If an eyelash curler and mascara had a baby, this would be it

If there’s a beauty look that’ll never go out of style, it’s long and curly lashes. Lashes that look effortlessly lush and lifted. For the days when using an eyelash curler just isn’t an option, we’ve rounded up the top mascaras to give you that fluttery look in the blink of any eye.

Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content and education at clean beauty boutique The Detox Market, says the key to curly lashes is finding a mascara with a lightweight formula.

“A mistake people make is even when they do curl their lashes, they use a really volumizing mascara or thickening mascara that actually weighs their lashes down,” Wikes explains. “Think of mascara like your hairspray: if you curl your hair, but then put gel on it [the curl is] going to all fall out.”

She also says seeking out a mascara with a curved brush “because the curve, kind of as you’re applying, pushes the lashes up.”

And if you’re in a rush, Merrady recommends applying mascara, and then using your index finger to press your lashes up as they dry.

How to curl lashes without a curler using the best lash-curling mascaras

Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara ($28)

If you look closely, you’ll see that one side of the brush has tiny bristles, and the other side is more like a comb. “Do your first coat with bristles and then you can do the second coat [with the comb] to really comb it out and lift it,” Wikes explains.

Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes ($29)

Well+Good’s beauty and fitness editor Rachel Lapidos swears by this mascara. It has a grooved brush with fine-tipped bristles that catches every lash while pushing them up and out.

Sappho New Paradigm Vegan Mascara ($34)

Wickes also likes this mascara because it defines your lashes. The brush is designed to create a full, but separated, look.

Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara ($30)

This mascara combines a curved brush with a formula that lifts and coats your lashes for a long-lasting dramatic look.

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