and 24-hour waterproof wear definitely outweigh a few clumps. 

7. L'Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara

The best L'Oreal mascara for thickness

Specifications

RRP: $9.99 / £14.49
Waterproof version available: Yes
Shades: Carbon Black, Black, Blackest Black, Black Brown, Cobalt Blue, Deep Burgundy, Deep Green, Deep Violet
Extra features: Thickens lashes 5x the original amount, contains pathenol and ceramide-R

Reasons to buy

+
Thickens and lengthens lashes
+
Conditions lashes with moisturizing formula
+
Seven shade options
+
Easy to remove

Reasons to avoid

-
Prone to clumping

Looking for a nourishing mascara for your sparse lashes? Well, L'Oreal claims its Original Voluminous Mascara adds 5x the original thickness and fullness of your lashes. And after testing this mascara for a week, we can confirm our lashes were left thicker and fuller, with a little length added on. 

Volume and length are great, but when you're going for that full, false lash extension look, having a thickening mascara is the key. We love how silky the formula is when we apply it to our lashes. Its conditioning panthenol and ceramide ingredients allowed us to get the full lash effect while nourishing our eyelashes. And if you're wondering how to properly remove mascara, the Voluminous Original mascara was a breeze to take off. I was able to cleanse my face once and was left with soft, mascara-free lashes.

When pulling the wand out, we did notice more product on the brush's tip, which can result in clumping if you don't wipe off the excess product before applying the mascara. But other than that, this is a great mascara we recommend everyone add to their beauty bag. Plus, who doesn't like having tons of shade options to choose from?

Kenedee Fowler
Shopping Writer

Kenedee Fowler is a shopping writer based in the United States. She joined woman&home in September 2022, and ever since has been sharing her expertise with the brand to help readers source gifts for any occasion and on any budget, reviews products so you don’t have to, and scout out the best deals and products to give you the best value for your money. Before joining woman&home, Kenedee was a home editorial fellow for Insider Reviews, where she wrote in-depth reviews and articles across the home vertical. Kenedee is a recent graduate from the number one journalism school in the US, the University of Missouri - Columbia, where she gained hands-on experience as a multimedia journalist at mid-Missouri’s local news station.