Colored mascara is back in style. Blending bright and colorful eyeshadows can be a serious test of skills, but coating your lashes in colored mascara is a quick and easy step to take your natural eye look up a notch.

We don’t want all trends from the 1980s to return, but colored mascara is an exception. From subtle tints to bold neon shades, colorful mascaras can either lightly enhance your eyes or completely transform your look. Below, we’ll introduce you to our favorite colored mascaras and tips for how to flawlessly pull off the trend.

Best colored mascaras overview:

• Best overall: L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Boldy Eye Mascara in Cobalt Blue
• Best luxury: By Terry Mascara Terrybly Growth Boosting in Purple Success
• Best budget: Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara in Royal Blue
• Best fiber: Dior Diorshow 24h Buildable Volume Mascara in Deep Blue
• Best natural: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara in Blackberry
• Best tubing: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in Nola
• Best vivid: ColourPop BFF Mascara in Left On Red
• Best curling: Eyeko Colored Lash Alert Mascara in Green
• Best 2-in-1: ITEM Beauty By Addison Rae Boost Juice Dual-Ended Lash Primer & Colored Mascara in Lilac and Blue
• Best vegan: Lime Crime Astronomical Volumizing Vegan Mascara in Blue Moon

Our picks for the best colored mascaras

L’Oreal Voluminous is an iconic mascara loved by makeup artists and beauty shoppers alike. It’s a budget-friendly option that offers extensive volume and length to your lashes. The royal blue color provides eye-catching results that aren’t too over-the-top — but this bold tone certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.

With ingredients like Panthenol (AKA pro-vitamin B5) and Ceramide-R, it’s sure to moisturize and protect your lashes. You’ll find that this blue shade particularly pops on dark eyes and skin tones. 

If you want to make a statement, this colored mascara is for you. The combination of excellent value, eye-catching color, and volumizing effect makes it our top overall pick for the best colored mascara.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Deep burgundy, green, and violet

This innovative serum mascara is a volume and length booster but not an apparent colored mascara. The aubergine purple is a soft shade that can act as an alternative to brown or black and enhances green eyes. 

Not only will this mascara provide you with thicker and visibly-separated lashes, but you’ll also notice a lash transformation over time. The formula is enriched with moisturizing hyaluronic acid and repairing collagen to give you soft, healthy, and full lashes.

Waterproof: Water-resistant | Other colors: Black, brown, deep blue

Maybelline’s emblematic Great Lash was created in 1971, and this shade is the brand’s first blue mascara. Blue mascara may have an odd reputation, but as mentioned earlier, its ability to make the eyes pop is undeniable. This dark, royal blue shade frames the eyes nicely and, depending on the light, results in either a subtle or vibrant effect.

The small wand helps separate the lashes to create a natural look, which is perfect if you’re new to learning how to apply mascara. This washable formula is long-lasting (as long as you don’t get caught in the rain!) and never causes clumps.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Dark brown, brown-black, black

This Dior classic was revamped in 2015 with a new, enriched formula that contains microfibers for lash extensions. This iconic mascara is famous for the incredible volume and length it adds to your lashes. Plus, it has an AIR-LOCK™ wiper to prevent the formula from drying out. 

This dark blue shade will make a dramatic impact — even if you’re not wearing any other makeup. The modern, rich color is saturated enough for those with an adventurous taste in makeup while still deep enough to frame the eyes well. 

If you don’t feel brave enough to wear an entirely blue set of lashes, you can wear this mascara just on your bottom lashes (as an eyeliner replacement) to make your eyes stand out. Although this mascara isn’t waterproof, we do find it long-wearing.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Black, brown

Blackberry is a deep warm purple that accentuates blue and green eyes. This high-end organic mascara is the go-to option if you prefer natural products free of synthetics. The pure formula will never weigh down your lashes, and the dramatic finish will pull your entire look together.

The brush also has an indent in the middle to help the wand grip onto your lashes for separation and clean definition. Keep in mind, however, that this mascara is not very smudge-resistant.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Dark blue, brown, black

If your eyes are sensitive or you have oily lids, this is an excellent deep blue colored tubing mascara to try. The formula wraps around the lashes in a tube-like shape to provide length (but admittedly less volume). This mascara is smudge-resistant, but will still come off easily without irritating your eyes. All you need is a bit of water and friction to remove it at the end of a long day. 

The obscure blue color is great for daily wear — it’s dark enough to enhance the lashes but not so dark that it looks black. Thanks to this mascara’s subtle yet colorful effect, you can even wear it to the office.

Waterproof: Water-resistant | Other colors: Black, brown

If you’re not into all of the subtle blues and deep burgundies, ColourPop’s ultra-bright mascaras might be to your liking. In particular, the shade Left on Red stands out since red mascara is often tricky to find.

This bright, neutral red is perfect for creating uniquely artistic looks and dramatically enhancing blue and green eyes. Just remember that red can make the eyes appear a little bloodshot, so it won’t necessarily work for all styles or environments. 

