The volume row is for thicker, darker lashes. Benefit's They're Real curls, volumizes and separates for a false lash look, and it comes from the twins who opened a makeup shop in San Francisco in 1976. Too Faced's Better Than Sex thickens and locks in curl, and the brand began in an Irvine apartment in 1998, funded by a loan from Jerrod Blandino's parents. Lash Clash from Yves Saint Laurent is the most dramatic, extreme volume with length, and Fenty's Hella Thicc is transfer-resistant and wears long. Charlotte Tilbury's Exagger-eyes, Makeup by Mario's Master Mascara, Dior's Diorshow Overcurl and Lancôme's Monsieur Big go bigger on volume and curl. Wipe the wand on the rim of the tube before the first coat, because all of them load a lot of formula.

The last four come from brands with a person behind them. Westman Atelier was founded in 2018 by the makeup artist Gucci Westman, and its formulas skip petrochemicals such as silicone. Saie was founded by Laney Crowell, who first ran a blog called The Moment, and a mascara was among its first four products. Tower 28 is named for a Santa Monica lifeguard tower, and Amy Liu built the range to follow the National Eczema Association's ingredient guidelines, so MakeWaves is gentle. Rare Beauty, from Selena Gomez, gives 1 percent of everything it sells to its Rare Impact Fund for mental health services, and Perfect Strokes suits every lash type. What I would skip is pumping the wand. It pushes air into the tube and dries the formula out faster.

Here is the thing about Maybelline: Sky High gets all the attention, but there is a whole wall of tubes behind it, and they really are different from one another. Great Lash came out in 1971 in that pink and green tube and it is still on the shelf. So I lined up the whole shelf next to Sky High, with what I like and what bugs me about each.

Sky High Waterproof uses the same Flex Tower brush as the original and holds through a long day, but you need an oil cleanser to get it off. Sky Tubes is a tubing formula with its own extender brush, so it slides off with warm water in little sleeves; it is the newest of the lot, so I would give it a few weeks before calling it. Lash Sensational has the fanning brush that opens up the outer corners, and it is washable, so it will not survive a swim. Lash Sensational Waterproof fixes that and is harder to remove. Firework fans the lashes all the way around for a flared look, which is pretty but slower to build, and Lash Sensational Body is the one for full, lifted volume, which can get heavy past two coats.

Falsies Lash Lift Washable has fibers in the formula to lift straight lashes, though the curved wand takes practice. Falsies Surreal Extensions is the long, stretched look, and it needs a moment to dry before you blink. Volum' Express The Falsies has a Kera-Fiber formula and is tested for contact lens wearers, which I appreciate, but it is the least subtle of the group. The Colossal is the thick classic with collagen in the formula, great for drama and the one most likely to smudge on oily lids. Colossal Bubble has an inflator comb brush for buildable volume with separation, and it is still finding its fans. Great Lash is the soft, natural one, easy to build and gentle, but do not expect big length.

My test is the same for all of them: one coat, wait thirty seconds, a second coat, then check again at four in the afternoon. What I would skip: wearing a waterproof formula every day without an oil cleanser at night.

For length, Sky High or Pradascope. For volume, Lash Clash or Hella Thicc, and for eyes that water easily, Ilia or Tower 28. If you want to stay at the drugstore, Lash Sensational Waterproof is my pick for a long day and Great Lash for a quiet one. Replace any mascara about every three months. Maybelline has been making lash products since 1915, and the drugstore tube still competes with every one of these. Whichever you choose, take it off every night with an oil or balm cleanser. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink, From Mabel's Lashes to Your Lips and Maybelline Serum Lipstick and Other Lipsticks That Feel Like Balm.