Brown Mascara Has Gone Viral to Subtly Awaken The Eyes

For young and mature women alike, the makeup look du jour is all about looking like you’re not really wearing any makeup at all. No-makeup makeup, minimalist, soft glam—whatever you call it, the idea is to subtly enhance your features. We’ve cracked the code on the complexion front where a tinted moisturizer will do; for cheeks, a host of blurring, serum-y creams blend undetectably. But for eyes, many are being awakened to the beauty of the brown mascara.

“Many of my clients have been asking me if I think they should start using brown mascara,” celebrity makeup artist Aubrey Heller says, pointing to increased interest on social media—where many a TikToker or social media starlet praises a chocolatey hue swept across the lashes in lieu of black pigments. Brown mascara has been around for a while, but consumers habitually get reminded of its benefits—especially when more natural makeup looks are en vogue.

Vogue’s Favorite Brown Mascaras

Best for a Falsie Effect

Chanel Inimitable Mascara in 30 Noir Brun

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Best Drugstore

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara in True Brown

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Best Tubing Mascara

Hourglass Unlocked Mascara in Espresso

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Best Naturally Derived

Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara in Before Dawn

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Best Natural-Derived and Volumizing

Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara in Clean Brun

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Best Volumizing & Affordable

Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara in Brown

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Best Comb Brush

Refy Lash Sculpt Mascara in Brown

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Ilia’s founder Sasha Plavsic tells Vogue that her customers have been begging the brand to launch a brown mascara for years. “We have continued to see a steady, outpouring of desire for a brown mascara from our customers since we initially launched Limitless Lash Mascara seven years ago,” she says. “Even in this past year or so alone, we received nearly a thousand requests directly from our customers.” And so, her team sought to create the perfect brown: “one that wasn’t too warm, yet not too cool. A brown that was rich and brought out the softness in your eyes, regardless of your eye color.” They hit the nail on the head with Before Dawn, their beloved clean mascara, which debuts today in a rich, chocolate brown.

The new shade is designed for subtle enhancements to your eyes. “The hue of the brown had to be just right to bring out and accentuate a lighter lash for someone with more of a blonde or a red-toned lash, where black mascara can sometimes look too harsh on the eyes, but still suit those with brown or deeper lashes,” Plavsic details. Her team found during testing that even those with dark lashes who never considered wearing anything other than black mascara, fell completely in love with the new shade. “They still get that long lash look, just in a softer shade.” The result is something that yields a bit more faint. “It’s especially flattering on people with fair features, and redheads,” as pro makeup artist Elie Maalouf puts it. Also great for anyone who wants to look like they are not wearing too much makeup but want a little definition without the intensity.” It can also be great for women over 50. “As we get older, we always look for a more youthful softness,” he says. “The key is choosing what makes you feel your best.”

To sport your new brun, curl your lashes, then coat with a few layers of product starting at the base, wiggling the wand upward to create lift and volume without clumping, per Maalouf. And for additional definition, you can layer black on if you so desire, according to makeup artist Ariane Victoria. “Starting with brown gives the benefits of eye color enhancement, lash length, and a natural look and adding black as a second coat on top of it creates intensity and drama on the eye, but you still have the benefits of the brown as the base popping through,” she says. “Make sure to focus the brown at the base of the lash line for the color enhancing benefits!”