How to Choose the Right Mascara for You

Choose Your Brush

Mascara brushes or mascara wands (potato, pah-tah-toe) come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on your lash type and your desired lash look, each one has its own unique characteristics and benefits. Why choose one over the other? While you can pick up any mascara wand and run it through your lashes, the right one for you will either enhance the natural lashes that you already have in the best possible way or help you achieve your lash look goals. Let’s break down the most common types.

Skinny Mascara Brushes Help Lift, Separate, and Curl: “Skinny brushes are for the person who loves definition and separation of the lashes. These are brushes that can grab every lash and coat it with a thin layer of mascara that separates and defines them,” says Truong. Skinny brushes are game changers because they’re better at grabbing on to shorter lash hairs than larger mascara wands with wider bristles and they make it easier to apply mascara super close to your lash line and bottom lashes. We love the DIME BEAUTY Volume Mascara. Its smudge-free formula ensures that your lashes stay looking fly without fuss, and it’s enriched with squalane, cacao extract, and pantothenic acid to nourish your follicles while it’s on, too.

Hourglass Mascara Brushes Add Volume: If thick lashes and a dramatic look are what you crave, an hourglass shaped wand is your BFF. “Hourglass shaped brushes to me are similar to your standard big mascara wand that gives a thick coat of voluminous mascara! Although the shape itself can be a unique and fun thing to have, it serves the same purpose as any bigger-wand mascara,” Truong tells us. So if you’re debating between a jumbo sized wand and an hourglass shaped one, pick the one that comes in the best formula for your lash needs (we’ll get to that soon!). Our go to mascara with an hourglass brush? TOO FACED Better Than Sex Mascara. We love how easily it gives us volumized, defined lashes without any clumping or flaking.

Inverted Cone Brushes Create Feline Eyes: If you’re on a quest to accentuate the perfect cat eye, you’ve come to the right place. “Inverted cone mascaras are great for someone who loves a cat eye effect to their lashes. The pointed tip really gets the definition on the inside lashes while the thicker end really loads on mascara to the outer lashes, lifting and adding gradual volume from the inner corner to heavier drama to the outer corner,” Truong says. Perfect your cat eyeliner, curl your lashes with an eyelash curler, then swipe on two coats of our fave, BENEFIT COSMETICS BADgal BANG Volumizing Mascara. This baby adds volume and lift right where you need it while grabbing onto the tiniest lash hairs. Plus it's water-resistant and smudge-proof too.

Ball-Tipped Mascara Brushes for Doll-Like Eyes: While the doll lash trend briefly dominated our FYP’s in 2023, the look of wide, doe-eyed lashes is one that's been around for years (like our lash idol, Twiggy). “Ball-tipped mascaras are great for someone who loves definition with a touch more of a doll-like appearance to their lashes. There are a mix of lashes that are very separated and then there are lashes that are very thick and voluminous. This brush is great for someone who wants that in between. To use a ball-tip brush, directly point it to the eye to help grab just a few of those lashes and really lift to elevate them for a little bit extra oomph and definition,” says Truong. We love a high pigmented, black mascara like IT COSMETICS Hello Lashes that slays this look every single time.

Curved Mascara Brushes for Extra Curl: If you’ve got stubborn lashes or short, sparse ones that won’t hold a curl, a curved brush is exactly what you need. A curved wand will help lift lashes, prevent clumping, and deposits mascara close to your roots evenly (thanks to its eye-shaped design). Plus, it’s great at adding mascara to bottom lashes without smudging on to your skin. If you’re into separated, fanned-out, and fuller-looking lashes with a curled finish, ICONIC LONDON Enrich & Elevate Mascara is definitely for you.

Choose Your Mascara Formula

Think of finding the right mascara formula like finding the right prescription for your eyelash needs. Want volume? There’s a formula for that. Crave serious curl? There’s a formula for that too. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types.

Volumizing Mascara To Thicken Lashes: If fat lashes are what you love, or if your lashes just lack natural fluff, a volumizing mascara is all you need. When it comes to volumizing formulas, the options are virtually endless. Choose a volumizing formula and brush pair that suits your lash needs best. Our go-to for an instant falsie effect? TARTE Big Ego Mascara, thanks to its ultra black pigment and its promise to last up to 16 hours.

Curling Mascara for Stick, Straight Lashes: Just like its brush counterpart, a curling mascara can help give super straight lashes some nice curves. Curling formulas help lashes curl upward, giving them a boost for extra height and lift.

Tubing Mascaras for Extra Length: It’s no secret that we love tubing mascaras, and for so many reasons. Tubing mascaras are made with polymers that wrap around individual lash hairs (so they behave like lengthening mascaras), adding definition and volume with staying power that’s pretty much unparalleled. If you’re looking for something smudge-proof that’ll give you the look of lengthy falsies and will last all night long, a tubing mascara is your jam. Ipsters love TARTE Tartelette Tubing Mascara because it's flake-free, sweat proof, and creates the illusion of lash extensions. It’s also made with moisturizing ingredients that won’t leave your lashes feeling dry and brittle.

Lash Defining Mascara for Clumpy Lashes: Sick of your lashes getting stuck together? You’re not alone. A lash defining formula does exactly what it says: defines your lashes. These formulas are usually made to be buildable, to help avoid caking and clumping as you create definition and separation.

Choose Your Mascara Colors

As far as colorful mascara, we love that anything goes. We 100 percent are fans of wearing any colorful makeup we want at any time. But when it comes to common mascara shades like black, blue, and purple, there are some amazing ways that each can bring out the best in certain eye colors. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Black Mascara: “Black mascara gives all around, universal intense definition for anyone. Most mascaras are jet black! If you want a softer black, most drugstore mascaras also offer softer tones of black as well,” says Truong. We love swiping jet black FENTY BEAUTY Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara to top off all of our smoky eye makeup routines.

Blue Mascara: Truong recommends a blue mascara to bring out the best in brown or green eyes. Try a royal blue shade like MAYBELLINE Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue for a pop of color that’s subtle enough for everyday wear.

Purple Mascara: “Purple mascara is amazing for someone with hazel eyes to compliment their eye color, although I think it also looks amazing on brown, green and blue eyes. A good softer, lilac toned purple I love would be the COLOURPOP BFF Volumizing Mascara in Purple Prose,” adds Truong. 

Brown Mascara: Brown mascara often takes a backseat to darker shades, but adding a brown mascara to your beauty routine could be a total game changer. If you’ve got super light lashes or brown lashes, a brown mascara (like LAVAA BEAUTY No Chill Mascara in Brown) can add a softer, more natural-looking depth and definition to your lashes while beautifully enhancing your eye color.

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