L'Oréal Paris launched Voluminous Lash Paradise in the spring of 2017, according to the brand. Within months it was everywhere. L'Oréal's own beauty magazine says social media quickly called it a dupe of a luxury mascara, and the pink metallic tube and soft wand drew comparisons with Too Faced Better Than Sex, which sits in the second grid. Glossy reported in 2019 that Nielsen ranked it the number one mass cosmetics mascara launch of 2017, and L'Oréal said at the time that one tube sold every five seconds.

What made it different was the brush. It is an ultra-soft, wavy brush with more than 200 bristles, and the brand describes the result as feathery soft. That fringe of bristles holds a lot of formula, which is why one coat of Lash Paradise already looks full. In early 2022 the formula was updated with conditioning floral oils, and the line now includes a waterproof version and a primer.

If you have straight lashes that fall, it is a good place to start, because the wet formula holds a curl better than most thin lengthening mascaras. If you have sensitive eyes, go slowly and try the washable version first.

The first grid is L'Oréal Paris, the Paradise family plus three other mascaras from the same brand. The second grid is eight mascaras I compared them with. My tip: wipe the wand on the rim of the tube before the first coat, then wiggle at the root and pull straight up.

Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara in Blackest Black is the most reviewed Paradise tube here. It is soft, full and buildable, and it comes off with a normal cleanser. The Waterproof version adds flower oils and resists clumps and smudges, which makes it the pick for humid days and weddings. The Mascara Primer is a soft white base with the same wavy brush, and it adds length when you let it dry before mascara.

The bigger Paradise tube is the newer sibling, with a cross-conic brush that coats and separates each lash, and it is here in washable and waterproof. It has the highest rating of the Paradise tubes, and it is the one I would pick if the original feels too soft for you.

The other three are for different lashes. Telescopic Original is the slim lengthening wand, and it has the most reviews of any L'Oréal Paris tube in this grid. Extensionist has fibers and a 300 bristle comb for curl and length, and Voluminous Panorama has a multi-level brush for a wide, fanned look.

What I would skip: three coats of the waterproof formula. It builds fast and turns stiff, so stop at two and let the first coat set for a few seconds before the second.

Too Faced Better Than Sex is the most reviewed mascara in this edit, with close to twenty thousand ratings, and it is the one people compared Lash Paradise with. It is thicker and more dramatic, with a conditioning formula that locks in curl, though its rating is the lowest in this grid. Lancôme Lash Idôle is the lifted, fanned-out one, and Lancôme Monsieur Big is the heavy volume pick for a false lash look.

Benefit Cosmetics Fan Fest fans lashes side to side, which helps if your outer corners look sparse. Tower 28 MakeWaves is vegan and made for sensitive eyes, so try it if other mascaras sting. Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes has an eye-hugging brush that lifts short lashes well.

MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mascara is clump-resistant and lifted, and Hourglass Unlocked is a tubing mascara in Espresso, for length and definition in a softer brown.

Choose by what your lashes do. If they are straight, look for lift. If they are sparse, look for volume. If they smudge under your eyes by noon, look for tubing or waterproof.

What I would skip: Monsieur Big for everyday office wear. It is gorgeous at night, but by afternoon it can look heavy on fine lashes.

I think Lash Paradise is still one of the easiest mascaras to love, because the soft brush and wet formula do the work in one coat. Start with the washable tube, switch to waterproof for humid days, and try the primer if you want more length. If you want to compare it with the mascara it was once called a dupe of, Better Than Sex is in the second grid. If your lashes are very short, curl them first, add the primer, then one coat of the washable formula. Whichever you pick, replace the tube every few months and never pump the wand.