Maybelline: the honest verdict.
The L'Oréal-owned mass-market brand that delivered the best mascara of the decade. Tested across Sky High, Fit Me Foundation, and the SuperStay Lipstick range.
- Position
- Mass market · Makeup
- Founded
- United States · 1915
- Available at
- Coles + Woolworths + Priceline + Chemist Warehouse
The Glow read.
Sky High Mascara is the most important product to launch in the Australian makeup market in the last five years. At $25, it outperforms Benefit They're Real ($55), Lancôme Lash Idôle ($65), and most premium mascara competitors on length, separation, and clump resistance. The bamboo extract claim is marketing, but the brush + formula combination is genuinely category-leading.
Fit Me Foundation in the dewy finish is the second standout — a credible mid-coverage foundation at $20 that competes with department-store options at 4× the price. The shade range is broader than the brand's competitors at the same price tier.
Beyond Sky High and Fit Me, Maybelline is competent but unremarkable. The SuperStay Lipsticks have been overtaken by Maybelline's own Vinyl Ink line for liquid wear time. The eye palettes are dated. Buy Sky High and Fit Me. Skip the rest unless your budget caps at supermarket pricing.
What works
- Sky High Mascara — best-in-class mascara at any price point under $50
- Fit Me Foundation (dewy finish) — credible mid-coverage at $20
- Distribution is universal — every supermarket and chemist in Australia
- Pricing is genuinely accessible across the range
What doesn't
- Beyond Sky High and Fit Me, range is competent but unremarkable
- Brand identity hasn't kept pace with consumer expectations of mass-market makeup
- Powder products (eye palettes, blushes) feel chalky relative to ColourPop or NYX
The buy.
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