Sadly, despite the countless TikTok videos we saw of the Sky High mascara seemingly transforming everyday people’s lashes, it didn’t quite have the dramatic effect we had been expecting, or at the very least hoped. We’re still hunting for that elusive mascara that actually lives up to the marketing hyperbole.
That said, not all is lost.
It’s clear that if you have longish lashes already, this mascara will work wonders. Much better than more pricey, designer mascaras.
If you’re an avid false eyelash wearer, which you may well be if you’re anything like us and struggle to find decent mascaras, at the very least this mascara from Maybelline is black enough to coat your natural lashes and blend them in with falsies.
Plus, considering this mascara only costs a tenner, the benefits you get from using this mascara – even if it doesn’t live up to all the hype – is more than worth it.
| Boots | £9.99 |
| Superdrug | £9.99 |
| Lookfantastic | £9.99 |
If you’re an avid TikTok user, particularly if you’ve found yourself on makeup TikTok, you’ll know that there is one mascara that everyone has been raving about – Maybelline’s Sky High Lash Sensational mascara.
TikTok users globally have filmed themselves using this drugstore mascara and the results look incredible. So of course, we had to put it to the test for this Maybelline Sky High mascara review.
We have notoriously short, blonde eyelashes. Not only are they lacking in any sort of length or curl, but they also have a tendency to grow in all sorts of different directions, plus they’re really thin.
Very few mascaras live up to the hype surrounding them from marketing teams and influencers, so could this TikTok mascara – a mascara that seemingly works on everyday people – finally break this mould?
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We’re big fans of high-street makeup here at mamabella. You don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to look great – and our list of the best cheap makeup brands on the market can attest to this.
As a result, we’re well versed in Maybelline mascaras having used a wide selection, and by Jove there’s a wide selection to choose from. A simple search for Maybelline mascara on the Boots website brings up 24 different types, in a plethora of colours.
These range from £4.99 Maybelline Classic Volum’ Express up to the most expensive (yet still, super affordable) Maybelline The Falsies Instant Lash Lift Look Lengthening Volumising Mascara, at £9.99. We’re big fans of the latter and it’s one of the best alternatives for the £22 Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.
Maybelline’s Sky High mascara sits at the top end of this range, coming in at £9.99, and forms part of the wider Lash Sensational collection. All the mascaras in this collection are designed more with length in mind, as opposed to the Falsies range which focuses more on volume, and the Colossal range that combines the two.
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Maybelline calls the brush on the Sky High mascara a Flex Tower because it bends and flexes, to coat every lash with formula
Due to the fact the Maybelline Sky High mascara is part of the lengthening Lash Sensational range, the brush has harder, shorter bristles and the formula is quite thick and almost gloopy.
However, unlike other mascaras in the Lash Sensational range, the wand is flexible and bendy, as opposed to curved or fixed in position. Maybelline calls this brush the Flex Tower.
This formula is both full of pigment – it’s one of the blackest mascaras we’ve used, second only to Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Push Up lashes – and contains bamboo extract and fibres. It’s the combination of the flexing brush and the fibres in the formula which cling to the lashes to make them look longer and thicker.
A lot of the dark colour comes from the fact the formula is so thick, and this thick consistency also means that it doesn’t flake at all. Not even after we’ve applied three coats to get the full benefit of the fibres.
This is surprising because, by their very definition, mascaras that use fibres to build out lashes tend to flake a lot. Mainly caused by the fibres shedding off.
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Maybelline’s Sky High mascara sits at the top end of this range, coming in at £9.99, and forms part of the wider Lash Sensational collection
The reason we’ve talked a lot about the flexible brush is that this bending and gentle movement as you sweep through your lashes means it more naturally follows their curves.
This increases the chances of you coating each of them in the black formula. Even the tiny hairs in the corner.
It’s super easy to roll the Sky High mascara from root to tip without a) stabbing yourself in the eye with the long bristles found on many lengthening mascaras, and b) without missing out the tips of the lashes.
With fluffier mascara brushes and softer formulas, we always end up getting loads on the curve of our lashes but not on the ends – or not fully.
READ NEXT: How to apply mascara like a pro
The flexible brush also makes it easy to be precise without making a mess, despite how thick and how black it is. We made such a mess with Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk mascara, and other similar formulas in macaras from Sweed, as one example, tend to end up on our eyelids.
With Maybelline’s Sky High, the flexible brush gives more control than you’d expect and because they move with your lashes, the mascara stays where it’s meant to.
The downside is that the side-to-side wiggle movement we like to use to coat our lower lashes, mainly to avoid getting mascara all over our under eyes, is near-on impossible with this brush.
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We have short, blonde lashes that are barely visible without mascara. This is what they looked like before we applied the Maybelline Sky High mascara
Despite the countless TikTok videos we saw of the Sky High mascara seemingly transforming everyday people’s lashes, it didn’t quite have the dramatic effect we had been expecting, or at the very least hoped
As you can see in the before and after photos, the Sky High mascara from Maybelline does add some length.
Its formula is super pigmented and gave our lashes much more definition and volume. The best results were achieved after applying three coats of mascara which isn’t always possible. Especially on mascaras that have a tendency to flake and clump.
This also means you can leave it to dry in between coats before applying again. This has the added benefit of giving you the opportunity to separate the lashes with the bristles each time.
It’s a bit of a faff but if you have time to wait between each coat, we highly recommend taking things slow and applying a layer before letting it dry. This also means that you’re less likely to make a mess, and you’re less likely to weigh your lashes down or cause them to become gloopy.
Removing this mascara is a little tricky because the formula is so thick and dark and it took us cleansing balm, foaming face wash, eye makeup remover and a face wipe to get it all off.
Buy now from Boots
Sadly, despite the countless TikTok videos we saw of the Sky High mascara seemingly transforming everyday people’s lashes, it didn’t quite have the dramatic effect we had been expecting, or at the very least hoped. We’re still hunting for that elusive mascara that actually lives up to the marketing hyperbole.
That said, not all is lost.
It’s clear that if you have longish lashes already, this mascara will work wonders. Much better than more pricey, designer mascaras.
If you’re an avid false eyelash wearer, which you may well be if you’re anything like us and struggle to find decent mascaras, at the very least this mascara from Maybelline is black enough to coat your natural lashes and blend them in with falsies.
Plus, considering this mascara only costs a tenner, the benefits you get from using this mascara – even if it doesn’t live up to all the hype – is more than worth it.
Buy now from Boots
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
