The Best of The Best Mascaras

Shoppers Drug Mart Mascara Discovery Collection
best high end mascaras

It’s been a while since I’ve wrote a blog post dedicated to a mascara. In fact, it’s been over three years and that’s shocking. I wear mascara almost every single day. You would think I’d have a lot of opinions on it. And I do, I really do. I am quite picky about my mascaras. I want something that is not clumpy (obviously), but also isn’t so thin that it looks like I have spider lashes. I like a formula that is more on the wet side rather than being a powder formula. I like a brush with a lot of bristles to fully separate my lashes, and if it’s a curved brush that fans them out, even better (although that isn’t a deal breaker)! I also like the formula to wash off easily with the help of a gentle micellar water (no waterproof mascaras for me, please!), but doesn’t smudge or flake throughout the day. Nothing annoys me more than a mascara that smears off on the crease of my eyelids throughout the day! I told you, I’m picky about mascaras!

This Mascara Discovery Collection ($45CAD) from Shoppers Drug Mart is the perfect way to try out a bunch of different mascaras to find out which one is right for you! It contains eight mini mascaras with a voucher to redeem for a full-size of your favorite one! Pretty sick deal, hey? And honestly, I prefer a mini sized mascara over a full sized one. You can actually use the whole thing up before the formula has a chance to dry up! So, keep on reading below to find out which of these minis is my ultimate favourite!

I think this might be the first YSL mascara I’ve ever tried and I’m loving it! I’m a huge YSL fan in terms of their makeup and beauty, so I’m honestly quite shocked that I’ve never given their mascaras a try before. This Lash Clash mascara is a super black pigmented mascara with an oversized brush that adds 200% more volume. Combined with it’s 24-hour smudge-proof wear, it’s a stunning mascara. If I had to critique it (you do Taylor, this is a mascara review???), I would want it to be a little more lengthening for my lashes.

This mascara is fully vegan (and cruelty free!), which is honestly probably going to be it’s main selling point as it contains synthetic beeswax. It’s also formulated with over 80% naturally derived ingredients so if you’re looking for a more clean mascara, this is definitely the one for you. For me, however, it just does not do enough to earn a permanent place in my makeup collection. I find the length and volume it delivers is just not up to my standards. However, it does contain black quinoa, vitamin E, and minerals to help revitalize and fortify your eyelashes, which is a nice feature!

Benefit mascaras are always SO good. I dare you to name one Benefit mascara that doesn’t perform well. I bet you can’t because they’re all great. And this Fan Fest mascara is no different. It features Benefit’s custom-engineered Full-Flex Fiber Brush, which has a 40° curve that fans the lashes out perfectly. And like the rest of Benefit’s mascaras, although it’s not waterproof, the staying power of this mascara is so good! It lasts so long throughout the day and never smudges or flakes off!

I love Clarins mascaras because they contain a lash boosting complex of Sphingony and Panthenol protects lashes and promotes visibly thicker, longer-looking lashes even after you’ve removed your mascara. Any makeup that also has skincare benefits always gets an A+ in my books. This 4D mascara strives to lengthen, curl, define and volumize lashes (hence the 4D name) to give a gorgeous wide-eyed look.

I know people love this mascara, but it’s just a little too dry of a formula for me. I find I really have to work it through my lashes and apply multiple, multiple coats to get my lashes to the length and volume that I want. The brush, however, is where this mascara really excels. It’s an S-shaped brush that helps to grasp each eyelash and evenly coat from root to tip for a more voluminous, thick lash look.

I’ve tried this mascara many times over the past couple of years and I’ve never been disappointed in it. It has a wetter formula that provides such extreme length and volume! The brush is also quite unique with an hourglass-shape that helps to separate, coat, and lock in the curl of the lashes. Sometimes I find I have to layer two different mascaras to get the look I want, but not with this one! This is a one-stop shop and it’s wonderful.

My friend, Erin, has been using this mascara for quite some time now and has always raved about it, so I was super excited to try it out. And boy, it did not disappoint! It’s described as a volumizing and lengthening mascara that targets every single lash for lift, length, and fanned-out volume without clumps. And with a curved brush? Sounds like it meets my criteria perfectly, hey? I have a feeling this is quickly going to become my go-to mascara because it’s about as perfect as it gets.

Once again, I know this Clinique High Impact mascara is a fan favorite in the beauty community, but I have just never loved it. It’s definitely a drier formula, but is buildable if you want to take the time to apply a million coats to reach the volume and length you want. It’s main benefit, I’d say, is that it’s safe for sensitive eyes because it’s free of all mineral oil and fragrance as well as being ophthalmologist tested.


Oof, that was a lot of mascaras and a lot of thoughts about mascaras. But, I truly believe mascaras are such a personal thing. We all have different eyelash shapes, lengths and thickness so what mascara works for one person might not work for somebody else. But hey, isn’t that true about most makeup products? Thanks for reading!

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