Best French Mascara 2024 (Our Top 10 Picks)
Our top pick? Talika's Lipocils Mascara
Long, dark, defined lashes are the one true way to frame and accentuate your eyes—the windows to your soul, no less—and an incredible mascara can really help emphasize this effect.
With hundreds to choose from, it's tricky to know which one is the most worthy of our money, especially when they *all* promise to volumize, curl, lengthen, and define. Thankfully, all it takes is one look at the gorgeously full lash look of models like Kendall Jenner (who rocks Dior's Diorshow Mascara) to know that en français is the way forward.
Deciding which is best for you depends on your budget & goals. Our top 10 picks narrow down the best French mascara based on both of these factors. Enjoy!
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#1 — Lipocils Mascara by Talika
Price: $$$$
The best French mascara overall.
What makes it special? Not only does this holy grail of a mascara leave your eyelashes looking strong, defined and beautiful, it also contains the 'Mythical Plant Complex' which has been proven to stimulate eyelash growth. The formula's legendary origin story (resulting from the wards of a Parisian hospital in WW2) has propelled the mascara into the popular domain where it has achieved nothing short of cult status. A five-star rating from us doesn't even really do it justice—it really is just that good.
#2 — Toleriane Waterproof Mascara by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best lengthening French mascara.
What makes it special? Innocently masquerading as a French pharmacy skincare brand, La Roche Posay secretly boasts a killer makeup collection and have deservedly earned themselves a spot amongst the best French makeup brands! Their flagship mascara's revitalizing serum formula and high-tolerance brush assures comfortability for up to 16 hours, even for those with sensitive eyes and skin. Complete coverage is guaranteed every time (no more faffing around with multiple applications!), and your lashes instantly look visibly amplified and longer. After just *two weeks* of consistent use, your lashes will feel naturally stronger & fortified.
#3 — Black Out Diorshow Mascara by Dior
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best defining French mascara.
What makes it special? Kohl: an ancient eye cosmetic used for intensely and sumptuously framing the eyes. Think Eva Green in Casino Royale or Kendall Jenner on one of Hollywood's reddest red carpets; the iconic Diorshow Black Out recreates that captivating look of kohl in a mascara for extreme volume with a charcoal-like finish. Need we say more? It's just one of those *must-haves* for any makeup collection.
#4 — Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara by L'Oreal
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best budget French mascara.
What makes it special? This irresistibly priced mascara is designed to make your lashes look visibly thicker (up to five times as thick!), longer, and yet still natural-looking. It is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and it can easily be washed off with regular eye makeup remover. Just stroke it on and marvel at the way the brush fibres coat each eyelash fully and effortlessly without clumping or flaking. Available in multiple different shades from carbon black to cobalt blue, you really can't go wrong with this one.
#5 — So Intense Mascara by Sisley
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best fortifying French mascara.
What makes it special? Enriched with vitamin-rich peptides, it works to lengthen and thicken your natural eyelashes within just *2* weeks. Its ultra-pure, double-coated pigments provide long wear & intense colour, and the comb brush perfectly distributes the product for an even finish. Day after day, your lashes look and feel longer, thicker, more beautiful, and stronger. Magnifique.
#6 — Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils by Yves Saint Laurent
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best volumizing French mascara.
What makes it special? The best-selling Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils is a luxurious fibre brush mascara that delivers 9x more volume vs bare lashes for the ultimate false-lash effect. The non-drying formula is enriched with pro-vitamin, walnut leaf extract (from YSL's Ourika garden in Morocco), and Argan oil. The formula delivers an intense black finish and leaves lashes looking thicker while also prevents smudging, clumping and flaking.
#7 — Mad Eyes Buildable Volume Lash by Guerlain
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best luxury French mascara.
What makes it special? Guerlain's extraordinarily luxurious formula ensures breathtaking volume, curl and hold. It's secret? The combined action of three polymers: the first is coating, the second is softening and the third is setting. From the very first stroke, they synergise for a simultaneous result to plump up and curl the fringe of lashes in a lasting and even way. Coats are layered on lightly for tailor-made volume: immediate, stylised and long-lasting.
#8 — Wonder Perfect Mascara by Clarins
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best French lengthening mascara.
What makes it special? Coming in at a much lower price point than even we initially presumed for such a high-end brand, this sumptuous mascara enriched with Clarins' "Lash Boosting Complex" encourages lash growth, lengthens, and curls to perfection in one easy step. An absolute must-have for lashes lacking in length.
#9 — Definicils High Definition Mascara by Lancome
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
One of the best French mascaras overall.
What makes it special? This fragrance-free, iconic mascara provides lash separation, shapes and defines to create longer-looking and beautiful lashes from base to tip without clumping. The grooved bristles on the brush evenly distribute mascara along the entire lash from root to tip, yielding a subtle, defined, naturally striking look. PRO TIP: Never pump the wand as this will introduce air into the barrel of the mascara, which can dry out the product quicker!
#10 — Volume Glamour Ultra Curl by Bourjois
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
The best budget French volumizing mascara.
What makes it special? This hypnotizing black mascara perfectly defines, volumizes, and lengthens for instant seductive lashes. Its formula is enhanced by silicone and natural wax that provide extra volume, and its full roller brush allows for precise application without clumps. Great value for the price, but there is a slight caveat in the sense that you might need extra coats to achieve the full volumizing effect.
This article was originally published on October 15th 2021, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on January 23rd 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.
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Calum Torrington is the founder of FemmeNordic. He has worked as a beauty editor since 2020 and employs his analytical background in mathematics to thoroughly scrutinize complex INCI lists. Now, he helps over 1 million people per year to find the best beauty products.