Sweat-proof, pool-proof, and cry-proof, for all your needs.
Finally, it’s starting to feel like summer and that means warm weather plans are getting made and calendars are filling up quickly. But while you’re planning your summer outfits for your friend’s wedding, your beach vacation getaway, a sweaty music festival, or any other fun (and primarily outdoors) activity, make sure you don’t overlook the fact that you need a strategy for your makeup, too. It’s all fun and games until a dip in a pool, wedding guest tears, or general high humidity leaves you with smudgy, runny mascara eyes. You want to look hot, not look like you’re overheating, right?
While sweat-proof makeup is helpful in situations like these, waterproof mascara is an absolute must. With constant blinking and your lashes touching a sweaty face, if you’re not prepared, mascara migration is inevitable. But waterproof doesn’t mean one size fits all. You absolutely can find the right waterproof mascara for you that’s not expensive, heavy, clumpy, or even harsh on your lashes. Read on for our favorite and best reviewed waterproof mascaras that won’t break the bank.
We at NYLON only include products that have been independently selected by our editors. We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars with over 86,000 reviews
Sky High is an apt name for this guy with a skinny spindly brush— it really helps your lashes reach new lengths especially with a quick curl before applying.
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars with over 82,000 reviews
This hourglass shaped brush really wriggles between ever lash where you need it for maximum volume.
For less than your regular Starbucks, this mascara turns up the volume on your lashes and won’t flake or budge until you take it off with remover.
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars with over 45,000 reviews
For less than your regular Starbucks, this mascara turns up the volume on your lashes and won’t flake or budge until you take it off with remover.
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars with over 500 reviews
The smaller brush head of this e.l.f. mascara is great for getting at the short, hard-to-reach lashes in the corner of your eyes and accentuating your lower lashes.
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars with over 5,000 reviews
No matter how much you layer on, this mascara resists clumps for smooth, fluffy lashes.
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars with over 4,000 reviews
This mascara works by “tubing” your lashes, making it hard to smudge but easy to remove with gentle massage while washing your face.
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars with over 1,500 reviews
This brush is designed to separate and fan-out lashes for a fuller, doe-eyed look.
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 1,000 reviews
Eyeko’s travel-sized mascara is adorable and tiny, so it’s easy to stash in any bag in case you want to give yourself a little zhuzh between sitting in the sand to going straight to the beach bar for drinks.
Amazon Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars with over 2,000 reviews
It’s waterproof, but it still leaves your lashes with a natural, soft look— consider this your go-to for light makeup days in the summer.