Mascara is the one beauty product that has been by my side since I was “too young to be wearing makeup” and sneaking tubes from my mom’s makeup bag. Even in the age of lash extensions, strip lashes, and individual false lashes, it remains one of my top three desert-island picks, my can’t-leave-home-without product, and the confidence boost I reach for on my off days. But my attachment to mascara makes me a pretty picky shopper. I’m looking for length, volume, and long wear, and quite frankly, I rarely find a mascara that can do all three.
The MACStack Mascara by MAC is the one exception. And the fact that it’s gone viral on TikTok is proof. MACStack is quite the unicorn mascara, doing all of the above and giving our eyes just the right amount of drama. And just when I thought the iconic MACStack Mascara that we all know and love couldn’t get any better, MAC launched its first-ever MACStack Waterproof Mascara ($28). Over a decade into my mascara journey, I’ve finally met my match. It defies all odds and has given me the lash tint, length, and volume that I’ve been searching for. This mascara doesn’t require a second bottle to get the job done. The formula is endlessly buildable, allowing you to stack on layers to customize the volume of your lashes to your liking without creating clumps. I know this sounds too good to be true, but after seeing what this waterproof mascara did for my lashes below, you may want to cancel that lash-extensions appointment.
Here’s a little background on my eyelashes: They’re naturally curled, so they tend to appear much shorter than they are. The hairs are fine and hardly visible without mascara. Due to their natural curl, length is my number-one priority. (Volume comes in at a close second.)
After one stroke of this mascara, I saw an immediate difference in my lashes. The rubber wand gave them noticeable length while fully coating them in a dark-black finish. I’m not one to go beyond three coats of mascara because I absolutely hate clumping, but the soft “catch all” grip of the bristles and lengthening formula allowed me to break this rule with ease. Each individual strand was coated from root to tip, making my lashes the thickest and longest they’ve ever looked after four coats—no clumping involved. Did I mention this mascara is waterproof, smudge-proof, tear-proof, and pool-proof? MAC uses Drench-Defense Technology that wraps this waterproof mascara around your eyelashes to repel water from each individual lash.
The wand has a curved structure that allows each bristle to comb through even my shortest lashes. I prefer more volume on the ends of my lashes, and the widened end of the wand gently grabs them and provides just enough product. Volume often equates to clumps, but that’s not the case with MACStack. It delivers customizable volume with 24-hour clump-resistant and flake-resistant wear. After more than 12 hours of wear, my lashes weren’t the slightest bit crunchy or smudged, which typically happens after several coats of mascara.
This mascara is a major win for a girl on the go in NYC who relies on touch-ups in between events. And if I just so happen to shed a tear from the frigid winter wind, I won’t need my compact mirror to confirm that there’s no black residue under my eyes. I’m calling it: This will be the mascara tube in my makeup drawer (and tote bag) whose label is rubbed off because I use it so often and bring it with me everywhere. If you want to experience this life-changing mascara for yourself, shop it below.
