Hear Me Out—The Blue Mascara Trend Is Actually Very Wearable
It's perfect for summer.
We're in the midst of a colorful eye makeup renaissance. This year, the vivid, dramatic colors that defined the 2016 YouTube glam era have made their way back into the trend cycle, but it's not just bold eyeshadow that's making a comeback. Blue mascara has also become a hot topic lately as the shift away from "clean girl" makeup in favor of grungy, more adventurous looks continues.
I personally have never been the best at making colorful eyeshadow not look too childish, so any time I've ever attempted to play with color on my own, it's been much easier to pull out a colored mascara. Makeup artist Christian Briceno is a fan of bright blue mascara shades in the spring and summer months because they just "feel lighter."
“When skin is more minimal, and the light is stronger, black can read a little sharp, but blue still frames the eye and keeps it looking lifted,” he says. “It also makes the whites of the eyes look clearer and can bring out tones in the iris, giving you that fresh, awake effect without adding more makeup. It’s a small detail, but it shifts the whole face.”
These are incredibly easy to wear, and if applying eyeshadow and eyeliner isn't your strong suit, the good news is that you don't really need any other eye makeup to make your blue mascara really pop. "Let blue be the feature," Briceno says. "Keep the lid clean or softly toned with a sheer wash of beige, taupe, or muted peach, and skip anything too heavy or sculpted."
Ready to try it out? Read ahead to check out some of the best blue mascaras on the market.
My Personal Favorites
I tend to stick to black and brown shades when applying mascara for everyday occasions like work and casual outings, but whenever I’m feeling a little spicy and in the mood to experiment with color, more often than not it’s these formulas that I’m picking up first.
BADgal Bang is one of my favorite mascaras in general, since it’s one of the only ones I’ve tried that doesn’t clump my long, curly lashes together and make them look spidery. I put the blue shade to the test during a night out a few years ago, and I was genuinely impressed by how vibrant it was, not to mention that it was much easier to remove at the end of the night than I initially thought it would be.
I’m a Fenty fan through and through, and not only does the Elec’Trip Blue shade of this volumizing mascara provide an intense amount of color that makes the eyes look brighter, it also lengthens the lashes and almost makes me look like I’m wearing falsies.
The Drugstore Ones
Maybe you’re on a budget, or maybe this is your first go ‘round with blue mascara and you’d rather start off with something more on the inexpensive side (or both!). Either way, these drugstore formulas are just as impressive and vibrant as the ones you’d find in a major beauty retailer, not to mention that they can also add length and volume.
One of my favorite features of Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara is the straight “flex tower” brush. It allows me to coat every single one of my curly lashes in color from root to tip, and it also lengthens them without making them stick together.
Sometimes I want a long-lasting color that I don’t have to work too hard to remove (waking up to mascara residue on your sheets is a pain in the heinie), so it’s great that this formula from L’Oreal Paris is vibrant but easily washable. It coats the lashes evenly with an electric blue color while making them look slightly thicker thanks to the inclusion of conditioning panthenol and ceramides.
The High End Ones
There’s no shame in craving things that have a higher price tag. If you’d rather splurge on something more luxe, these are the blue mascaras you should add to your shopping cart right now.
I’ve been a huge fan of YSL Lash Clash Mascara for several months now. I’ve found that the large brush really is able to grip and separate all of my lashes while coating them in just enough color to make them pop.
This is another mascara that adds significant volume to the lashes while giving them a more fanned-out look. In addition to black and brown, it comes in an electric blue shade with ink that’s infused with vitamin B5 to condition the hair and promote growth.
The Dark Blue Ones
Wearing colored mascara doesn’t mean you’re limited to only the bright, intense colors like cobalt and electric blue. A dark or navy blue mascara will allow you to add a very subtle amount of color to your eyes that’s noticeable without being too loud or distracting.
Okay, so this shade has more of “black with a hint of blue” kind of vibe, but it’s a nice and subtle color that brightens the eyes and isn’t a pain to remove. It’s also a gentle formula that doesn’t sting or irritate the eyes when it’s worn for a long period of time.
MAC’s M·A·CStack Elevated Mascara has a curved brush that’s supposed to give the lashes a lifted look from the root. The dark blue color won’t flake, smudge, or clump, and it’s infused with argan oil to hydrate the lashes and make them appear slightly thicker.
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Meet the Expert
Christian Briceno is a New York City-based celebrity and editorial makeup artist. He has worked on top shows including Schiaparelli, Chanel, and Jean Paul Gaultier and with celebrities including Storm Reid, Debi Mazar, Indya Moore and Coco Rocha.
