With a little beauty know-how, this flattering shade can be used to make eyes appear bigger, irises brighter and even warm up your complexion. Here are four ways brown mascara can finally emerge from your beauty bag and into the spotlight…
A purple mascara will not only emphasise the whites of your eyes but make them appear larger. This deep shade will give a subtle contrast of light and dark and add definition to your lashes.
Mascara: Choose a volumizing or lengthening mascara for your upper lashes. By increasing the length of the lashes, mascara creates the illusion of bigger, more open eyes. You can also use false lashes to make your eyes look bigger.
As brown offers a more natural look, it's a good option for those who find black to look too harsh against their skin tone or eye color. "Brown mascara is great for lighter skin tones and blondes," Chinchilla confirms. "It is for a more natural look – especially for someone with blue or lighter eyes."
If you're fair-skinned and have blonde or red hair with naturally pale lashes, brown mascara is the most natural way of emphasising your lashes. Anyone with darker hair, regardless of skin tone, should stick to black mascara so the lashes don't fade into the rest of the face.
When you use brown mascara with fairer skin, you create a softer look that can often look like clear mascara – it's not apparent that you're wearing anything if you apply it right! Brown mascara is also a great option for people with blue or green eyes, as the softer shade often brings out the color in the irises.
While brown mascara and liner has been spotlighted as a “less harsh” alternative to a black liner or mascara, Swift says these rules don't necessarily apply to older eyes. “'I will do a brown color for an eyeshadow, as long as it doesn't have any red tones to it, but liner should remain black.”
WHO SHOULD WEAR BROWN MASCARA? Brown mascara is perfect for those with blonde eyelashes or light-colored eyelashes. If you have a fair complexion, sometimes ultra-dark black mascaras read as harsh and/or unnatural.
Brown Mascara for Blue Eyes
As for shadows, it's tough to beat a brown-toned smokey look, no matter your eye color. Additionally, some reddish undertones of chocolate brown can be the perfect shade for making blue eyes pop, while still creating a subtle, natural look.
Black might be your go-to color when it comes to eyeliner, but using a brown or colored eyeliner can also help make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. For enlarging the appearance of your eyes, choose a colored liner that mimics the natural color of your eyes.
Adding mascara to your lower lashes will also open up the eyes for a wide, doe-eyed look: For a softer look, you can use brown mascara, or even colored mascara if you like. Adding a little eyeliner to the outer corner of your lower lash line will also help to elongate your eyes.
The Eyeko Tip: To make the eyes look bigger with makeup, contour with lighter rather than darker shades. Dark shades can make the eyes look smaller. Lightly brush the brown shadow a little bit higher than your crease to give the illusion that the eyelid extends higher. Blend upwards to add dimension.
Professionally, white eyeliner is a makeup artist trick for brightening up the face and making your eyes look bigger and more awake—particularly when used on the bottom waterline. When using a dark color on the bottom lash line, it can make eyes look smaller and drawn-down, but white has the reverse effect.
For blue eyes: Swipe on a violet mascara, using the L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Bold Eye Mascara in Deep Violet. This rich shade will bring out the ocean-like tones in your eyes while still offering a bit of contrast.
Gold and hues with tints of red and yellow, like orange, copper, and warm, brownish tones are perfect for emphasizing your blue irises. The contrast between these pigments and the blueness of your eye will really make them pop! So, as you can deduce, warm shades brighten up blue eyes and make them dazzle and shine.
Gentle brown tones accentuate blue eyes, so blend soft shades of matte beige and brown eyeshadows for a natural appearance. Aim to use shades of brown that reflect your natural skin tone to match your makeup to your complexion. 4.
Essence mascara has been on best-sellers list for a couple of years now. It's so popular, in fact, that a tube of mascara sells every 10 seconds, according to People.
Applying mascara to your upper eyes give you a refreshed look instantly. On the other hand, the same mascara when applied on the lower lashes can enhance the lines and wrinkles around your eyes according to Women's life .
For a natural look with your brown eyes, opt for brown eyeliner. Brown eyeliner will give a soft dimension to your eyes while still making them appear rich and intense. However, if you want a sharp and sleek look, black eyeliner is always an excellent choice.
Trade black mascara for brown
But black shades can look harsh, especially on aging eyes. “Trade in your black mascara for a shade of brown,” suggests Haley Wood, the founder of The Look. “This creates a softer look and a more natural definition to the eye.
Opt for a lighter eyeshadow rather than a dark, smoky shade on your eyelids and around the eyes, like Jenna Dewan Tatum. "Highlighting the corners makes eyes look brighter and fresh," says Ahnert. "Use a light color shadow in matte or shimmer to inner corner, lower lash line in outer corner, and the inner lid."
“Swap your black eyeliner (especially for day) for brown, navy or plum. Sometimes black eyeliner can be very harsh on mature eyes and draw attention to dark circles and lines around the eye. Experiment with colour for a softer look that compliments your eye or hair colour.”