Best Waterproof Mascara? 7,377 Reviews of Clinique, Lancôme and Too Faced

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Review-analysis guide: 7,377 customer reviews read on Sephora, Ulta and Clinique.com (October 25, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from Amazon listings checked October 25, 2026.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 25, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

Which waterproof mascara is best depends on what it has to survive. In 6,688 usable reviews, Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof (paid link) drew the most volume praise (31%) with few smudge reports; Clinique High Impact Waterproof (paid link) drew the most stay-put praise (53%), mostly in older reviews; and Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof (paid link) drew the most complaints about clumps (33%) and smudging (29%).

Best waterproof mascara: what 7,377 reviews agree on

Looking for the best waterproof mascara? We read 7,377 reviews of three popular picks at Sephora, Ulta and Clinique.com to see how often reviewers say it stayed put, held up to water, tears or sweat, clumped, or was hard to take off: Clinique High Impact Waterproof, Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof and Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof. All three listings promise smudge-resistant wear; Clinique's and Too Faced's both say they suit sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and Clinique's adds fragrance free. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Lancôme drew the most volume praise (31% of 1,143 usable reviews), and 44% said it stayed put or held up to water. Clinique drew the most stay-put or water praise overall (53% of 448), mostly from its own site and from reviews before 2019; on Ulta the two were similar (45% and 42%), and from 2023 on Lancôme led (42% against 34%). Too Faced, with by far the most reviews (5,097 usable), drew the most complaints: 33% found it clumpy (19% from 2023 on) and 29% said it smudged, flaked or ran, against 11% to 15% for the other two. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

How we read 7,377 reviews at Sephora, Ulta and Clinique.com

We read every review each retailer served for these three products, with no fixed target. At Sephora that meant every US English review of the Too Faced (full size and mini) and Lancôme mascaras except those marked incentivized or written by staff (24 and 135 skipped unread). Ulta's review pages stop after the newest 300, so we read every distinct review they served: 282 of 5,467 for Too Faced, 298 of 842 for Lancôme and 291 of 668 for Clinique. Sephora lists the regular High Impact but not this waterproof version, so we also read all 252 reviews on Clinique's own page. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Of the 7,377 we read, 689 were set aside. In August 2019 most Sephora reviews of the Lancôme mascara said the product was free, so we dropped that month (368 reviews). Another 193 said the product was free, a sample or from a review program, and 82 were the same review posted on two sites, which we counted once. 46 had no real text, came before use, were about another product or shipping, repeated on the page, or were not in English. That leaves 6,688 usable reviews: 5,097 for Too Faced (Sephora 4,820, Ulta 277), 1,143 for Lancôme (Sephora 847, Ulta 296) and 448 for Clinique (Ulta 284, Clinique.com 164). [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Some cautions. 64% of the usable Too Faced reviews are from 2016 to 2018, and Clinique's run back to 2013, so we show years separately below. Clinique's sample is the smallest. Reviewers don't always separate a water test from ordinary wear, so we report smudging, flaking and running together. Star ratings are not comparable across retailers, so we compare what reviewers describe. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Clinique High Impact Waterproof, the fragrance-free pick

Clinique's listing promises non-smudging wear for up to 12 hours through heat, humidity and an active day, with a twisted wire brush. It says the formula is ophthalmologist tested, safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, allergy tested and 100% fragrance free. We link the Black shade, 0.28 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A3]

Across 448 usable reviews of the Clinique High Impact Waterproof, 170 (38%) said it stayed put without smudging or flaking, 120 (27%) said it held up to water, tears or sweat or called it truly waterproof, and 83 (19%) said they would buy it again, the highest share of the three. Only 52 (12%) said it smudged, flaked or ran, and 51 (11%) found it clumpy. Volume and length praise was thin (8% and 9%). [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI]

What reviewers say changed over time. Of 144 usable reviews from 2013 to 2018, 66% said it stayed put or held up to water; of 119 from 2023 on, 34% did, and 28% gave one or two stars. Clinique.com reviews were warmer than Ulta's (67% against 45% stay-put or water praise), and on Ulta alone Lancôme was close (42%). [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI]

See Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara, Black on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the Black shade, 0.28 fl oz, shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof, the volume pick

Lancôme's listing promises up to 12 times more fullness in one coat and up to 24 hours of smudge-proof, flake-free wear, with a big brush of soft, wavy fibers. It suggests pairing it with its Cils Booster XL primer and says it removes easily with its Bi-Facil remover. We link the black tube sold by Lancôme and shipped from Amazon. [A2]

Of 1,143 usable reviews of the Monsieur Big Waterproof, 358 (31%) said it gave more volume, 239 (21%) longer lashes and 373 (33%) said it stayed put; 220 (19%) said it held up to water, tears or sweat or called it truly waterproof. Complaints were far fewer than for Too Faced: 15% found it clumpy and 11% said it smudged, flaked or ran. Hard removal tied with clumps as its top complaint (176 each, 15%). [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN]

