Beauty
15 best mascaras for perfect lashes in 2020
Professional makeup artists and celebrity beauty enthusiasts weigh in on their favorite lash-lengthening formulas
Consider the following scenario: There's less than a minute until your Zoom date. After throwing on that Proenza Schouler dress and scraping hair back into a low ponytail, you’re faced with a 25-second decision: Apply lipstick, blush, or a coat of black mascara? A quick poll around the Vogue offices reveals that the overwhelming answer is to save the lashes first.
But while most formulas on the market promise to volumise, curl, and define, which ones actually get the job done? Who better to trust for advice than the experts: the celebrity beauty gurus who have put their favourite mascaras to the test with myriad red carpet appearances, plus the professional makeup artists who continue to stock the winning tubes in their kits year after year.
From Hailey Bieber’s must-have pick to Khloe Kardashian’s foolproof formula, here is Vogue’s guide to the best mascaras—period.
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Ultra-Natural Mascara
To complete her day-to-night clean makeup routine, Gwyneth Paltrow reaches for this lengthening formula that’s made without parabens or harsh chemicals. “It’s a clean mascara that works beautifully,” she explains of Juice Beauty’s top product, “which is really hard to do.”
Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara
“I like a product that creates full and fluttery lashes in just one coat,” says Adele’s makeup artist, Michael Ashton. “My absolute go-to is Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara; I love that it gives both volume and lift to the lashes, as well as a rich carbon-black colour payoff."
Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara
"I love it because it’s an intensely black mascara that does it all!" explains Andrea Tiller, the pro behind some of Olivia Palermo and Amy Schumer's most show-stopping looks. "With only two coats you can get a dreamy false lash effect. It’s a staple in my kit that I can’t live without."
Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Mascara
“I like to do a couple layers of mascara,” says model Stella Maxwell while swiping on more than one coat of Pat McGrath’s model-approved formula. “The clumps are kinda badass.”
Lancôme Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara
“This is the one thing I will not leave the house without,” admits Khloé Kardashian. “I go to the gym with mascara.” Her tried-and-true? Lancôme’s Hypnôse Doll Lashes. “Lancôme, you did something there,” she says.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
To create her e-girl, Harajuku-inspired look, magenta-haired pop star Doja Cat picks up Maybelline’s formula (“which is fire”) for a doe-eyed set. “I always kind of wanted that cartoon-esque look,” she says while adding two coats to her top and bottom lashes.
L’Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara
“I love this L’Oréal waterproof [formula] because it’s one of the blackest mascaras on the market!” says Patrick Ta, who has worked with everyone from Kendall Jenner to Camila Alves. “The applicator really elevates your lashes to give that extra drama that everyone wants in their eyes.”
MAC Haute and Naughty Lash Mascara
For model Candice Swanepoel, no makeup job is complete without a swipe of mascara. “This one has a really fine brush so it gets quite wispy,” she says of her top MAC pick. “I like to get really to the root and fan them out.”
IT Cosmetics Tightline 3-in-1 Black Primer-Eyeliner-Mascara
“IT Cosmetics is my go-to for under-eye and inner lashes—when you want a no-mascara look,” says Pati Dubroff, who works with Margot Robbie, Dakota Johnson, and Priyanka Chopra. “Also, Benefit’s mascara builds a really good fill and gives a long-lasting look. The ball at the end is great for building more product at the base.”
Giorgio Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Mascara
“Eyes to Kill is beautiful—it’s not too much, it’s just enough,” says Mary Phillips, the woman responsible for making the Kardashian clan and Jennifer Lopez look good. “Because sometimes it’s 7:00 a.m. and you aren’t looking for a full-blown lash after your workout, just an effect that’s way better than your own bare lashes.”
Benefit They’re Real Mascara
After a base layer of lash primer, Tracee Ellis Ross swipes on Benefit’s They’re Real for a super-lifted set. “Even when I get my makeup done, I do my own mascara,” she reveals. “It’s so funny, by the time you get to this age—I’m 46—you’ve got the things you do.”
MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara
“If I had to choose two things to take to a desert island, for sure it would be lip balm and mascara,” Hailey Bieber says while showing off her effortless California glow.
Dior Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Volume HD Mascara
"I always wipe it once, cause I don't want it to be too thick," says model and actor Kiko Mizuhara of her favorite mascara choice. To complete the perfect cat eye, the Japanese beauty swipes on Dior's Pump N'Volume mascara on her top and bottom lashes.
Maybelline New York Volum’ Express The Rocket Washable Mascara
"I always use two mascaras," confesses Halsey of her well-honed method. "One to darken and one to lengthen." The singer begins with a swipe of MAC's black formula ("it's super goopy, super awesome") and follows up with a Maybelline's sweat-proof tube as the finishing touch.
L'Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara
After applying two pairs of false lashes to re-create her pageant look, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray picks up her trusty lengthening formula to finish it off. “I feel the giveaway for fake lashes is the inner corner,” she says. “I always make sure the inner lashes are nice and lifted.”
This article was originally featured on Vogue.com
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