Maybelline Sky High Mascara: The Truth Behind the TikTok…
A drugstore mascara with a cult following for its skinny wand and lengthening power — but it's not a universal holy grail. Here's who it actually works for.
What real owners actually say
The real owner chorus on this mascara is refreshingly nuanced. The overwhelming love is for the WAND — specifically how impossibly thin it is. People with eye shapes that normally result in mascara smudged all over their lids are finally getting clean application. The tiny comb-like bristles reach inner-corner baby lashes and get right to the roots in a way bulkier wands simply can't. Multiple users mention that combing/separating after application is essential to get the best result, and that curling lashes first makes a real difference. The formula can be too wet straight out of a new tube, which causes issues — so there's a break-in period. It's also clear this is a LENGTH mascara more than a volume one, and people with naturally short or very thick lashes often feel left out of the hype. There's a genuine sadness in some comments — people who WANTED to love it and just didn't. The shade range gets praise too: the burgundy/plum is subtle but makes blue and lighter eyes pop, and the brown is a true brown (not brown-black masquerading as brown), which is surprisingly hard to find at the drugstore. Several users mention the companion Sky High primer (white tube) and say it elevates the look, though the mascara works fine on its own. One user even noted the wand is similar to Chanel's Noir Allure — high praise for a $10 tube. Overall, this is a mascara that inspires fierce loyalty in the right lash type and shrugs from everyone else.
What Glow loved
- The skinny wand is genuinely game-changing for precise application — inner corners, roots, and lower lashes
- Excellent lengthening effect that some users say looks like false lashes
- Surprisingly good shade range — the brown is a true brown and the burgundy makes lighter eye colors pop
- Strong drugstore value with a companion primer that elevates results further
- Proven staying power in 8-10 hour wear tests by multiple independent reviewers
What Glow didn't
- Not universal — people with short or very thick lashes often see no magic at all
- Formula is too wet in a fresh tube, requiring a break-in period for best results
- Occasional smudging noted even by loyal fans, especially in the washable formula
- Combing/separator brush feels essential rather than optional — extra step some won't bother with
- The viral hype sets expectations that simply can't be met by every lash type
The YouTube reviewers who actually tried it
YouTube reviewers put this mascara through serious testing — 8-to-10-hour wear tests, side-by-side comparisons, and even a 7-mascara showdown ranging from $4 to $44. The standout voice is Kate Carter, who has tested this mascara in multiple videos over several years and calls it her 'all-time favorite' and 'go-to everyday mascara.' She praises its consistency, volume, length, and staying power — but crucially admits it occasionally smudges, not often, but enough to be a known flaw. She tested both the washable and waterproof versions head-to-head, and also reviewed the tinted primer companion. Ena's comparison video pits Sky High directly against the L'Oréal Telescopic — a 5-year favorite for length — and notes the Sky High went genuinely TikTok viral, selling out at every drugstore in her area for weeks. Allura Beauty ran a full-day wear test focused on smudging, flaking, and buildability. Allie Glines reviewed the newer Sky Tubes tubing variant and was notably skeptical going in because 'every single thing that I saw that was good was a sponsored post' — she wanted to cut through the paid hype. Rach C also tested the tubing version, mentioning it was incredibly hard to get. The newer Sky Tubes formula is positioned as smudge-proof and flake-proof, removed with warm water. Katie Hoke featured the original among top 10 best-sellers at Ulta. Across all videos, the consensus is that this is a legitimately strong drugstore mascara that earns its viral status — but the occasional smudge issue and the 'your mileage may vary' reality come through honestly.
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 and VIDEO layers strongly align on the thin wand being the hero feature — both groups independently praise it for reaching inner corners and baby lashes that other mascaras miss.
- VIDEO reviewers (especially Kate Carter) openly admit occasional smudging, while USER comments don't flag this issue — possibly because users who experience smudging simply move on rather than posting.
- USER comments warn the formula is 'too wet' in a new tube, while VIDEO reviewers don't explicitly mention this break-in period — a gap that could frustrate first-time buyers.
- USER comments reveal this mascara genuinely fails for people with short or thick lashes, while VIDEO reviewers (who tend to have longer lashes) call it a holy grail — exposing a lash-type bias in the hype.
- VIDEO reviewers (Allie Glines) explicitly call out that most positive early coverage of the Sky Tubes variant was sponsored content, creating trust tension even around a genuinely popular product.
- Both USER and VIDEO layers independently confirm the viral sell-out phenomenon — this wasn't manufactured scarcity, it was real demand that made the product genuinely hard to find for weeks.
The 10 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.”