Backstage at Fashion Week at shows from Proenza Schouler to Jason Wu to Versace, there has been a re-emergence in the hugely popular 90s grunge makeup look.
The nostalgic aesthetic is far from minimalistic. It’s characterised by bleached brows, kohl-rimmed eyes and bright lipstick that is messily applied with no precise lines in sight. It is a lived-in look that has been adopted in recent times by the likes of Julia Fox, Sydney Sweeney and Gigi Hadid.
These smudged-out smokey eye looks, while seemingly inspired by the kind of full-face you’d create at 2am in a club toilet with zero lighting, do actually require a level of precision to get it right – and to do so, you need the right tools.
No matter what look you are creating whether it’s gritty and bold, or you eschew the maximalist makeup look for a simple swipe of mascara, having a product that unintentionally smudges throughout the day will never be the top of your wishlist, particularly when it comes to this specific eye product.
Instead, you want a mascara that won’t flake, smudge or clump throughout the day even when the weather heats up and most importantly, even on important occasions that may cause a tear or two like throughout wedding season.
We want our makeup collection to have our backs. So below we have put together an edit of mascaras that you can get creative with and yet will stay firmly in place all day long. Not all smudge-proof mascaras are waterproof so we have split them into two categories with ones that are easier to get off when the time comes to cleanse at the end of the day as well as those that will withstand any weather, sweat-filled activity or teary moment.
Best non-waterproof smudge-proof mascaras at a glance:
Best waterproof mascaras at a glance
Shop the selection below
Best waterproof smudge-free mascaras
Lancôme Lash Idôle Waterproof Mascara
Best for: clump-free application
Whether it’s to withstand sauna-like commutes, date nights or an evening on the town, Lancôme is on hand with its mascara collection that has become cult to those in the know.
This is one of the brand’s waterproof formulations which makes it essential to slip into your holiday wash bag. It has a lifting effect on lashes, fanning as it goes due to the curved design of the wand. No matter the weather, be it humidity, rain or even in the shower, this stays firmly in place without smudging or clumping.
This has been proven to not trigger sensitivities.
Buy now £256.00, Sephora
Too Faced Waterproof Better than Sex
Best for: a cult product that lives up to the hype
Too Faced released a waterproof version of once the UK’s bestselling mascaras, Better than Sex, and we think it rivals the OG.
What makes it so great? It starts with the formula. Enriched with porcelain flower extract to condition lashes without any flakiness, peptides for intense black colour, as well as film-forming polymers and collagen, this is a mascara that’s designed to be put through its paces. From a sweaty gym session, hot shower or teary moment, it provides smudge-proof, all-day wear no matter what’s thrown at you.
This works alongside the hourglass-shaped brush – allegedly inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s form – that ensures every single lash is covered, and lengthens, curls and lifts for a full doll-eye look.
Buy now £28.00, lookfantastic
Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara for False Lash Effect - Waterproof 01
For those after an uber-luxe alternative, Yves Saint Laurent's Luxurious Mascara delivers the goods.
What’s so great about it? Well for starters, it boasts a coating film for intensity, a conditioning film for perfect curve and a fixing film for long-lasting results to see you through the day. Silky smooth oils incorporated into the formula promise elasticity and reduce lash breakage, while the nylon brush effortlessly applies the product with intense flair and fluttery fabulousness.
On top of this, it’s also smudge-resistant for fuss-free wear.
Buy now £31.00, lookfantastic
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara Black
Over the years, Maybelline has produced some of the best mascaras on the market that punch well beyond their price tag. This is another makeup bag essential for a dramatic eye look in one fell swoop. Just a few swipes of this buildable formula give the complete false lash effect that will have everyone you encounter asking what mascara you are using. It’s waterproof too and combines bamboo extract and fibres within the formula to gently coat the lashes instead of weighing them down. Look for an oil-based eye makeup remover to take this off as it can often be challenging.
Buy now £12.99, Boots
Best non-waterproof smudge-free mascaras
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Volume 2
Best for: va va voom lashes
Volumising is the name of the game with the Legendary Lashes mascara. It offers a jet-black formula with plenty of colour payoff that gives a fluttery look to lashes - but without dreaded clumping. Instead, the brush is designed in such a way as to coat each and every lash with the formula to give a thickening effect. It’s also buildable but when locked in place, will last all day without smudging or running.
