So much about makeup technique boils down to color theory; once you harness that understanding, you can make a big impact with limited effort. Case in point, mascara. No longer a product sold solely in black, mascara comes in all sorts of unexpected colors, which, according to makeup artists, you should strongly consider adding to your repertoire.
Tomy Rivero, a New York City- and Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist tells HuffPost that strategically selecting a colored mascara can make eyes appear brighter, enhance their natural color and bring focus to the upper half of the face.
“With colored mascara, you are in control of how bold or subtle you want the focus on the eyes,” he said. “It’s also a great way to be creative and express some individuality if you’re starting to have hooded eyes and eyeshadows are not really visible.”
Rivero understands that for someone who always has stuck to the more conventional shades of mascara, venturing out to other colors might seem intimidating.
“You don’t have to start with the crazy colors. Navy, burgundy and deep purple can almost go undetected from afar so start there,” Rivero suggested.
Additionally, certain mascara shades go well with certain eye colors. For instance, Rivero said teals and navy intensify the tones in green and hazel eyes.
“Let the mascara be the star and keep the rest of your face natural,” he said.
Find the right mascara shade and formula for you in the list ahead, which includes some of Rivero’s favorite options, as well as some of our own picks.
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Best for: all eye colors
It’s pretty common knowledge that brown mascara is widely complementary to nearly every eye color. This deep chocolate brown mascara by HuffPost editor-loved brand Saie could be a good color choice if you’re afraid to venture too far away from the standard black. It can also be a more natural-looking alternative for those with light-colored eyelashes.
This clean-certified formula claims to be great for achieving feathery lashes that are lengthened and lifted, without looking or feeling stiff or clumpy. It uses lash-coating beeswax to create length, lash-nourishing shea butter and a mineral complex that promises to be great for strengthening lashes.
Best for: blue, green and hazel eyes
If a more subtle look is what you’re after, Westman Atelier’s clean and vegan mascara formula has got you covered. It’s a natural-to-bold buildable mascara that focuses on lash definition and length. A blend of carnauba and candelilla waxes gives the mascara a creamy texture and flake-free finish while plant-derived ester means this soft neutral brown shade looks pigmented, rich and long-lasting. Sephora reviewers claim to love it for it’s smooth and non-clumpy texture that doesn’t budge.
Best for: green and blue eyes
New York City-based celebrity makeup artist Tobi Henney said that L’Oréal’s Voluminous line of colored mascaras are a great option to experiment with, especially since they’re at such a great price point. The Voluminous mascara also happens to be my mascara of choice and I can attest that the formula is a great budget-friendly option that doesn’t flake and genuinely adds length and volume to my lashes, without feeling weighed down. I also really love this classic applicator brush because it’s packed with tiny bristles that separate my lashes.
According to Rivero, purple-hued mascaras such as this berry-violet shade really make blue eyes come to life.
Best for: blue and green eyes
If the above purple color is a bit too adventurous for your taste, this shade from the Lancôme Hypnôse line is a muted amethyst with burgundy undertones.
In addition to creating buildable, plush volume, this wax-free mascara has a serum-infused formula containing eight amino acids, shea butter and a deep conditioning balm to help revitalize and strengthen lashes over time — ingredients that help to justify the more luxurious price point.
Best for: hazel and brown eyes
According to Henney, deep greens can complement hazel and brown eyes and this emerald shade is a great option. It’s the same creamy L’Oréal Voluminous formula that Henney mentioned earlier and that I’m a personal fan of. And though I’ve never tried this shade out for myself, reviewers insist it’s the perfect subtle evergreen hue that’s “not too light and not too dark.”
Best for: all eye colors.
Every skin care or makeup product that I’ve tried from Sephora’s in-house Collection line, I’ve been extremely impressed with. That’s why I selected this vibrant and ultra-pigmented cobalt blue shade to feature. The jumbo plush brush is strategically hourglass-shaped to fully coat not only those longer lashes but also those tiny ones along the lash line that are still in the middle of their growth cycle. The vegan formula promises to lengthen, thicken and help lashes keep their curl. According to Rivero, bright cobalt shades like this one “look great on everyone.”
Best for: all colors, especially green, brown and hazel eyes.
As an option that’s very close to a true black, this gentle-formula Covergirl mascara is an intense black shade with navy blue undertones, a perfect choice for almost any eye color — and for anyone who wants something different from their everyday mascara without anything too distracting or vibrant. It’s enhanced with aloe leaf extract, nourishing maracuja oil and ceramides, which are essential lipids capable of leaving lashes nourished and cared for.
Best for: green eyes
“Green eyes look stunning with plum [colors],” Rivero said. Based on his suggestion, we scoured the internet for this one shade marketed as a true plum color. Benefit Cosmetics has often been associated with some very recognizable mascaras (does Roller Lash and They’re Real! ring a bell?) including the BadGal Bang, an intensely volumizing and water-resistant formula that prides itself on its ability to create fullness without the flaking or the smudging. Fans of this mascara also appreciate the long and narrow brush that helps keep application precise.
Best for: all eye colors, especially green
Rivero noted that teal mascara, while complimentary of all eye colors, pops particularly well on green eyes. Teal mascara is actually tougher to find than you would think, but we found this option by TikTok-famous indie makeup brand Half Magic. It’s a tubing mascara, which means the polymers individually envelop lashes to help create dramatic length and definition, while also promising a resilient performance.
Best for: hazel eyes
“The Hermès Revitalizing Care mascara in Rouge H is a rich understated burgundy that’s stunning on hazel eyes,” Rivero said of this truly opulent mascara that’s composed of 97% natural ingredients and claims to have protective and lengthening properties. According to the brand, the formula containing moringa seed extract, shea and moringa butter makes lashes appear denser and more defined, while the ultra-fine technical wand deposits the perfect amount of product onto lashes. Also according to the luxury maker, Rouge H is Hermès’ house heritage color that has hints of cherry brown.
If you want a much more affordable alternative this burgundy shade from the L’Oréal Voluminous line is loved by Amazon reviewers.