The story goes that the first waterproof mascara was sold with a swim show. According to Cosmetics and Skin, Helena Rubinstein introduced her Waterproof Mascara in black, brown and blue at the 1939 New York World's Fair, supposedly made for the Aquabelles who performed in the fair's Aquacade water ballet. The historian behind the site doubts that version and thinks Rubinstein licensed the formula from Helene Winterstein, a Viennese inventor, and used the Aquacade as a publicity stunt.

The basic idea has not changed much. Most waterproof mascara formulas are built on waxes and isododecane, a solvent that evaporates and leaves a water-resistant film behind. You can see it at the top of almost every ingredient list in the grids below. Tubing mascaras work differently. They wrap each lash in tiny polymer tubes that ignore water but slide off with warm water and a little pressure.

That difference shows up at the end of the day. A classic waterproof formula needs an oil or a balm to break it down, and rubbing it off with a dry wipe is how lashes break. Tubing formulas are easier to remove, though usually a little less dramatic.

The first grid is classic waterproof mascaras, from light volume to 48-hour formulas. The second has more waterproof picks, three tubing mascaras, a primer and a remover. My tip: curl first, then apply, because a waterproof coat locks the curl in place, and let each coat dry for thirty seconds before the next one.

Benefit BADgal BANG Waterproof is the one I would hand to anyone who finds waterproof formulas heavy. It uses light aero-particles for volume and still builds when you want more.

Lancôme has three here. Monsieur Big Waterproof has the big brush and up to 24 hours of volume. Lash Idôle Waterproof is the lifter, made to catch every lash without clumps. Hypnôse Drama Waterproof is the one to layer, smudge-resistant for up to 48 hours.

MAC Stack Waterproof is built to take coat after coat for length, and it stays put for up to 24 hours. Yves Saint Laurent Lash Clash Waterproof is the deepest black, with up to 48 hours of color and iris extract from the brand's community garden in Morocco.

Dior has the swimming classic. Diorshow Waterproof is the catwalk formula that lengthens and curves, and Dior says it holds when you swim, splash or cry. It has the most reviews in this grid, though not the highest rating. Diorshow Overvolume Waterproof is the one for maximum volume with lash-by-lash definition, and it has the best score here.

What I would skip: three coats of a 48-hour formula for a normal workday. It is harder to take off than it needs to be. Save Lash Clash and Hypnôse Drama for weddings, beach days and long nights, and keep BADgal BANG or Monsieur Big for everyday.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof is the most reviewed mascara in this whole edit, and the reviews are mixed, which is worth knowing before you buy. It thickens, lengthens and curls like the original. The same brand's Better Than Sex Foreplay Waterproof Primer is pitch black rather than white, so it adds length under any mascara without a gray cast.

tarte lights, camera, splashes is a four-in-one formula the brand says stays put through rain, sweat and tears. IT Cosmetics Superhero Waterproof adds biotin, peptides and pro-vitamin B5, with up to 24 hours of wear.

The three tubing mascaras are the easiest to remove. caliray Come Hell or High Water gives up to 24 hours of volume and curl without flakes, and its tubes roll off with warm water. Urban Decay Tube Job is anti-clump, anti-smudge and anti-sweat, with peptides and castor oil. Hourglass Unlocked is the one for length and definition that reads like extensions, and it is vegan.

Lancôme Mascara Melter closes the grid. It is a jojoba and squalane remover made to melt any mascara with minimal rubbing, so fewer lashes come out with the makeup.

What I would skip: a cotton pad and plain micellar water on a fully waterproof formula. Use the Melter or an oil, press it on the lashes for ten seconds, then wipe down and away.

I think the best waterproof mascara is the one you can take off gently. For everyday wear, a tubing formula or a light volumizer gives you most of the hold with less rubbing at night. For a wedding, a beach trip or a long cry at a movie, go for a 48-hour formula and plan your removal. Curl before you coat, let it set, and soak it off with an oil. Whether or not the Aquabelles really wore it in 1939, the test is the same: it should survive the water and leave your lashes where they started.