One product converted me to brown mascara – here’s why you should ditch black mascara

“WHY do you always wear brown mascara?” I ask my mum while rooting through her make-up bag, aged 10, and dipping my toe in make-up for the first time.

At this stage, the only make-up I’d ever worn was face paint for school shows, meaning anything that wasn’t designed to be seen at the back of an auditorium was totally perplexing.

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These are the brown mascaras I swear by[/caption]

I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to wear make-up that wasn’t blaringly obvious, so wearing a mascara that’s designed to blend in with your natural lashes felt very confusing. 

Through my teens, I stayed true to this mantra, splurging pocket money on jet-black mascara formulas, before eventually graduating to a liquid eyeliner and black mascara combo.

But when I became a beauty journalist, it suddenly became my job to dabble in different make-up, which forced me to pick up brown mascara again.

Initially I was totally unconvinced, and certain that brown mascaras only left my lashes looking red, short or bare, so I tossed it aside for the second time.

But last year, after a series of recommendations, I took a punt on Guerlain Noir G Mascara in Brown, and instantly fell for its soft, subtle results. 

These days, I find black mascara far too harsh or heavy (especially on days when I’m not wearing any concealer or blush). 

It can create too much contrast, and wash out my face, making me look tired, and that’s before it’s smudged under my eyes to create bags worthy of an all-nighter.

Instead, I love how brown mascara gives my lashes a natural-looking lift, which is bang on trend and defines my eyes without making them the focal point of my face.

If you’re a fan of clean-girl, minimal make-up, then brown mascara will be a closer match to your natural lashes, making them look longer and softer – so long as you find the right shade for you.

Annoyingly, trying a mascara before you buy isn’t really an option (unless you fancy rolling the dice on an eye infection), so finding the right formula can be a bit of trial and error.

While I can’t do that for you, I can recommend my favourites – these are all of the mascaras that have a permanent place in my (rather overflowing) make-up kit.

The Lengthening Mascara

MacStack Mascara in Chestnut, £27

MacStack is a Marmite product.

While it’s one of my favourites, I know many people who’d disagree, citing its slightly transfer-prone formula. 

However, my relationship with the cult-classic mascara can only be described as a love affair, thanks to its unrivalled lengthening and easy-to-manoeuvre wand. 

I initially fell for MacStack’s black formula, which does a great job at fanning and lengthening lashes, but has always looked a bit stark on my complexion.

So, you can imagine my delight when the brand dropped MacStack in Chestnut last May, which is a stunning, warm brown shade. 

Alongside its lash-flattering formula, its comb-like wand hooks and sweeps lashes upwards, leaving them long and defined – it’s an absolute winner. 

The Defining Mascara 

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Sculpted by Aimee My Mascara in Rich Brown, £19

With its short wand and curved brush, this mascara is all about precision. 

Designed to both lift and lengthen, it has a very lightweight formula (which might feel a little ‘wet’ when you first use it), allowing you to build up several layers for ultimate definition, without any dryness.

I’m also a big fan of its short wand, which allows me to get up close and personal with my lashes – ultimately helping me to reach and fan them upwards and outwards. 

It’s also worth mentioning that its formula leans towards a chestnut brown, meaning it’s lighter in colour to competitors, which should be a consideration if you have darker lashes. 

The Smudge-Proof Mascara 

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This newcomer has instantly impressed me[/caption]

UKLash Tubing Mascara in Mocha Brown, £16

Having only launched last month, this mascara had to do a lot of heavy lifting to make its way on to this list.

However, I’ve instantly taken to this formula (in fact, I’m wearing it as I write), which it owes to its fanning, lengthening results.

Straight out of the tube, it’s warm and chocolatey, but resembles a much darker, black/brown formula once applied to your lashes.

It strikes the perfect balance between being lightweight, flexible and transfer-proof, and boasts a tubing formula – meaning it forms a defining layer (or “tube”) around each lash. 

Ultimately, this leaves my lashes fanned, long and elevated for hours – so much so, I’ve stopped bothering to curl them first.

The Fanning Mascara 

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This formula has converted me to brown mascaras[/caption]

Guerlain Noir G 24h Intense Volume Curl Mascara in Brown, £32

This is the product that single-handedly converted me to brown mascara – which is a pretty bold claim.

While it’s certainly not the cheapest mascara on this list, I can vouch for its dramatic lengthening, curling, and volumising properties, the latter of which it increases by 106%, according to the brand. 

Beyond its gorgeous gold tube, it has a flattering dark-chocolate formula, which closely matches the natural colour of my lashes, resulting in a seamless and natural finish.

Its brush has a unique, slightly twisted shape, which both fans and lengthens lashes, while also capturing and extending the smaller lashes at the corner of my eyes. 

Another crucial factor is how easy it is to remove, as a gentle cleanser is enough to melt it away – so no scrubbing or micellar water required.

The Wallet-Friendly Mascara 

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This formula provides impressive results[/caption]

Rimmel Thrill Seeker Extreme Volume Mascara in Cappuccino, £12.99

If you’re looking for volume that doesn’t look heavy or unnatural, then this mascara is well worth a pop.

Rimmel Thrill Seeker in Black was one of the first mascaras I ever bought – after weeks of saving up pocket money – and I instantly fell in love with its lifting, shaping formula.

These days, the black formula is a little heavy for my liking (especially on days when I’m wearing no other make-up), so I’ve switched over to its brown formula, which is much more subtle.

While it’s the most inexpensive formula on this list, it stacks up against the rest for long-lasting results, and I’m a fan of its tapered brush, which is useful for creating a fluttery-eye look. 

Its Cappuccino shade is a little lighter in comparison to others on the list, so is best suited to fairer complexions, and you can also get your hands on Rimmel’s matching Lip Oil and Lip Liner to finish off the look.