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Finally, a Colorful Mascara That Doesn’t Get Lost in My Lashes
This summer, our go-to lineup has included SPF-packed lip balm, oversized sunnies, and, a surprising addition, the best colorful mascaras. While we’ll always love a classic black or brown mascara, we’ve been reaching for bolder shades like cobalt, maroon, emerald, and even silver for concerts, photoshoots, and everything in between. Because the colorful mascara market is comparatively small, we’ve tested almost every formula and picked the brains of makeup artists to find the very best. From easy-to-remove tubing options to long-wearing standouts for long nights on the town, here’s your guide to the colorful mascaras your makeup bag didn’t know it was missing.
Our Top Colorful Mascaras
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Bang! Volumizing Mascara
Why we love it: Benefit Cosmetics’ Badgal Bang Volumizing Mascara isn’t just a lash lifter, it gives you a whole new ‘tude. We’re hooked on the Wild Plum shade, a deep, wine-y burgundy that gives subtle drama in a single swipe and turns up the intensity with a few extra coats. But, it also comes in a bright electric blue as well as the classic black and brown. The formula is packed with ultra-light aero-particles, so you get major volume without that heavy, weighed-down feel. Its ultra-slim wand hugs every lash from corner to corner, while provitamin B5 works to keep them looking thicker and stronger over time. We love that it doesn’t smudge or flake as it stays put for up to 36 hours.
“Badgal Bang is one of my favorite mascara formulas of all time, so it wasn’t exactly shocking that I love the burgundy version too. I know wearing purple makeup to contrast green eyes is the oldest trick in the book, but this plum-y brown really does make mine ‘pop’ without it being super obvious that I’m wearing a colorful mascara.”—Kara McGrath, content director
Key ingredients: aero-particles, vitamin B5
Benefits: volumizing, longwearing, buildable
Shades: 4 (Wild Plum, Power Blue, Rebel Brown, Intense Pitch Black)
Waterproof: no
Best Drugstore: Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Burgundy Haze
Why we love it: The magic of Maybelline New York’s Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara lies in its subtlety. The nine shades aren’t loud or flashy but they add just enough color to catch the light and make passersby do a double take. We’re especially partial to the deep red-plum, which brightens the whites of your eyes and flatters every eye color. Bamboo extract and airy fibers deliver lift and length without weighing lashes down, while the flexible brush hugs each lash from root to tip for a soft, defined, and featherlight finish. And at just $8, it’s the easiest, most low-commitment way to play with color.
“I’m usually loyal to my lash clusters, but on lazy days, I reach for Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in Classic Black. Lately, however, I’ve been craving something different, so I swapped my standby black for Burgundy Haze, and it’s quickly become a new favorite in my rotation. The subtle tint warms up my brown eyes and complements the pink tones in my blush, adding just enough color without feeling over the top. It also delivers on performance lifting, lengthening, and separating without flaking or weighing my lashes down.”—Jailynn Taylor, contributor
Key ingredients: bamboo extract, fibers
Benefits: volumizing, lengthening
Shades: 9 (including Burgundy Haze, Plum Twilight, Space Diamond, Blue Mist, and Green Altitude)
Waterproof: no
Bust Splurge: YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
Why it’s worth it: Yes, it’s on the pricer side, but Allure editors deem the Beauty Award-winning YSL Beauty’s Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara worth it, as it’s a shortcut to high-impact, party-perfect lashes. Its powerhouse formula pulls triple duty—adding major volume, stretching every lash, and resisting smudges—while the oversized brush somehow still manages to reach every corner. New York City-based makeup artist Sara Talias previously told Allure that she “swears by” this thickening recipe. “The brush is great for building volume with extra coats of mascara and allows you to grab all the lashes,” she says. We keep both the inky black and rich chocolate brown in rotation (brown is criminally underrated for a softer vibe), but the bold cobalt blue and new green shade is our pick when you want an electric addition to your makeup look. And, yes, the colors actually show up on dark lashes.
