Make your eyes really pop with lashes tinted cobalt, violet, or cherry.
Words by Jenna Rosenstein
When you think mascara, you’re thinking black. Maybe brown. But violet? Electric cobalt? Pink? It sounds intimidating, but colorful mascaras are the easiest and most foolproof way to add a little fun to your everyday makeup look. Colorful mascaras are applied just like your basic black formula, but both the shade intensity and formula are buildable. If you’re looking for a more subtle look, add one quick swipe to just your top lashes with a formula from brands like Maybelline or Eyeko. For a little more drama, wiggle and work the brush through both your top and bottom lashes with a mascara from Benefit or L’Oréal Paris. Or if you want lashes that look like they go to Euphoria High, reach for a colored mascara with serious payoff from Pat McGrath Labs. Ahead, our picks for the 11 best colored mascaras of all time.
| 1 | LIMITED EDITION
Pat McGrath Labs
DARK STAR Colour Blitz Mascara Trio
Nobody does bold beauty like Pat McGrath—so it makes perfect sense that our three favorite colorful mascaras come from her namesake brand. This trio of pink, cobalt, and turquoise mascaras is for those who want serious color payoff, not a subtle hint of something that could pass for basic black.
✓ Major Payoff
| 2 | DRUGSTORE DEAL
Maybelline New York
Snapscara Washable Mascara, Black Cherry
Blue mascara not your thing? We get it, which is why this burgundy shade is the next best thing to black. It adds a little dimension to your eye look that can really only be seen in certain lighting.
✓ Easy to Remove
| 3 | MAKEUP ARTIST-APPROVED
L’Oreal Paris
Voluminous Original Volume Building Mascara, Cobalt Blue
Makeup artists are wild for the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original formula because it delivers on all its promises. Kick the fun up a notch in this striking cobalt blue shade.
✓ Drugstore Deal
| 4 | BEST FOR GREEN EYES
Eyeko
Lash Alert Mascara -Purple
It’s simple color theory: violet mascara will make green eyes look like they’ve been Photoshopped. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
✓ Prime Delivery
| 5 | BEST FOR VOLUME
Benefit Cosmetics
BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara
This iconic formula delivers all of the drama with none of the weight.
✓ So Lightweight
Customer Review:
“I have been using this mascara for years. (I also always keep the blue one on hand. It’s gorgeous.) Honestly, it has a rather tar-like consistency which some might really dislike, but I adore it. Why? Because it clings to the lashes easily and builds very quickly. You don’t have to apply three layers for a bold look—one will do…I hope Benefit sells this product forever. I adore it.” – Rvacha
| 6 | GREAT FOR BLUE EYES
Charlotte Tilbury
Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara
Customer Review:
“Okay so first off the color is stunning. I have blue eyes and it is seriously the most beautiful mascara I’ve owned, I don’t ever want to go back to standard black mascara. I will say the first few applications were a little frustrating. I found it to be heavy and didn’t hold a curl at all, I wasn’t impressed. However, I tinkered with it and found that if I start at the tips of my eyelashes and kind of work my way backwards to the base of my lashes, almost combing as I go, it applied beautifully. And holds a curl, separated, and doesn’t smudge. I love it now that I know how to apply it the right way for me.” -Kat Swan
✓ Lifting and Volumizing
SHOP AT SEPHORA| 7 | BUILDABLE COLOR
Lime Crime
Astronomical Volumizing Vegan Mascara
Swipe on this pretty lavender shade just once for a hint of color, or keep layering it on for a seriously bold lash look.
✓ Vegan
| 8 | 24-HOUR WEAR
Dior
Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Volume
Dior’s Pump ‘N’ Volume formula also comes in electric blue, so you can get the signature 24-hour wear and customizable volume in a shade other than black, too.
✓ 90% Natural Origin Ingredients
| 9 | PRIMER AND MASCARA COMBO
ITEM Beauty By Addison Rae
Boost Juice Dual-Ended Lash Primer & Colored Mascara
Customer Review:
“This is the most perfect mascara and primer. I only wear mascara on my top lashes but I use the primer alone on the bottom for just a little soft color. The mascara goes on bright blue and then turns to a dark blue. With this duo I can get away with only wearing the primer/mascara, no eyeshadow or eyeliner needed. I’ve even been getting compliments on my eyes.”
✓ Nourishes Lashes
SHOP AT SEPHORA
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This story originally appeared in harpersbazaar.com
