12 Super-Effective Curling Mascaras If Your Lashes Are Stick-Straight

"My lashes are long, but poker straight, and I've only found a handful of curling mascaras that actually work in holding my lashes once I've curled them. This is one of them," says beauty editor, Eleanor Vousden. "I adore Hourglass mascaras, but this one lengthens, fans, curls and holds my lashes in place all day long. One coat gives naturally defined lashes, while two coats provide a false-lash effect. However you wear it, it keeps my lashes curled and standing to attention all day long. The inky formula and chic gold tube is the cherry on top," she says.

"I was blessed with very long, very thick lashes. The problem? You wouldn't know it by looking at me. This is because my lashes are poker-straight," says beauty director, Shannon Lawlor. "Their natural fullness and thickness mean their natural weight pulls any hint of lash-curler-induced lift straight back down. As a result, I have basically dedicated my entire career to finding a mascara that actually holds a curl," she says. "My most recent find is Lancôme Lash Idôle Flutter Mascara. It adds natural-looking length, separating the lashes beautifully as it works and seems to hold the lift from eyelash curlers better than any other mascara in my collection. It is the ultimate daily mascara—it opens up the eyes and never looks too much."

As a lash-obsessed beauty editor who has tried mascaras from practically every brand on the market (both high-street and prestigious), the ultra-affordable formulas from Essence are some of the best I've ever had. I keep a decked-out wardrobe of its tubes in my makeup bag at all times depending on my particular lash need. For unstoppable, long-lasting curl, this vegan and cruelty-free option will be your budget-friendliest ticket to success.

Maybelline's Full Fan Effect Lash Sensational Washable Mascara is another top-rated, editor-loved curling option in the high-street circuit. (The effect is so glamorous, which you'd never guess at the £10 price tag.) The formula is enriched with lash-loving rose-hip oil to encourage optimum lash nutrition, and its exclusive fanning brush really brings the magic. It packs 10 strategic layers of bristles to ensure each and every lash is lacquered with clump-free curl, volume and definition. It's one of the best Maybelline mascaras.

The first time I ever tried this Ilia mascara, I was quite literally dumbfounded. It receives a lot of hype, and I immediately understood the second I applied it. This mascara is the antithesis to almost every other "natural" mascara I've tried. It defines, it curls, it lengthens, and it allows buildable volume with zero smearing or flakiness. The fact that it's enriched with nourishing, 99% natural ingredients like beeswax, shea butter and arginine is just icing on the cake. 

There are so many aspects about my job that I love, but discussing beauty products with other editors, whether it's my WWW co-pilots or editors from other publications, has to reign supreme. One of my favourite fellow beauty lovers is Kirbie Johnson, formerly a senior reporter at PopSugar U.S. and the current co-host of beauty podcast Gloss Angeles (a must-listen). Oh, and she also happens to be a total savant when it comes to mascara. This curling number from MAC is one of her consistent standbys. It promises up to 16 hours of waterproof wear, but unlike so many lash-pulling waterproof options on the market, it effortlessly washes off with warm water thanks to the brand's thermal-sensitive technology.

"When I first tried the L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara, I was floored. If you like a fanned-out effect with plenty of curl, then this mascara won't disappoint," says Vousden. "It genuinely rivals some of its luxury counterparts, and I'm amazed at what it does for its £13 price tag. It effortlessly lengthens, separates, volumises, fans and, most importantly, curls my lashes while holding them in place all day. It's one of the best L'Oréal Paris mascaras by far."

The curling sorcery of this fan (and personal!) favourite from Glossier is the tubing technology. It's easy to layer and build sans clumping or that dreaded rickety spider-leg effect (you know what I'm talking about, right?), and you'll also benefit from serious length and definition for a fluttery, your-natural-lashes-but-better effect.

"Refy's mascara is one that you're going to want to get your hands on if you like natural-looking, lengthened results with a curl," says junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay. "The unique applicator is unlike anything I've ever used before, and it really works to sculpt, separate and lengthen the lashes."

I'm not sure if another beauty brand exists with such a starring lineup of truly effective mascaras. Benefit's mascara lineup is impressive, and each of its cheeky wands caters to specific lash goals. I have a few favourites I regularly recommend, but this one is the absolute best when it comes to curl and lift. Interestingly, it's inspired by hair rollers, and it boasts a patent-pending Hook 'n' Roll brush featuring teeny, custom-designed hooks to catch, lift and curl every last lash. The hold will last for at least 12 hours, and your lashes will also benefit from the lush effects of provitamin B5.

Nothing gets my heart beating like a Charlotte Tilbury product, and being the lash fiend that I am, this mascara pretty much sets my pulse into overdrive. It utilises honed-in ingredients and a hero curved brush to ensure eye-opening lift, curl, volume, and length. If you like a dramatic false-lash effect with volume all-day curl hold, this is the mascara to go for.

True story: I've been using this curling mascara from Dior since high school, and I actually think it does a superior job in the curl department. At £37, it's most definitely an investment piece within your beauty wardrobe, but I never apply makeup without it. I use it on its own plenty, but I also love using it as a "curl-and-lift-setting" mascara of sorts if I'm using another mascara. I always add at least one layer of this tube to my lashes to make sure they stay curled and perky—no smudging or flakes to be seen.