As a makeup expert, I always recommend bold and elaborate eye makeup to people with naturally short and thin lashes, to help emphasize their eyes. While this is of course not doable every day, having the best drugstore mascara for short lashes handy goes a long way! Many people believe that just using any mascara should be fine as all mascaras essentially emphasize the eyes and add definition to the lashes. However, for short and fine lashes, a mascara with a rich formula and bushy applicator can turn the eye makeup into a goopy mess instead! Hence, it is essential to invest in a product that caters to your specific makeup needs. 

An ideal mascara for short natural lashes should be able to reach the tiniest of strands with great ease, without smearing the product elsewhere or having you go through great difficulty to apply it. Such mascaras should have lengthening properties, which give a defined, fuller, and fluttery-eyed aesthetic. Moreover, if your lashes are naturally straight-ish, then the mascara should have lengthening and curling properties, so you don’t have to bother much with the eyelash curler, especially on days when you’re running late. 

Through meticulous research, trials, and testing, in addition to considering customer testimonials, I’ve cherrypicked the following OTC mascaras for their application ease, efficacy, color intensity, and lasting power. What’s more? Some of these mascaras also have nourishing formulas that replenish your eyelashes, deliver moisture, and boost growth for best results.

• 1
  Cleanest Formulation

  Honest Beauty 2-in-1 Extreme Length Clean Mascara + Lash Primer

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Without compromising on any features that a classic mascara should provide, this mascara from Honest Beauty comprises a clean formula, which gets it the top spot on my list! And what proves that? It is free of nasties such as parabens, paraffin, silicones, and mineral oil. Its rounded mascara wand consists of short, molded bristles, which help coat individual lashes with the product to lengthen them while delivering a fanned-out look. And, the pointed tip of this mascara’s applicator, when used towards the outer edge of your eyes, gives an animated length to your lashes for a fluttery aesthetic. 

Quick Tip:

The best way to use this mascara is to prep the lashes first with Honest Beauty’s lash primer, and then build up with the mascara to add length and definition.

Color: Black

Cruelty-free: Yes

2

Premium Beauty Product

Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara

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For a premium product, you indeed get a good deal on this mascara from Eyeko — and the reviews from delightful customers confirm that it’s worth investing in! Perfect for those with short and straight lashes, this mascara's specially designed curved wand helps lift and curl up the lashes while enhancing their length. This gives a bright, energized look to the eyes, which is convenient for days when you haven’t had your best sleep. In addition, the formula contains the goodness of caffeine, to further freshen up your morning look!

Color Range: Black, blue, green, purple, brown

Cruelty-free: Yes

3

Best for Monolid Eyes

Urban Decay Perversion Volumizing Mascara

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The reason to love this mascara from Urban Decay is fourfold! Firstly, it is a boon for short lashes as the formula delivers a sublime length to them, which breathes life into your makeup look. And, the more you apply, the more you can maneuver the length and intensity of the mascara as you desire. I was impressed to see that this mascara is infused with proteins and amino acids, which replenish the lashes and show subtle benefits in boosting lash health too. Lastly, the intense pigments of this buildable mascara give a bold, defined look to your eyes that you can feel free to skip wearing eyeliner.

Color: Intense Black

Cruelty-free: Yes

4

Best pH-balanced Formula

Prime Prometics PrimeLash Lengthening And Volumizing Mascara

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For natural-looking eyes, this volume mascara for short and thin lashes not only adds a flimsy length but also adds volume so your lashes look fuller and healthier. I was particularly head-over-heels for its formula as it is gentle, safe, and infused with lash-friendly vitamins that keep environmental pollutants at bay. The mascara wand is thin and ergonomic, with short, flexible, and tapered bristles that not only help lengthen the lashes but also curl them up a bit, to bring the focus to your eyes. What’s more? I always find myself fangirling over this mascara’s fanned-out effect on my lashes!

Color Range: Black, blue, and brown

Cruelty-free: Yes

5

Best Hypoallergenic Formula

Neenoxtub 4D Silk Fiber Lash Mascara - Pack of 2

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It’s not just the slip-proof contour on the tube that makes me grip this mascara tightly — its features have more to do with it! While I’m not someone who wears glasses or contact lenses, my friends and customers who do, don’t have any trouble wearing this mascara. This baby doesn’t melt away with a single splash of water, drop of sweat, or tears but brings one’s beautiful eyes to the focus. For short and straight lashes, the dense applicator works as a lengthening and volumizing super-hero, whereas its pointy tip adds extra drama to the outer corner lashes. Cherry on the top — you can get two for the price of one! 

