I Hardly Reach for Black Mascara Anymore—11 Brown Formulas that Transformed My Natural Glam Game

Pros: Effectively holds curl, keeps lashes from clumping, impressive wear time

Cons: Brush is too fine to build considerable volume

Size: 0.29 oz. | Benefits: Sensitive eye-safe, long-wearing, humidity-resistant | Waterproof: No, but water-resistant

This mascara is beloved by editors and customers alike for its staying power, flexible hold, and curl-enhancing formula. The lash-loving ingredients list includes a castor oil blend that nourishes your fringe on a cellular level and a bespoke technology that forms to the natural curvature of your lashes, enhancing the shape and softness. Rain, shine, or overly humid conditions, we know we can rely on this tube for a stay-put, fluttery look.

Customer review: “Good formula and I love how the brush separates my lashes as opposed to a big clumpy brush like with rare beauty or dior. This mascara is similar to Lancôme’s Lash Idôle, which is my favorite mascara. This is a great cheaper alternative.”

Pros: Thin brush separates lashes, long-wearing, considerable product for a low price

Cons: Prone to flaking

Size: 0.40 oz. | Benefits: Volume-boosting, good pigmentation | Waterproof: No

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, look no further than this $5 pick from Essence. The brown version of its famous sister, the original Lash Princess Mascara, this warm-hued shade offers a natural, lash-fanning effect that makes every eye color pop. Its conic fiber brush is specially designed to curl around each tiny lash to offer the most coverage possible without looking spidery.

Editor review: “I’ve been wearing this mascara for years—and as a beauty editor, that says a lot. I’ve received tube after tube of mascara pro gratis, but the one that I’ve run through multiple tubes of (on purpose!) is this one from Essence. Its skinny brush offers the perfect amount of product for a natural effect, and I especially love it on my bottom lashes, where it fans them out and prevents that raccoon look.” — Alyssa Brascia, associate beauty editor

Pros: Budget-friendly, resists clumping, noticeably boosts thickness, and boosts volume

Cons: Thick formula; smudge-prone

Size: 0.28 oz. | Benefits: Up to 24-hour wear, buildable, comes in several shades | Waterproof: No

When you head out for your next day of errand runs, make sure to add the black-brown version of L'Oréal’s Voluminous Original Building Mascara to your shopping list. This lash-boosting formula can amplify the appearance of your lashes up to five times their thickness sans clumping, thanks to its lash-separating brush that offers definition and length.

Makeup artist review: “This has been a favorite of mine since I was a teen! It is a volume-building mascara that will build lashes up to five times their natural thickness. It features a volume-maximizing, svelte bristle brush that thickens the lashes smoothly and makes them appear full, naturally." — Alexa Persico, celebrity makeup artist

Pros: Buildable sans clumping, conditions lashes, long-wearing

Cons: Nothing to complain about!

Size: 0.29 oz. | Benefits: Plant-based formula, specialty wand, nourishing ingredients | Waterproof: No

Senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider hails this chocolatey mascara from Westman Atelier as a holy grail, and for good reason. Its clean formula is fortified with a slew of ingredients like carnauba and candelilla waxes, plant-derived esters, and organic shea butter to condition the lashes and enhance this pricey formula’s hold and wear time, making it worth every dollar. It’s practically allergic to clumping and is impressively easy to build without flaking or smudging. Basically, every swipe is a spa day for your eyes.

Customer review: “Look, the price is woof, but it quite literally looks like your eyelashes… but better. It may just be the perfect brown mascara—it elongates, defines, and is barely detectable. Impressed from the first swipe.”

Pros: Extra-long brush for a lash-multiplying effect, transfer-proof, long-wearing, strengthening formula | Waterproof: No

Cons: On the expensive side

Size: 0.33 oz. | Benefits: Offers up to 24-hour wear, 90% natural ingredients, tapered brush provides optimal coverage

Armed with an expertly tapered brush that grabs and lengthens every individual lash, this brown mascara is a favorite of Gabbay's. "The Diorshow brown mascara is hydrating, long-lasting, and buildable," she says. It has a long-wearing, easily layerable formula that makes your lashes look good in the moment and look even better after compounded coats. We’ll take 20!

Customer review: “Diorshow really is a great mascara. The brush is perfect (and we all know how important that is)! It separates and curls my lashes. I can build it up as much as I want for day or night! A game changer!”

Pros: Noticeably thicker lashes, natural color payoff, buildable, long-wearing

Cons: Some reviewers dislike the large wand

Size: 0.30 oz. | Benefits: Vegan formula, fragrance-free, boosts volume by 200% | Waterproof: No

There’s so much to love about this lash-thickening lacquer. From its oversized brush that offers glamorously separated lashes and extra-plush volume to its intensely long-wearing formula (up to 24 hours!), this designer mascara delivers on all its promises. You can layer this formula with up to 5 coats without veering spidery, and you can rest assured that it won’t smudge, transfer, or flake, either.

