Flakes: They're my bugaboo. I don't like flaky people, and I really don't like flaky mascara. It's been 20 years since I first picked up a mascara wand, and I still haven't found a formula that doesn't fall all over my cheeks or scrape the s!&# out of my cornea. A truly flake-free mascara, I decided, was about as plausible as a sharknado.

Before writing off non-flaky mascaras as a myth, I turned to seasoned cosmetic development executive Don Frey of Frey Consulting, who has created formulas for CoverGirl, Max Factor and Avon. Frey says that such a formula may actually exist.

Every mascara, Frey explains, forms a film over your lashes, which holds pigment and waxes in place. "What gets tricky is that film needs to be as flexible as the eyelash, and it's hard to be that flexible," he says. "Whenever the film gets more brittle than the eyelash -- when you touch your eye or anything like that ... the film crack[s]. That's how it flakes."

Frey steered me toward the mascara formulas most likely to keep flakes off my face, if not out of my social life. Here's what I found.

Image via Imaxtree

Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Thickening Tube-Building Mascara, $21

Flake factor: 5/5
Overall: 3/5

The promise: For flake-haters, Frey recommends tube mascaras -- the kind that slip off lashes with water and light pressure. "That film holds its integrity," Frey explains. "It goes on in a very liquid way and surrounds the entire eyelash ... like a sock."

The reality: I start with the tubing version of Too Faced's most popular mascara. True to form, this mascara goes on clump-free and glossy-looking. And, as Frey predicted, flakes are next to none. Ladies who love tubing mascaras can attest to their staying power.

The only bummer: this "extreme thickening" mascara made my lashes look wimpy. According to Frey, there are always trade-offs with product formula as "complex" as mascara. "All mascaras try and do all things for people," Frey says, "but there's always going to be some compromise in that process."

If you have naturally lush lashes and hate clumps and flakes, this mascara won't let you down. For those of you who need a little more oomph, consider looking elsewhere.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara, $5.99

Flake factor: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

The promise: Maybelline's Volum' Express Mascara is a drugstore favorite, and its newer offshoot, The Mega Plush, appeals to me with its promises of "supple" lashes and a formula absent of "hard waxes." Those marketing buzzwords tip me off that the formula might include moisturizing ingredients, which Frey recommends for flake prevention.

"Water-based mascaras or [water-glycerin] hybrids are better if flaking is your issue," says Frey. Moisture-loving ingredients lend themselves to a flexible film, he explains.

The reality: True to its name, this mascara makes lashes look fluttery and soft, thanks to its mousse-gel formula and feathery brush. The formula feels a little dry going on and sets quickly, meaning speedy application is a must; otherwise, your lashes will stick together and clump.

Nevertheless, I'm impressed with how little the formula migrates. I expected it to get brittle and flake, but I notice barely any flecks under my eyes at the end of a long day. At six bucks, this mascara is a great value.

L'Oreal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes, $10.95

Flake factor: 5/5
Overall: 3/5

The promise: I'm impressed with the flake-resistant prowess of Too Faced's mascara, so I decide I'll try a lower-priced dupe: the double-ended L'Oreal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes.

Frey's advice when it comes to buying mascara: "Buy the drugstore version of the department store brand." Department-store products "might be incrementally better ... but primarily what you're paying for is the package, the name [and] what the department store charges." The technology in a low-end tubing mascara is "very much the same" as a high-end product, he says.

The reality: Sure enough, this is a solid drugstore find. It doesn't flake, and the nourishing primer-and-mascara combo makes my lashes look long, dark and defined. The brush isn't too large, either, which makes application easy and mess-free.

This one doesn't deliver in the thickening department, so if you want volume from your mascara, look elsewhere. But if you're a beauty addict on a budget, this product is comparable to Too Faced's tube mascara and half the price.

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara, $16

Flake factor: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5

The promise: This mascara is marketed as smudge-resistant and flake-resistant for up to 24 hours, an intriguing -- and rare -- combo. According to Frey, smudge-proof formulas are typically no bueno when you're trying to avoid flakes. "The more it claims smudge-proof, the more it's going to be a dry film," he explains. Could this Clinique curling mascara do the impossible: resist both smudging and flaking?

The reality: This mascara isn't as rock-solid as a tubing mascara when it comes to keeping flakes at bay, but it comes darn close. Flakes are next to none after an impressive 17 hours of wear. True to the packaging's word, it doesn't smudge or smear at all -- in fact, it stays put even when I didn't want it to. (Removal requires some rubbing and scrubbing.)

However, its clumpiness is disappointing, and while the curved wand helped lift my lashes on application, it doesn't make them look curlier.