Buy now £28.00, Cult Beauty
Estée Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening mascara
Best for: staying power
A bright-eyed and bushy tail appearance is just a swipe of this wand away. Fake an eight-hour sleep with the awakening look that this mascara will give to lashes. This is achieved by the way the brush is created. Micro-fibre bristles separate out each lash, which makes it seamless to coat from root to tip. The addition of polymers in the formula keeps it long-lasting, up to 15 hours according to the brand, but certainly after hours and throughout the night without smudging.
Buy now £29.50, Boots
Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings Mascara
Best for: affordability
This is the kind of mascara that when you’re wearing it you will either be asked if your lashes are real or what brand you are using, such is the testament to the XL lash look. The brush has two sides so that you can lather on for volume but fan out for length with each. The mascara loads your lashes up with pigment, while the inclusion of olive oil and silk powder in the formula adds nourishment to fortify and condition, which in turn prevents breakages that may cause flaking and smudges.
Buy now £5.88, Amazon
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara Rich Pitch Black
Best for: volume and lengthening
Legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin created this formula to last all day and all night even if ugly crying is on the agenda. You may notice at first that the texture is slightly wetter than other brands and that is the key in order to offer lengthening in one fell swoop. The tube is also super slimline so you can pop into your evening clutch for top-ups if necessary.
Buy now £26.95, Sephora
Milk Makeup Rise Mascara
Best for: a naturally derived formula
Its Kush Mascara has reached cult levels but Milk Makeup is adding another lash-lengthening string to its bow with the new Rise Mascara. It is the first 93 per cent natural mascara and uses a patented Vegan Lash Wrap Technology that binds each lash - curling, lengthening and adding volume with every swipe of the buildable formula. It glides effortlessly without clumping or smudging once it has set.
Buy now £14.00, Cult Beauty
Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara
Best for: jet-black dramatic pigment
When the very name of your product reflects your intentions for it, certain expectations are set. Of course, Bobbi Brown totally nails it with its No Smudge Mascara.
Despite being the brand’s smallest mascara, at just 5.5ml, it certainly goes a long way to prove that small is mighty by providing heaps of volume in just a few coats.
We have a soft spot for a short wand as it gives you great control even when reaching the outer edges of lashes. It’s also a great buildable mascara, giving an open-eyed and lengthened effect that looks lovely and natural. It can also be layered over the top of most other mascaras for instant waterproofing.
Buy now £31.00, Bobbi Brown
Clinique High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara
The hunt for the perfect mascara with equal volumising and lengthening properties is enduring but Clinique is making a convincing claim for the title with its High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara. The brand explains, “We have lash lift-off” before going on to share its ability to lift and curl lashes by 50 per cent.
No additional tools are necessary, this is the be-all and end-all for lashes where the curved brush coats a lightweight gel with a strong hold polymer and clay particles. Clinique has forgone the use of heavy waxes to offer long-lasting results and leaves unsightly drooping out of your beauty routine. The formula doesn’t smudge or flake off throughout the day but is easily removed with just warm water.
It has a black/brown pigment for the best of both worlds.
Buy now £22.80, Sephora
CHANEL Noir Allure Mascara
Find your new signature mascara with a luxury edge thanks to this new launch from Chanel. The French house has unveiled Noir Allure that’s a departure from classic black.
In fact, the label has added a hint of red into the colour palette - something you will only notice in the application process and yet brings something dynamic and eye-catching to your lashes. The formula is housed in a monolithic tube complete with a redesigned opening and closing. If you’ve found that previous products tend to dry out over time, this packaging is sealed and airtight (you’ll hear the click as you fasten) to ensure that it stays fresh and like-new with every swipe.
The brush is slim with equally thin bristles to prevent an overload of product and treat each individual hair for equal amounts of volumising, lengthening, curling and definition. It is also smudge and transfer-proof and has been designed specifically for ease of application, gliding on without flaking throughout the day. This is achieved through the combination of waxes - beeswax, carnauba wax, and rice wax - and nourishing and hydrating provitamin B5.
