Maybelline Sky High Mascara: The Viral Tube Worth the Hype?
A budget mascara with a genius wand that divides the internet — length lovers rejoice, volume seekers keep scrolling.
What real owners actually say
Real users are passionately split in the most honest way. The overwhelming love note is for the WAND — that thin, flexible, comb-like brush is the real MVP. People with tricky eye shapes, small eyes, hooded lids, or anyone who perpetually smudges mascara on their eyelids found their soulmate here. It grabs inner-corner baby lashes that bushier wands miss entirely. The formula itself is more divisive. A recurring theme: when the tube is brand new and the formula is wet, application is clumpier and harder to build. Several users found that it improves as the formula dries down a bit. Those with naturally long, dark lashes report stunning faux-lash results. Those with shorter or sparser lashes felt it didn't deliver the dramatic transformation they'd hoped for. The burgundy shade variant generated a lot of chatter — and almost universal agreement that it does NOT read as burgundy on dark lashes. It looks brown, maybe slightly warm, but not the statement tint people expected. On fairer skin with lighter lashes, the warmth shows more. Multiple users say combing through lashes is essential with this formula to avoid clumping. Removal is a noted pain point — several say it's more stubborn than other mascaras, with one person warning it 'rips off lashes' even with proper cleansing methods. Others find micellar water or warm water does the job fine. No significant flaking or smudging reported during wear, which is a strong positive for a drugstore mascara.
What Glow loved
- Genius thin wand grabs every lash including inner corners and baby lashes
- Excellent length and fluttery definition without clumping when applied right
- Strong wear test performance — no flaking, smudging, or raccoon eyes through 8-10 hour days
- Drugstore price point makes it a low-risk experiment
- Works beautifully for small eyes and tricky eye shapes that bigger wands ruin
What Glow didn't
- Formula is clumpy and wet when the tube is fresh — needs a week to dry down
- Volume is minimal — this is a length mascara, not a thickening one
- Removal can be stubborn, especially for the waterproof version
- Burgundy shade reads as soft brown on dark lashes — not the statement tint expected
- Doesn't work for everyone — shorter or sparser lashes may not see dramatic transformation
The YouTube reviewers who actually tried it
YouTube reviewers consistently demonstrate length over volume — lashes look fluttery, fanned-out, and defined rather than thick and dramatic. Wear tests ranging from 7 to 10 hours show the mascara holds up well without flaking, smudging, or raccoon eyes. The thin wand is repeatedly highlighted as a standout feature that makes application less intimidating, especially for those with smaller eyes. Kate Carter's multiple comparison videos reveal useful nuances: the Cosmic Black variant was tested and found to be clumpier and wetter than the original formula, not necessarily darker. The tinted primer was tested alongside the original and the consensus from comments suggests the mascara alone looks better — the primer didn't impress. In a comparison against L'Oreal Panorama, viewers were split but several said Panorama gave a fuller, flutterier look. The waterproof version was compared against washable — washable is significantly easier to remove with just micellar water, making it preferable for sensitive eyes and tired evenings. A sponsored review from Prakriti Singh showed dramatic length results but included a prominent comment warning about lash damage during removal. Allura Beauty's full-day test confirmed it stays put on stick-straight lashes, which is meaningful for anyone whose lashes droop under heavier formulas.
The caveats nobody puts on the bottle
When user voice and video reviewers contradict each other, that's usually where the truth lives. Here's the disagreement.
- USER comments and VIDEO reviews both praise the thin wand as the hero feature — rare full alignment on what makes this product special.
- USER removal difficulty complaints ('rips off lashes,' stubborn even with cleansing balm) contrast with VIDEO commenters who say warm water or micellar water removes it easily — technique and formula variant likely matter.
- The burgundy shade is marketed as a tinted statement, but USER consensus is it reads as soft brown at best on dark lashes — the color payoff doesn't match the shade name expectation.
- SPONSORED video content shows dramatic results, while a top comment on that same video warns about lash damage — the tension between influencer glow and real-user caution.
- USER comments note the formula is clumpy when new and wet, while VIDEO reviewer Kate Carter found the Cosmic Black variant specifically clumpier — suggesting formula consistency varies across shades and over tube lifespan.
- VIDEO comparison against L'Oreal Panorama split viewers, with several preferring Panorama's fuller look — Sky High may not be the undisputed drugstore champion for everyone.
The 9 videos that informed this verdict
Top YouTube reviews ranked by views. Tap a card to watch on YouTube — no autoplay, no creep tracking, no “you might also like.”