Clear mascara is close to where Maybelline started. According to the American Oil and Gas Historical Society, in 1915 a kitchen stove fire singed Mabel Williams's lashes and brows, and her brother Tom Lyle Williams watched her mix petroleum jelly with coal dust and ash from a burnt cork to darken them again. He started selling the mixture by catalog as Lash-Brow-Ine, trademarked it in 1917, and later renamed it Maybelline in honor of his sister.

A modern clear mascara keeps the petroleum jelly idea and drops the coal dust. It is a gel of film formers and conditioners that holds lashes in place and adds shine without color. That makes it good for three jobs: a no-makeup day, setting brows, and sealing a coat of black mascara so it does not flake.

It will not make lashes longer on its own, though. That is what the second grid is for. Lash serums work over weeks, and primers go on under mascara for more length the same day.

The first grid is clear mascaras and lash gels, most of them simple tubes that do one thing well. The second is lash serums and primers to wear underneath. My tip: comb the gel through at the root and hold the brush there for a second or two, the way you would with a curler, and it will set a soft lift.

Maybelline Great Lash in Clear is the obvious place to start: the same brand, the same green-and-pink tube, and a washable formula that comes off without scrubbing. It is ophthalmologist tested and suitable for contact lens wearers. e.l.f. Clear Brow & Lash has two ends, one for brows and one for lashes, and it has the most reviews in this grid.

Wet n Wild Mega Clear has the strongest hold of the simple tubes, with soy protein and provitamin B5, and it doubles as a top coat over black mascara. essence Lash & Brow Gel is alcohol free and built mostly for brows, but it lifts lashes too. Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Diamond Mascara is the one with a little shine, from diamond dust, plus peptides and vitamin E. MCoBeauty XtendLash Clear is the unpigmented version of the brand's lengthening mascara, so it looks glossier and longer than a basic gel.

The Ordinary Lash Curl Finisher is a clear styling formula with film formers and squalane that holds a lift and a curl. Grande Cosmetics GrandeGLAZE is the newest here, a salon-inspired lash gel with 12% film formers and a sheer glossy tint, closer to a lash-lift finish than a plain clear coat.

What I would skip: a clear coat as your only step if your lashes are very straight. Curl first, then use the finisher or GrandeGLAZE to hold the shape.

This grid works under the clear coat, either overnight or right before mascara.

Grande Cosmetics GrandeLASH-MD is the serum most people know, and it has the most reviews in this edit. It uses isopropyl cloprostenate, a prostaglandin analogue, and the brand says to give it four to six weeks. Formulas like this can irritate sensitive eyes, so patch test first. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum is the gentler peptide route, with red clover extract. Olaplex Lashbond pairs peptides with the brand's bond-building technology and has the best rating here.

Vegamour GRO Lash Serum is plant-based, with red clover and mung bean. MILK MAKEUP KUSH Lash + Brow Serum uses hemp-derived cannabis seed extract and plant peptides, and it is fragrance free. Augustinus Bader Eyebrow & Lash Serum uses the brand's TFC8 technology for thinning brows and lashes.

The two primers work the same day. Lancôme Cils Booster XL is a conditioning base with vitamin E that makes the next coat look longer and fuller. Dior Diorshow Maximizer 4D is a primer-serum with cornflower, cotton flower and chamomile, made to boost length, curl and definition. A primer followed by a clear gel makes a soft, groomed look for days you do not want black mascara.

What I would skip: layering two lash serums at once. Pick one, use it every night for the full six weeks, and only then decide.

I think a clear mascara earns its place as the finishing step rather than the whole routine. Curl, comb a clear coat through, and your lashes look like yours, only neater. Use the same tube on your brows. If you want real length, add a serum at night and give it six weeks, or wear a primer on the days you want more. Mabel Williams needed petroleum jelly and a burnt cork in 1915. The gel in a tube today does the same simple job, just more neatly.