I’ll be honest: In this line of work, it can be very easy to develop the cosmetics equivalent of champagne taste. Indeed, some of my current faves are products I would have to take out a small loan to afford were I not testing them for a living. (Do we think my bank would be willing to lend me an advance for Augustinus Bader’s The Cream?) But there’s one category where I’m still consistently drawn to the more affordable end of the spectrum: Drugstore mascara. More than a decade into my career, drugstore offerings still dominate the top of my must-have lash list.
While there are certainly pricier options that provide A+ results, you can find just about every formula and wand you can imagine at the drugstore, especially since the early 2010s, when the rise of e-commerce and globalization drove legacy brands and upstarts alike to turbocharge innovation in the space. Today, you can pick up all sorts of mascaras—tubing mascaras, colorful mascaras, mascaras with unique bristle patterns—for less than the monthly price of your favorite streaming service. (Which is especially nice considering you should be throwing your tubes out every three months.)
