Beauty The History of Great Lash: How a Mascara Icon Was Created
An educational guide from the Beauty AMZ research team. No hard sell, just what you need to know.
Birth of an Icon
Maybelline launched Great Lash in 1971 with the now-famous pink and green packaging. The small lash-building brush was innovative for its time. It promised defined lashes without the clumps of older mascaras. Smart pricing made it accessible to everyone. Within years it became the best-selling mascara in America.
Why the Design Works
The slim brush reaches every lash including tiny corner lashes. The fluid formula coats evenly without blobs. The compact tube keeps the formula fresh. Every design choice serves natural-looking definition. Decades later, the design remains largely unchanged because it simply works.
Cultural Impact
Great Lash appeared in movies, TV shows, and makeup artist kits for generations. It became shorthand for reliable drugstore makeup. Beauty editors still recommend it alongside luxury options. Few beauty products achieve this kind of cross-generational trust. It is a genuine pop culture artifact.
The Lineup Today
The original Washable and Waterproof remain the core. Lots of Lashes adds volume with a specialty brush. Clear gel serves brows and natural lash looks. Shade extensions cover black, brown, and blue. The line stays focused instead of bloating into dozens of confusing options.
Lessons for Beauty Buyers
Great Lash proves that price does not equal performance. Simple, well-executed formulas beat gimmicks. Replace mascara regularly regardless of price. Find what works for your lashes and stick with it. The beauty industry constantly chases newness, but icons remind us that good design endures.
Recommended Products
These Great Lash picks prove iconic drugstore mascara still delivers.
Best for: Everyday natural lashes at the lowest price.
Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara, Blackest Black
- The iconic pink and green tube
- Small precision lash brush
- Natural defined lashes
- Washable easy removal
Pros
- Unbeatable price
- Decades of trust
- Great for sensitive eyes
Cons
- Natural look, not dramatic
- Basic packaging
- Needs reapplication for drama
Best for: Humid days and events on a drugstore budget.
Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, Very Black
- Waterproof iconic formula
- Very Black intense pigment
- Smudge-proof wear
- Same trusted brush
Pros
- Survives sweat and tears
- Still under ten dollars
- Reliable all-day wear
Cons
- Harder removal
- Can feel drier
- Not for dramatic volume
Best for: Great Lash fans wanting bigger, bolder lashes.
Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara, Very Black
- Heart-shaped volume brush
- Lash-doubling formula
- Thickening and curling effect
- Bolder than the original
Pros
- Most volume in the line
- Fun shaped brush
- Still very affordable
Cons
- Can clump if rushed
- Brush takes practice
- May be discontinued, stock varies
Best for: Natural lash and brow grooming without color.
Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara
- Clear gel formula
- Sets lashes naturally
- Doubles as brow gel
- No color, just polish
Pros
- Perfect no-makeup days
- Great brow tamer
- Cheapest in the line
Cons
- No lash color payoff
- Limited availability
- Basic hold
Best for: A subtle blue lash twist for blue or brown eyes.
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, Royal Blue
- Fun Royal Blue shade
- Same trusted formula
- Subtle color pop
- Washable removal
Pros
- Makes eyes pop
- Subtle, not costume-y
- Same low price
Cons
- Not for conservative looks
- Limited shade stock
- Blue suits fewer people
Ready to Choose?
See our top product picks for maybelline great lash mascaras, or jump straight to the head-to-head comparison of the two most popular options.
Mascara for contact lens wearers with dry eyes
Contact lens wearers with dry eyes face a specific mascara problem: flakes and fibers become particles trapped under the lens, causing the gritty irritation that wearers blame on the lenses. The safest formulas are fiber-free tubing mascaras, which form smooth polymer sleeves instead of shedding particles, and the worst are fiber-lengthening volumizing formulas whose nylon fibers migrate. Application order matters: insert lenses before mascara, never after, so no wet product transfers to the lens surface, and keep mascara off the waterline entirely since waterline product migrates onto lenses within the hour. If eyes water through the day, choose a water-resistant tubing formula over waterproof, since waterproof removers irritate dry eyes more at night. Carry rewetting drops rather than rubbing when irritation hits; rubbing grinds any migrated particles against the cornea. The Clinique mascara guide covers ophthalmologist-tested options built for sensitive, lens-wearing eyes.
The clear mascara use cases nobody lists
Clear mascara looks like a gimmick until you meet the jobs it does better than pigmented formulas. It grooms brows without adding color, which suits anyone whose brows are already full. It sets a lash curl without adding weight, useful on no-makeup days when pigmented mascara would look done-up. It tames baby hairs and flyaways at the hairline in a pinch. And for contact lens wearers on sensitive days, it gives the groomed-lash look with zero particle risk. The Great Lash Clear works as a lash primer too: one coat of clear, let it dry, then pigmented mascara grips better and lasts longer. Do not expect length or volume from it; that is not its job. For the full lineup context, the Maybelline Great Lash guide covers where the clear sits among the washable and waterproof versions.