Beauty Great Lash Clear vs Washable: Which Mascara Wins Best Now
Great Lash Clear and Great Lash Washable are two icons from the same line. Clear offers transparent grooming for a natural look. Washable Blackest Black gives classic defined black lashes. Here is how they compare.
| Factor | Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara, 110 | Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara, |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Transparent, no pigment | Intense black |
| Best use | Brows, natural lashes, flyaways | Defined everyday lashes |
| Hold | Light flexible hold | Good curl hold |
| Removal | Rinses off easily | Washable with soap and water |
| No-makeup looks | Perfect, invisible | Too much for bare faces |
| Price | Around 6 to 8 dollars | Around 6 to 8 dollars |
| Multitasking | Brows, lashes, hair | Lashes only |
Our Verdict
Choose Clear if you want a multitasker for brows, bare lashes, and flyaways. It is unbeatable for no-makeup days. Choose Washable Blackest Black if you want classic defined lashes. It remains one of the best budget mascaras ever made.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Humid days, events, and emotional moments.
Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, Very Black
- Waterproof long-wear formula
- Very Black rich pigment
- Lash-doubling brush
- Survives sweat and tears
Pros
- Stays put all day
- Same classic brush
- Budget waterproof
Cons
- Needs oil-based remover
- Can feel drying
Best for: Purists who want the one-tube classic.
Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara, Blackest Black
- Original washable formula
- Buildable lash volume
- Hypoallergenic tested
- Contact lens safe
Pros
- The 1971 original
- Gentle and reliable
- Removes easily
Cons
- Not the most volumizing
- Smudges on very oily lids
Best for: Waterproof loyalists who go through tubes fast.
Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, Very Black, 2-Count
- Waterproof Very Black formula
- Two-tube value pack
- All-day smudge resistance
- Classic lash-building brush
Pros
- Best value waterproof
- Reliable all-day wear
- Good for sensitive eyes
Cons
- Tougher removal
- Two tubes to use in 6 months
Want the Full Picture?
Tubing vs Waterproof vs Washable: The Real Differences
The three mascara architectures are constantly confused, so here is the mechanical distinction. Washable mascaras use pigments suspended in waxes and polymers that dissolve with soap and water. Waterproof versions add water-repelling polymers that resist sweat, tears, and humidity but demand oil-based remover and more rubbing. Tubing mascaras form tiny polymer tubes around each lash that slide off with warm water alone, resisting smudge without the waterproof removal penalty.
The choice between the Great Lash versions here is the classic trade-off. The washable Blackest Black removes gently and suits daily wearers who prioritize lash health, while the waterproof Very Black survives the conditions washable cannot: humidity, workouts, weddings, emotional days. Neither is tubing, so neither gives the warm-water removal. Our mascara hub compares all three architectures across the category, which helps you decide whether the waterproof penalty is worth paying for your climate and lifestyle. One practical note on the 2-count pack: mascara expires three months after opening regardless of how much remains, so the value pack only saves money if you genuinely finish a tube per quarter. For occasional wearers, a single tube replaced on schedule is both cheaper and safer than a discounted duo that sits half-used past its prime.
Mascara for Contact Lens Wearers
Contact lens wearers need mascara that does not flake, and the failure mode is specific: dried mascara particles fall onto the lens surface, causing gritty discomfort and cloudy vision. The Great Lash washable formula's hypoallergenic, contact-lens-safe positioning addresses exactly this, with a fiber-free formula that is less prone to the flaking that plagues volumizing mascaras. Waterproof formulas flake less during wear but their removal requires rubbing near the lenses, which is its own risk.
The application rules for lens wearers: apply mascara with lenses already in, so you can see what you are doing, but keep the wand away from the lash roots where product migrates onto the lens. Replace mascara every three months without exception, since bacterial contamination risks eye infections that are more serious with contacts. Remove lenses before removing eye makeup, and if flakes get trapped under a lens, remove and rinse the lens rather than blinking through the irritation.
Mascara for Aging Lashes: Thinning and Shortening
Lashes thin and shorten with age, and the mascara strategy has to change with them. Heavy volumizing formulas overwhelm sparse lashes, clumping what little is there into spidery spikes. The better approach for aging lashes is a defining formula applied in thin coats: the Great Lash washable's classic brush separates and defines without overloading, which is why it has remained a favorite among older users while trendier mascaras cycled through.
Technique matters more than product here. Wiggle the wand at the base to deposit color where lashes are sparsest, then pull straight through without piling on the tips, since tip-heavy mascara shortens the appearance. Skip the lower lashes or use the lightest touch, because mascara on sparse lower lashes emphasizes undereye shadows. A lash curler used before mascara, never after, gives the lift that length can no longer provide. Replace the curler pads every six months as well, since worn pads pinch and break the fragile lashes that the mascara is working to enhance, which quietly undoes the entire routine. The Lash Paradise comparison covers a volumizing alternative for days when thinning lashes need more presence.