The formula is volumizing yet non-clumping, although many reviewers noted that it doesn’t provide as much length as we’d like. That said, it’s so budget-friendly that you can happily buy the full range of unique shades and test them all.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Bright blue, violet, black

This colored mascara from Eyeko is based on the brand’s leading curling and volumizing fiber mascara, which we consider to be one of the best mascaras, period. We’re also suckers for the unique tube it comes in. (Although note that the packaging doesn’t create a very strong seal, so the mascara may dry out quicker than you’re used to.) 

The green color stood out to us for its deep, earthy shade that’s particularly flattering for those with light brown eyes. The formula contains biotin and caffeine to condition and fortify lashes as well as fibers for extra length and volume.

While the curved wand does a lovely job of providing the lashes with a lift (if yours tend to hang flat), be sure not to over-apply, or the mascara may flake throughout the day.

Waterproof: No, but fairly resistant | Other colors: Purple, brown, blue

In a single tube, you get both purple and blue mascara (hence our nomination for Best 2-in-1). In reality, however, it’s more of a 3-in-1 since each color can also act as a primer by layering it underneath black mascara. However, this tends to create a heavy look that may not be for everyone.

The lilac shade is soft and subtle, offering the lashes a bit of volume. The color is quite light, though, so while it’s perfect for pastel-based looks or light lashes, it may not show up on darker lashes. The bright blue color is a little more dramatic, offering length and an artsy, modern aesthetic. This double-colored, versatile mascara will give you a multiplicity of looks to try out.

Waterproof: No | Other colors: N/A

When it comes to unusual vegan makeup, Lime Crime always delivers. The Astronomical Volumizing range of mascaras comes in four shades, but Blue Moon is the highlight. It’s a pigmented, volumizing mascara with dramatic results. The vivid, true blue will pop against all skin tones. 

Sadly, reviewers noted that this vegan formula doesn’t have the best longevity — it can smudge or transfer throughout the day. But it’s ideal for sustainable makeup fans to wear during photoshoots or casual events (when you don’t need it to last all day long).

Waterproof: No | Other colors: Lavender, green, black

How to pick the right colored mascara for you

Foregoing a typical black or brown mascara in lieu of a brighter hue can be intimidating. But testing out a colored mascara can turn out very flattering. Here’s our guide on how to choose the best colored mascara depending on your eye color and skin tone:

Eye color

• Brown eyes. Brown eyes look great with mascara colors that offset their warm tones, so colors like blues and purples will brighten brown eyes. You can even go for lighter shades like turquoise or lilac for those with light brown eyes. 
• Blue eyes. People with blue eyes can really go bold when choosing a colored mascara. We suggest using bright purple or hot pink to frame your blue eyes beautifully. Red can also dramatically emphasize your blue eyes, but be aware that it may cause a slight red-eye effect. 
• Green eyes. Purple-toned mascaras, such as burgundy, lilac, and violet, can truly enhance green eyes. Reds are also a great option, but the contrast can sometimes be too intense. You can also play with green mascara for a softer, more monochromatic look. 
• Hazel eyes. Burgundy mascara brightens hazel eyes because it nicely offsets the cool and warm undertones in the complex eye color. Blue mascara can also provide a unique effect if your hazel eyes are predominantly warm-toned.
• Gray eyes. For those with icy gray eyes, we suggest trying out equally-cool shades like lilac or blue to complement your eye color or opting for warm tones like red and burgundy to add an exciting contrast. 

Skin tone 

• Fair and cool. If your skin tone is on the fair side, purple mascaras will brighten the whites of your eyes for an alluring, wide-awake look. 
• Medium and warm. If you have an olive or golden tone, aim for warmer mascara colors that blend nicely with your skin, like earthy greens or plum purples. 
• Dark and neutral. When you have bronzed skin, you have a bit more freedom to play around with bold and jewel-toned mascara colors. Experiment with bright pops of color like neon blue, bright green, or hot pink. Alternatively, aim for a soft look with a deep-toned navy or burgundy. 

FAQs

What color mascara makes the eyes pop?

To make your eyes pop with colored mascara, look for a shade that contrasts with your eye color. For example, light brown eyes tend to lean warm, so cool-toned blue makes them pop the most. Looking at a color wheel can be helpful for finding the right shade and contrast.

What color mascara is best for light brown eyes?

While brown is generally considered neutral, light brown eyes actually run a little warm. Light blue mascara provides the most dramatic contrast to really make them pop. However, other cool-toned mascaras, like lavender or cool green, can also work. 

What color mascara makes blue eyes pop?

The best mascara color to make blue eyes pop is warm purple or pink. When looking at a color wheel, the color across from blue is orange or orange-red. It’s not easy to find orange or red mascaras, though, and red can make the eyes look a little bloodshot. Purple still has that flattering warmth but also makes the whites of your eyes look brighter.