Tester feedback from Allure commerce editor Sarah Han
“I’m not sure why it took me so long to try this Best of Beauty winner but I’m happy we’re here now. The cone-shape wand is pretty unique and latches onto every lash, which is much needed because I have naturally black lashes and colored mascaras rarely make the impact I’d like them, too. But YSL delivers and I’m left with pizzazzed-out blue lashes that make me feel ~some type of way~. The only thing is some product does transfer onto my lids, even when I’m not applying while staring into my teensy phone screen, but I don’t mind it!” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
Key ingredients: N/A
Benefits: volumizing, lengthening, thickening, long-lasting, pigmented
Shades: 3 (Electric Blue, Scandalous Green, Uninhibited Brown, and Overnoir Black)
Waterproof: no
Best Tubing: Tarte Tartlette Tubing Mascara
Why it’s worth it: Tarte’s Tartelette Tubing Mascara has earned its viral status a permanent spot in our vanities, and the XL version is even a Best of Beauty winner. The formula is loaded with shea butter, castor oil, and carnauba wax to keep lashes flexible, soft, and flake-free all day. Its slim, bristle-packed brush hugs every lash from root to tip (even those tricky inner corners), delivering a lifted, lengthened look with zero clumps. True to tubing-mascara form, each lash gets its own water-resistant, smudge-proof coat in shades like classic black, deep brown, bold navy, emerald green, or punchy magenta, all of which are so rich and pigmented. Removal is super easy, too—just warm water works (or your favorite cleansing balm if you so please), no tugging required.
Tester feedback from Allure contributing editor Deanna Pai
“My everyday mascara is black, but when I want to skip eyeliner and still bring out my eyes, I like to sub in navy. It’s more subtle, but because the tubing mascara takes my lashes out there, you can still catch glints of it when I blink. I feel like it also brings out the gold tones in my eyes, and is a nice change of pace for when I want to step it up.” —Deanna Pai, contributing editor
Key ingredients: shea butter, castor oil, carnauba wax
Benefits: easy to remove, lengthening, rich color, zero flaking
Shades: 6 (including Navy, Electric Blue, Emerald Green, and Magenta)
Waterproof: no
Best Color Payoff: TooD TooDscara
Why it’s worth it: Of all the mascaras we’ve tried, TooD’s Toodscara wins on the list for best color payoff, and it was also a winner of an Allure Best of Beauty Award. Why? One swipe delivers a bold hit of pigment, even on the darkest lashes. Available in jet black and cobalt blue, we reach for the black on workdays or date nights, and save the blue for concerts and nights out when we want our eyes to stand out. The slim brush grabs every lash from root to tip, adding length and volume you’ll keep coming back to.
“TooD’s colorful mascaras are not for subtle people, and that’s exactly what I love about them. On my dark lashes, my favorite shade, Blue Mood, builds from a barely noticeable navy to a headturning bright royal blue. I vied for its Best of Beauty win not just for that but also for the extreme length I get from the tubing formula.” —Nicola Dall’Asen, senior news editor
Key ingredients: grapefruit seed oil, floral extracts
Benefits: major color payoff, lengthening, volumizing
Shades: 6 (including Blue Mood)
Waterproof: no
Best Long-Wearing: Dior Diorshow 24h Buildable Volume Mascara
Dior
Diorshow 24h Buildable Volume Mascara in Blue
Why it’s worth it: Dior’s Diorshow 24h Buildable Volume Mascara delivers up to a full day of wear without a single flake or smudge—and since it’s not waterproof, it comes off just as easily as it goes on. And that’s not the only reason makeup artist and brand founder Jenny Patinkin uses it on her clients. “The color is so subtle you don’t notice it from far away, but closer up, it really brightens the eyes and is flattering on all eye colors,” she says. She’s a fan of the Maron shade, which has sadly been discontinued, but the brown is a great fill-in, and the electric blue is always fun for a pop. Patinkin adds that you get the same volume from the colorful options of this mascara as you would from the regular colors, so you can rely on the formula to be consistent.
Key ingredients: N/A
Benefits: long-lasting, volumizing
Shades: 3 (Blue, Brown, and Black)
Waterproof: no
Frequently Asked Questions
What mascara color makes eyes “pop”?
“Certain colorful mascaras can make the eyes look a little more vibrant, but it’s important to make sure your lashes are curled into an upwards swoosh if you want to get the most impact, especially if you have hooded or deep-set eyes,” says Patinkin. “Without curling, all you will see is the color sticking out on straight lashes and not how it enhances the whole eye.”
According to Patinkin, colorful mascara is more versatile than people think. She prefers to use cooler tones because a little bit of blue in the formula makes the whites of the eyes look clear and bright. “Burgundy, dark violet, and navy look flattering on everyone, and a dark green is especially pretty on hazel or brown eyes to bring out the little green or gold flecks.” If you’re going for a natural look, opt for navy and burgundy.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best colorful mascaras, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists, optometrists, and cosmetic chemists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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