Color: Black

Cruelty-free: No information

6

Best for a Fanned-out Look

e.l.f. Lash 'N Roll Mascara

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You may “roll” your eyes in disbelief, but this mascara by e.l.f. rocks as it lengthens and curls your lashes like no other over-the-counter mascara can! Its curved applicator brush with dense, flexible, silicone bristles helps separate individual lashes pretty well and gives a stunning, fanned-out look to your natural lashes. Besides, I have always trusted the brand to make products with clean and vegan formulations, and this mascara is no exception. Cherry on the top — you can trust the formula to not flake or smudge after it dries up. 

Color Range: Black, Pitch Black, and Deep Brown

Cruelty-free: Yes

7

Best for Precision

Annabelle Skinny Mascara

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Another superb pick for people with short and thin lashes, who want a natural-finish mascara to use every day is this “Skinny” Mascara from Annabelle. Before we even get to the formulation, for me the product’s USP is its applicator itself — ultra-thin, microscopic, and extremely precise. This makes the product an incredible choice to coat individual lashes and get a fanned-out look. And, unlike those other bushy mascaras I’ve used, this one doesn’t clump my lashes together or give a goopy finish. Besides, the formula is infused with enriching carnauba extracts that make it glide smoothly and nourish the lashes while doing so.

Color: Black

Cruelty-free: Yes

8

Best for Color-intense Looks

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Volumizing Mascara

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I know that this is marketed as a volumizing mascara and not a lengthening one, but through multiple trials and tests, I can tell you exactly why it is perfect for short lashes. The answer lies in its applicator — slim and straight, with ultra-fine bristles and a tapering structure. It is perfect to individually coat short lashes, easily reach the lashes in the inner corner of the eyes, and add some drama to the ones in the outer corner. The formulation is infused with the goodness of panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) to moisturize the lashes and keep them nourished. A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine revealed that panthenol has amazing moisturizing properties and also supports hair growth.  

Color: Black

Cruelty-free: No information

9

Waterproof And Nourishing Formula

It Cosmetics Superhero Volumizing Waterproof Mascara

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Formulated with peptides, biotin, and pro-vitamin B5, this incredible mascara from It Cosmetics works fantastically to enrich your lashes, ensuring they don’t get dry. This is perfect for people with very short and thin lashes, as it delivers a considerable volume in addition to intense pigment. Hence, when I first tried it out, I noticed a bold and dramatic finish on my lashes after applying just one layer. I’d recommend using this product to define your eyes for special occasions when you don’t have time for eyeliner!

Color: Super Black

Now that you’ve seen our recommendation for the best drugstore mascaras for short lashes, let’s understand how to shop for one wisely.

Applicator: The applicator is the key element to consider when looking for a mascara that caters to specific needs, such as lengthening short lashes, volumizing thin lashes, curling up straight lashes, etc. For short lashes, always invest in a thin brush applicator with a tapered body and fine, neatly arranged bristles. Cherry on the cake — the bristles are flexible and made with maneuverable materials such as silicone. Such applicators easily reach the tiniest of the lashes and give some extra volume and lift to the outer lashes, to spruce the aesthetic of the eyes. The fine bristles coat individual lashes with the product, for a neat look. If you also want to curl up your lashes while lengthening them, look for products with curved brushes, as they deliver the desired shape and body. 

Consistency: Owing to the infused polymers that add length to your lashes, the consistency of such mascaras is often smooth and easy to glide. Moreover, a small quantity of such mascaras should go a long way with the brush because of their film-forming capacity. I thoroughly tested the texture and consistency of each of the above-mentioned mascaras to ensure they cater to the needs of short lashes.

Pigment Intensity: It always helps if mascara formulations are highly pigmented as that enhances the color intensity of your eye makeup, adding some definition. Moreover, you don’t need to go in with multiple coats with such mascaras as a single glide is often bold enough. 

Shade Options: While black is often the most sought-after shade, to cater to different preferences and skin tones, a product range should offer multiple shade options such as brown, green, blue, jet black, grey-black, light brown, hazel, etc. 

Now, let’s understand the best ways to apply mascara for short lashes, to define and lengthen them.

Step 1: Start by dipping the mascara wand in the formula. Scrape the excess product at the opening of the tube, so we don’t over-apply or waste anything. 

Step 2: Next, brush the applicator over the lashes, from the roots to the tips, towards the left. Repeat the same towards the right. However, avoid going back and forth more than once or twice as the mascara may dry out before we can get our desired finish.

Step 3: After this, wiggle over the lashes with the brush in a straight, upward direction. 

Step 4: Hold the wand there for 1-2 seconds to lift the lashes and keep the shape in place. 

Step 5: For the lower lashes, simply wiggle over and press down with the brush. Avoid double-coating the lower lashes and ensure the emphasis is always on the upper lashes, for a balanced look.