Consider the following scenario: There’s less than a minute until your first Zoom meeting of the day. After throwing on that new white tee and scraping hair back into a low ponytail, you’re faced with a 25-second decision: Apply lipstick, blush, or a coat of black mascara?

If you ask me, nothing quite transforms (and wakes up!) my face like a lash-lifting mascara. And while most formulas on the market promise to volumize, curl, and define, which ones actually get the job done? Leave it to this beauty expert to spill the beauty tea.

To make it easy, I’ve broken it down by category: looking for the best drugstore mascara? How about the best volumizing mascara? Or the best waterproof mascara? Look no further. From the cult, Tiktok-approved Maybelline formula to Grande Cosmetics’ version that literally boosts your lash growth while it’s on, here are the best mascaras to buy in 2021.

The Best Drugstore Mascaras

The Best Volumizing Mascaras

The Best Clean Mascaras

The Best Waterproof Mascaras

The Best Lengthening Mascaras