Another day another dupe! And this time I have 5 dupes to share with you. I’ve rounded up 5 high end mascara dupes under $12. These high end mascaras have all launched fairly recently within the last year or so minus the MAC one which is just a cult favorite. Anytime I create a dupe post, I try to dupe newer and more relevant products. So why pay top dollar for your mascara when you can spend 1/4 of the price and achieve the same effect…am I right?!
High end mascaras are reeeeeeally hard for me to justify. In my experience, there is 1000% no difference between a high end and drugstore mascara. And with the sheer amount of drugstore mascaras to choose from, you cannot tell me that you can’t find an affordable option that will work for you.
I’m extremely picky when it comes to mascara. I need my mascara to WORK for me and there is a very high standard. If you don’t make the cut, you are gone! Bye! Peace! Thank you next!
My lashes are ultra straight with zero curl to them. So much so that a few years ago, I switched to waterproof mascara which changed my life y’all. And I’m never looking back. Whoever started the scare tactic that waterproof mascara is the devil and you should never use it unless you want your eyeballs to fall out is pure evil! That is a lie and my lashes are an example. If my mascara doesn’t hold the curl to my lashes and push them to the heavens, we’re done. There’s no point in continuing a relationship that’s going nowhere.
All you ladies with curled lashes that don’t need an eyelash curler should feel lucky because we aren’t all blessed with lash curliness. I have to pull out all my magic tricks just to get a good bend going on in my lashes.
Soooo all that to say, I’ve tried many high end mascaras that honestly are so disappointing. I’ve used a ton of travel size versions or have gotten them for free with purchases. I don’t think I’ve ever bought one with my own money except for Benefit Roller Lash. Actually, that’s one of the mascaras I was using before making the waterproof switch and it still wasn’t doing a great job. And you will notice that most high end mascaras don’t make a waterproof version. Why is that?
I recommend that you save your money and stick to drugstore options because you really aren’t paying for anything extra with a high end price tag other than the brand name. My personal drugstore mascara favorite is L’Oreal Lash Paradise (waterproof formula obvi) and I also love the Maybelline Volum’ Express listed below. I actually pair these two together and it looks fantastic! I use lash paradise as my first coat, let it dry, then go in with volum’ express as my second coat. The wand is a plastic applicator with more space between the spindles so it does a great job of getting all the lashes in my second coat and really plumping them up.
Without further ado, below are the 5 high end mascara dupes under $12 with prices and links for everything. I also noted the price difference which is always fun to see.
Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara – $25
DUPE >> Covergirl Exhibitionist Mascara – $10.99
Price difference $14.01
NARS Climax Mascara – $24
DUPE >> Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara – $7.99
Price difference $16.01
Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara – $29
DUPE >> Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara – $4.99
Price difference $24.01
Benefit BADgal BANG! Voluming Mascara – $25
DUPE >> NYX On The Rise Volume Liftscara – $11
Price difference $14.00
MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara – $20
DUPE >> Catrice Glam & Doll Volume False Lashes Mascara – $6.99
Price difference $13.01
If you want to try out some drugstore mascaras but don’t know where to start, first identify what you need your mascara to do for you. Do you want more volume, length, curl, a combo of everything? It might be a bit of trial and error but Maybelline mascaras in general are really great! The L’Oreal Lash Paradise is also amazing as well as the original L’Oreal Voluminous mascara. Check out my Top 10 affordable mascaras post for more recommendations!
You can also read my L’Oreal Lash Paradise review post OR my post where I compared my 3 favorite mascaras and tested which one curled my lashes the best.
Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links. View my full disclosure policy for more details.
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