Buy now £38.00, Sephora
Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara
Tower 28 is a clean makeup label that has landed on UK soil from LA. While the full collection is not yet available - and that includes this mascara - you can snap it up at Revolve and get in on the irritant and allergy-free action.
The brand was founded to bring playful, creative products to those who, like founder Amy Liu, suffer from sensitivities and eczema. As such, this mascara is a soothing, vegan, toxin and cruelty-free formula that is hypoallergenic and does not contain essential oils or synthetic fragrances.
It’s a volumising and lengthening eye product that gives smudge-free results, is water-resistant and is safe for contact lens wearers. Whether you’re looking for a natural beauty look and just apply a few coats or want bigger, bolder lashes, it’s buildable without clumping.
Buy now £20.00, Revolve
Glossier Lash Slick
Glossier’s Lash Slick garners consistently good reviews thanks to its natural effect but also staying power.
Its weightless and flexible mascara visibly lengthens and lifts lashes thanks to the tiny fibres that coat each hair, giving maximum definition. Not only this, but because of its water-resistant (not waterproof) formula, it will stay in place for the whole day without smudging or flaking but is easy to remove, without the need for rubbing which can often irritate the delicate eye area.
If you’re after that subtle looking-great-without-looking-like-you-made-an-effort look that is currently in vogue, this mascara definitely the one to go for.
It is available in black and more recently, brown. The product is allergy, dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested.
Buy now £19.00, Glossier
Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara
True, it’s one of the more expensive ones out there, but once you get your hands (or eyes) on the Faux Cils Mascara (for those who don’t speak French, that means false lashes), you’ll see why.
The reason it delivers such great volume is due to the natural wax formulation, which adds length and gently curls lashes. This is then enhanced by the rosewater base and mineral salts to condition, while red seaweed extract promotes regeneration. And all this is wrapped up in a water-resistant formula that stops smudges in their tracks.
This is a mascara that does more than your average, providing long-lasting effects for a gorgeous false lash look.
Buy now £46.00, Space NK
DiorShow Iconic Overcurl
If you’re looking to get your eyes on a mascara that lasts, this is the one to opt for. Many mascaras claim to last 12-plus hours but simply don’t but with this; when the Iconic Overcurl says it offers 24-hour wear, it’s no word of a lie.
Thanks to the curved wand shape the volume it provides is also fantastic, defining, lengthening and fanning out lashes to give a full false-lash effect that is next to none, and with no smudges in sight.
As an added bonus, the formula is also enriched with cotton nectar to protect and soften lashes whilst also delivering shine.
For that doll-eye look without the faff of falsies, it’s got to be Dior.
Buy now £35.00, Boots
Victoria Beckham Future Lash
When a mascara claims to deliver excellent, lasting results that can removed with warm water alone, call us cynics but questions are asked.
Needless to say, our doubts were unfounded. Thanks to the water-activated instant removal technology, the Victoria Beckham Future Lash transforms to water-soluble filaments that gently rinses away and won’t build up in the environment, for effortless removal and no harsh scrubbing.
Added to this is the formula, which contains a plant-derived C2 complex that nourishes and protects lashes from breakages. Inside the mix is Shea butter and vitamin E to condition and support the growth of healthy hair, niacinamide to prevent breakage, panthenol to hydrate and pistacia lentiscus gum to add lift. What’s more, it’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
This humidity and sweat-proof mascara gives you major volume, without flaking or smudging, whilst simultaneously protecting and strengthening lashes – what’s not to love?
Buy now £32.00, Victoria Beckham Beauty
Nars Climax Mascara
Sitting in the middle of the cost scale, Nars’s Climax Mascara encapsulates great results at a decent price.
Starting with the brush, it is full-bodied with ribbed bristles to offer precision and easy application, whilst also allowing you to build volume to your preferences, meaning it’s just the thing for those who like to vary definition depending on the occasion.
As for the formula itself, the lash moisture complex contains whipped pigments for lift and leaves lashes feeling soft - never heavy - making it the perfect day-to-night solution. What’s more, the lightweight formula stops smudging and clumping, for lasting coverage all day long.
Buy now £27.00, Space NK