Among 122 reviewers who wore it swimming, working out or in heat and humidity, 101 (83%) said it held up and 9 said it ran. Of 81 who pair it with a curler, lash lift, primer or another mascara, 35 (43%) said it held a curl. [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN]

See Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof Mascara, Black on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the black waterproof tube sold by Lancôme and shipped from Amazon.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof, the most reviewed and most complained about

Too Faced's listing says its polymers resist water, sweat and humidity without smudging or flaking, through swimming, workouts and long days, with the brand's hourglass-shaped brush. It also says the formula is gentle enough for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. We link the full-size 0.27 fl oz tube shipped and sold by Amazon.com. [A1]

Of 5,097 usable reviews of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof, 875 (17%) praised the volume, 644 (13%) the length and 862 (17%) said it stayed put; 730 (14%) said it held up to water, tears or sweat or called it truly waterproof. But 1,675 (33%) found it clumpy or spidery, 1,456 (29%) said it smudged, flaked or ran, 822 (16%) said it dried out or was goopy, and 805 (16%) found it hard to remove. [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Clumping complaints fell from 36% of 2016 to 2018 reviews to 19% from 2023 on, and dried-out or goopy complaints from 19% to 9%. Smudging, flaking or running did not fall (27% then, 32% from 2023 on). Of 409 reviewers who wore it swimming, at the gym or in heat, 255 (62%) said it held up and 104 (25%) said it ran. [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

See Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara, Full Size on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the full-size 0.27 fl oz tube shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

How to remove waterproof mascara, and is it bad for your eyelashes?

Lancôme's listing is the only one of the three that names a remover: its Bi-Facil Makeup Remover. In the reviews, hard removal came up for 16% of Too Faced, 15% of Lancôme and 8% of Clinique reviewers. Reviewers who described how they take it off, such as with an oil cleanser, a balm, micellar water or a two-phase remover, were often describing a struggle: 282 of 472 for Too Faced (60%), 79 of 138 for Lancôme (57%) and 21 of 48 for Clinique (44%) called it hard to remove. [A2] [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Is waterproof mascara bad for your eyelashes? Reviews cannot answer that, but we counted what reviewers reported: lashes falling out, breaking or feeling damaged came up for 115 Too Faced (2%), 33 Lancôme (3%) and 4 Clinique reviewers (1%). Many of the Too Faced and Lancôme reports were described while taking it off: 90 of 115 and 24 of 33 came with a hard-removal complaint. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

Waterproof mascara for sensitive eyes, swimming and curls: how each felt to reviewers

Looking for a waterproof mascara for sensitive eyes? Clinique and Too Faced both say on their listings that they suit sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, and Clinique adds that it is ophthalmologist tested and fragrance free. Of 27 Clinique reviewers who said they have sensitive eyes, 22 reported no irritation and 1 reported some; of 33 Too Faced reviewers, 19 and 6. Of 29 Too Faced reviewers who wear contact lenses, 17 reported irritation. Eye irritation overall was rare (1% to 3%). [A1] [A3] [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

If you need a waterproof mascara for swimming or workouts, reviewers who wore them that way were most positive about Clinique and Lancôme (83% of 66 and of 122 said it held up) and split on Too Faced (62% of 409 held, 25% ran). For a waterproof mascara that holds a curl, Lancôme (14%) and Too Faced (11%) drew curl praise and Clinique almost none (2%); among reviewers who pair it with a curler, lash lift, primer or another mascara, 43% of 81 for Lancôme and 47% of 217 for Too Faced said it held a curl. [R-ULT-CLI] [R-CLI] [R-SEP-LAN] [R-ULT-LAN] [R-SEP-TF] [R-ULT-TF]

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best waterproof mascara in these reviews?

It depends on the trade-off. Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof drew the most volume praise (31% of 1,143 usable reviews) with few smudge reports. Clinique High Impact Waterproof, the fragrance-free option, drew the most stay-put praise overall (53% of 448), mostly in older reviews. Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof, the most reviewed, drew the most complaints about clumps (33%).

How do you remove waterproof mascara?

Lancôme's listing says it removes easily with its Bi-Facil Makeup Remover; the other two listings name no remover. Hard removal came up for 16% of Too Faced, 15% of Lancôme and 8% of Clinique reviewers, and reviewers named oil cleansers, balms, micellar water and two-phase removers.

Is waterproof mascara bad for your eyelashes?

Reviews cannot settle that. Lash loss or damage came up for 1% to 3% of reviewers of each mascara here, and for Too Faced and Lancôme many of those reports were described while taking it off.

Which waterproof mascara is best for sensitive eyes?

Clinique's listing says it is ophthalmologist tested and fragrance free, and 22 of 27 Clinique reviewers who said they have sensitive eyes reported no irritation. Eye irritation was rare for all three (1% to 3%).

Which waterproof mascara holds a curl?

Lancôme (14%) and Too Faced (11%) drew curl praise; Clinique almost none (2%). Among reviewers who pair it with a curler, lash lift, primer or another mascara, 43% of 81 for Lancôme and 47% of 217 for Too Faced said it held a curl.