The $12 drugstore mascara that rivals the $30 ones (plus 4 more for every lash goal)

Curl your lashes first, then wiggle the wand at the base and pull it through to the tips. Wipe excess off the brush before the first coat, and add a second coat before the first dries. Replace mascara every three months for hygiene.

Finish your look with a light base from our best drugstore foundations or best tinted moisturizers guides.

• Brush shape. Thin or flexible brushes lengthen; dense, full brushes add volume; curved brushes lift.
• Waterproof vs. washable. Waterproof holds a curl and resists smudging but is harder to remove.
• Tubing formulas wrap lashes in tiny tubes that slide off with warm water, good for sensitive eyes.
• Eye sensitivity. If your eyes water, look for ophthalmologist-tested formulas.

How we chose: we compared specs, materials, ingredients and price, and read owner and expert feedback. We didn't test these products ourselves. Prices are approximate and change often, so check the current price before you buy.

• Pumping the wand. It pushes air into the tube and dries the formula out faster. Twist the wand instead.
• Layering after it dries. Adding a coat to dry mascara creates clumps. Apply the second coat within a minute.
• Curling after mascara. It can bend or break lashes. Always curl first.
• Sleeping in mascara. It makes lashes brittle and can irritate your eyes. Remove it every night with micellar water or an oil-based remover for waterproof formulas.
• Sharing mascara. It spreads bacteria and eye infections, even between friends.

If you wear contact lenses, choose a formula labeled safe for contact wearers and apply mascara after your lenses are in. A clean spoolie brush is handy for separating lashes and fixing clumps before the formula sets.

Finally, store mascara upright with the cap tightly closed, and keep it out of hot cars and steamy bathrooms, where heat speeds up drying.

For length, start with Maybelline Sky High. For soft, full volume, go with L'Oréal Lash Paradise. If you prefer defined, separated lashes that look polished, Lancôme Lash Idôle is worth the splurge. Too Faced Better Than Sex is the pick for dramatic, false-lash volume, and essence Lash Princess is the bargain that punches far above its price.

If smudging is your main problem, choose the waterproof version of any of these, or look for a tubing formula. If your eyes are sensitive, try one mascara at a time so you can tell what's causing irritation.

And replace your mascara every three months; old mascara clumps more and can irritate your eyes.