Six Waterproof Mascaras Put to the Test

It’s wedding season, which means that soon enough we’ll be teary-eyed for one reason or another—and let’s not forget that summer is the season of rom-coms, so keep plenty of Kleenex boxes nearby. Since no one wants to go from bridesmaid to Corpse Bride, Style.com/Arabia’s Khaoula Ghanem and Zahrah Mazhar decided to take it upon themselves to test the durability of six waterproof mascaras against water, heat, and our long, hectic days. Click through the slideshow to view our results. Photo Credit: Jamie Nelson/ jamienelson.com

Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara

Endurance Test: Sometimes it takes a rom-com marathon to fully appreciate waterproof mascara. After a tiring day at the office, I decided to spend the rest of my Thursday evening in bed with a pack of oven-baked chips and my laptop. I was in the mood for a Nicholas Sparks classic, so my first obvious movie choice was The Notebook. Even though I’ve seen it more times than I can count, tears instantaneously started to stream down my face towards the end. Once the sniffles subsided, I hesitated to look at my reflection in the mirror, expecting the Bride of Frankenstein to be staring back at me. Result: The Dior mascara didn’t budge one bit and my lashes still looked curly and long. There was no smearing, no running, and no smudging. The only downside to this mascara is that it took three showers (because my skin is sensitive to oil-based makeup removers) to rid my lashes of most of the mascara. —Khaoula Ghanem US $28.50; AED/SAR 105 www.sephora.com

M.A.C Haute & Naughty Waterproof Lash

Endurance Test: Friday morning, the birds were chirping, the kids were playing, and the sun was shining—real bright. It was an incredibly hot day, the kind that one can only endure by finding solace at the beach or the pool. Slathered in tanning lotion, I layered my eyelashes with two coats of M.A.C’s waterproof mascara before heading to the beach. A couple of hours of attempted synchronized swimming tricks and butterfly strokes later, I emerged out of the water somewhat resembling the Loch Ness monster. Result: A quick check with my compact mirror (that accompanies me everywhere) revealed no signs of sooty eyes. The mascara’s best feature is its duality, which gives you the choice of naturally defined lashes or a loaded, dramatic look. Use both the brushes to achieve dark, dramatic eyelashes. —Khaoula Ghanem US $22; AED/SAR 81 www.maccosmetics.com

Esteé Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara

Endurance Test: Saturday evening, just as I was about to call it a day to get ready for work the next morning, I got a text from my bestie, insisting that I join her for dinner. I quickly applied my foundation and lipstick, and grabbed the first mascara I saw, which turned out to be the Esteé Lauder waterproof mascara. After my five-minute makeup routine, a quick glance at my reflection revealed unkempt eyebrows and instinctively, I grabbed my tweezers and began to pluck—a beauty ritual that never fails to make my eyes water. Result: Worrying about redoing my makeup was all in vain. This silver tube instantly gave my lashes the appearance of false eyelashes and the mascara stayed impeccably in place without any smearing or flaking. Unlike the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara, this washed off with ease at the end of the night. —Khaoula Ghanem US $26; AED/SAR 95 www.esteelauder.com

Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara

Endurance test: Summer makeup should be kept minimal, because under the desert sun, you want your skin to be able to breathe easily. Clinique mascaras are my go-to for lightweight application; they look as dramatic as you want depending on the number of coats. Choosing the waterproof version of my favorite Clinique mascara, I applied three coats to get rid of the just-woke-up look and set about my slow Sunday—only it turned out to be a super sunny Sunday as my friend visiting from wet London insisted I work by the beach while she took a few dips in the ocean. Needless to say, I did not enjoy being baked under the summer sun as much as she did. Result: Finally going indoors to a nearby café around lunchtime, I was relieved to see that the mascara had not started to slide off and was firmly in place even after I splashed some cold water on my face. The mascara worked great in creating daylong fluttery eyelashes, but the best feature about this wonder wand has to be how easily it comes off as compared to other waterproof mascaras. —Zahrah Mazhar US 16.50; AED/SAR 125 www.glambox.me

Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara

Endurance test: Mondays always seem to be the longest day of the week—maybe it’s because they are bang in the middle and the weekend seems so far away. But a little beauty pick-me-up always helps get through the day. So, taking an extra ten minutes in the morning, I applied more than the usual makeup, adding a thin, winged liner plus layers of the BADgal Mascara. Being a longtime fan of Benefit Cosmetics’ They’re Real! Mascara, I had high expectations from this one. After nine of hours of staring at my laptop and 3 hours on the road, I returned home from the office dead tired and almost not willing to even look in the mirror. Result: Eventually, I saw my reflection in the mirror right before washing my face and the mascara had not smudged even slightly. I did, however, feel that my lashes had drooped a little and lost the length that I saw in the morning, but overall, considering I wore the mascara for more than 12 hours straight, I’d give it a B+. I’ll probably use it for a shorter period next time. —Zahrah Mazhar US $19; AED/SAR 160 www.benefitcosmetics.com

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Waterproof Mascara

Endurance test: One of the benefits of waking up early (which doesn’t happen to me quite often) is that you can take a quick dip in the pool before work, but because I’m usually cutting it close to when I have to clock in at work (and because we’re on the hunt for the best mascara for summer), I apply the Bourjois mascara beforehand. Take a dip, change quickly, grab coffee, and get down to business. Result: First off, I love this mascara for its lengthening and thickening abilities and to see that its affects lasted even after a swim just reinstated my belief in its powers. After I was done with work and checked my reflection again, my lashes were still perfectly curled (and did I mention that the mascara is super black?). Make sure to use a sturdy oil-based makeup remover for this one, because no matter what the saleslady says, you need to spend some time getting all of it off your lashes. We saved Wednesday as a breather for our lashes, going back to the normal, easy-to-remove formulas. —Zahrah Mazhar US $16; AED/SAR 60 www.boots.com