Makeup artist review: “If you want your mascara to feel more seen, this is the one. It’s a warm, vibrant brown—almost like a cinnamon tone—and the contrast it creates on lighter eye colors is genuinely striking. Think honeyed lashes catching the light. It builds volume quickly, so it’s ideal when you want brown, but bold.” — Nikki Wolf, celebrity makeup artist

Pros: Buildable without clumping, natural finish, impressive staying power

Cons: Expensive for the amount of product

Size: 0.27 oz. | Benefits: Up to 24-hour wear, lash-conditioning formula, boosts volume and length | Waterproof: No

A favorite of celebrity makeup artist Archangela Chelsea’s (who’s previously worked with Olivia Munn and Blackpink’s Lisa), this mascara stands out for its length-enhancing powers that make each lash look noticeably longer while simultaneously going undetected. “It makes the lashes look fuller, yet still [gives] a natural look,” she explains. Its curved brush makes it easy to get every corner lash, and its smudge- and clump-free formula can withstand up to a 24-hour hold, which checks pretty much all of our boxes.

Customer review: “Best mascara I have ever used. Perfectly lengthens, curls and separates lashes. I always try to use a brown mascara, but I usually end up sacrificing quality just to find brown—not with this one. It also removes easily at the end of the day, no tugging on my lashes to get it off. So worth the price.”

Pros: Double-sided wand for different effects, eye-safe formula, nourishing ingredients

Cons: Not the best for building volume

Size: 0.27 oz. | Benefits: Up to 12-hour wear, clump- and smudge-free, nourishes and strengthens lashes | Waterproof: No

If there’s one thing that the Who What Wear beauty team can agree on, it’s that Ilia’s brown mascara is top tier. Boasting a sensitive eye-safe, naturally derived formula that doesn’t sacrifice glamorous results, this stuff is the real deal. Schneider and beauty director Erin Jahns favor this mascara for its curl-preserving and lengthening formula that naturally defines each lash with its fringe-fanning wand, with each stroke doing good by your lashes thanks to infused arginine, biotin, shea butter, and beeswax.

Customer review: “I’ve been using this mascara for 3 years now and I’ve never changed mascara since. I’ve put as many people onto this mascara as I could. This mascara washes away with water super easily [and] it makes my eyelashes look absolutely beautiful, luscious and long. I always get compliments on my eyelashes and it is solely because of this mascara.”

Pros: Vegan ingredients, enhances lash health, good product amount for price

Cons: None we can think of

Size: 0.35 oz. | Benefits: Nourishing formula, lengthens appearance of lashes, vitamin-boosted | Waterproof: No

In 2025, we’re all about hybrid products—whether it be skincare that doubles as makeup, self-tanners that are also moisturizers, basically anything that works while nourishing our bodies, too. This lash-nourishing formula is packed with the good stuff, like vitamin E and arginine, which work hard to hydrate and maintain your lashes while still offering natural-looking length.

Customer review: “Definitely my new favorite mascara. Lasts all day, doesn’t flake, and isn’t clumpy on application. Plus, it is clean and only $15. The brown color is perfect, and it’s my everyday mascara!”

Pros: Smooth, lash-separating results, boosts volume and length

Cons: Can be flaky after long hours of wear

Size: 0.43 oz. | Benefits: Classic, trustworthy formula, offers a natural effect, drugstore price | Waterproof: No

A recommendation of Gabbay’s, this mascara is a classic in so many ways—and we love it even more now that we have it in a brown shade. “Maybelline's Great Lash Lots of Lashes boasts a vegan formula that lasts 24 hours and also helps lengthen and keep a curl,” Gabbay gushes. Despite its budget-friendly price, this formula boasts both lengthening and volumizing results that compare to costlier options on this list.

Customer review: “Never have I ever been disappointed by Great Lash Mascara! Goes on great, stays put, and looks amazing. Plus the packaging is just iconic. You can spot it a mile away.”

Pros: Easy to remove, noticeably lengthens lashes, growth-enhancing, gentle formula

Cons: Not the most volumizing pick

Size: 0.38 oz. | Benefits: Orchid stem cell ingredients improve lash health, safe for mature and sensitive eyes, humidity- and tear-resistant | Waterproof: No, but water-resistant

Thrive's award-winning mascara builds and extends the lashes for a false lash effect. It also comes in a rich, natural-looking black-brown formula that is extra gentle on sensitive eyes, preventing irritation on teary eyes (and staying put, even if so). Plus, its tubing formula makes it easy to remove at the end of the day—no pulling or scrubbing necessary.

Customer review: “I really like it. It did make my lashes longer. As you age some of us lose our lashes. Since using eye drops for glaucoma my eyelashes grew longer, so I'm able to use the mascara. It's also smear-proof. It doesn't make my lashes clump up either. I'm very impressed."