Go for Natural, Fluttery Lashes With These 7 Brown Mascaras Makeup Artists Love (2024)

While black mascara is classic and standard when it comes to defining your lashes, swapping it out for a brown color can be a nice change here and there. Brown mascaras are great for creating a subtle, natural look (especially for those with lighter hair) and can make for a more subdued look on bottom lashes for people with dark hair.

Though not every good mascara formula is offered in a brown color, more brands are getting behind the true chocolate shade (as opposed to black-brown options that really just appear black), meaning that today, there are more options than ever. Whether you're looking for length, volume, dramatic results, or natural definition, there's a brown mascara that fits the bill. To help you pick the best option for you, we combined extensive research and our editor's favorites. We evaluated each one based on its color, formula, brush, application, and wear, and ahead, we're sharing the best brown mascaras on the market.

What We Like: Extremely buildable formula, creates dramatic volume, wears well throughout the day.

What We Don't Like: Brush is a bit large and tricky to control.

Benefits:Volume |Shades:2|Cruelty-Free:Yes

Considering how viral and well-loved the black version of this iconic mascara has been for many years, it's no surprise that the brand capitalized on its success by bringing it out in a beautiful chocolate shade. Like the original, the formula is incredibly volumizing and buildable—perfect for anyone who demands dramatic results from their mascara. It wears well with minimal smudging or flaking, and we appreciate that despite how much volume it provides, it doesn't make the lashes feel heavy. If you have small eyes, beware that the brush is very large and can be tricky to control, but with some practice, we have no doubt you'll be able to achieve your dream brown lashes with this Byrdie-approved pick.

What We Like: Smudge-proof, medium-brown shade, separates lashes nicely, brush is easy to control.

What We Don't Like: Could be a bit more buildable.

Benefits:Length and separation |Shades:3|Cruelty-Free:Yes

If you struggle with your mascara ending up halfway down your face after just a few hours of wear, we strongly recommend that you consider a tubing formula, like this popular one from Thrive Causemetics. Like the original black shade, the performance of the brown version is hard to match. The brush is narrow and easy to control, meaning that you can easily coat each lash, and we love that it does it all—lengthens, volumizes, separates, and lifts. Once applied, it's not budging all day, though don't think that means it's a pain to remove. In fact, just a bit of warm water is all you'll need to take it off at the end of the day. Aside from the stellar performance, we love that this brown shade is rich, warm, and saturated.

What We Like: Buildable formula, warm brown color, creates dramatic results.

What We Don't Like: Can flake a bit, brush is bit large for targeting corner lashes.

Benefits:Volume and length |Shades:2|Cruelty-Free:No

If you're looking for a mascara to drench your lashes in a warm brown hue and tons of volume, this is the one for you. The buildable formula can be layered to create intense drama and thickness, as well as significant length. Although the oversized brush makes reaching the inner and outer corner lashes a bit challenging, it does a great job at gripping the lashes and evenly dispersing the formula from root to tip. The volume it creates is hard to beat, but we think what makes it stand out from the competition is the color—it's light enough to stand out and make eyes pop, but it's deep enough to create true depth and definition.

What We Like: Adds length and definition, smudge-resistant, brush is good for targeting corner lashes.

What We Don't Like: Not very buildable.

Benefits:Length and definition |Shades:4|Cruelty-Free:No

An editor favorite and a great drugstore buy, this popular lengthening mascara comes in a rich brown shade that's dark yet still understated. The long, narrow brush is excellent for reaching lashes at the inner and outer corners of the eyes, and we love how the bristles combined with the formula work to give lashes a serious boost in length. Though it's not the most buildable, meaning you won't be able to get dramatic volume with it, it does an excellent job defining and separating each lash, lending to a gorgeous result. And if you struggle with your mascara running, we recommend giving this one a try because it's smudge-resistant and flake-free.

What We Like: Separates and curls lashes beautifully, brush grips each lash, smudge-resistant, affordable.

What We Don't Like: Could add more volume.

Benefits:Curl and separation |Shades:3|Cruelty-Free:Yes

Struggle with your lashes clumping together during your mascara application? This curling and separating brown mascara is an excellent pick for you. The curved wand helps you target and grip each lash at the roots, allowing for the formula to be evenly dispersed. It works to lift and curl the lashes while creating nice separation, and we love that it wears well all day long without running or flaking. Though it's not the most volumizing or buildable formula, it's an excellent choice if your desired end result is an everyday definition.

What We Like: Curved brush grips lashes nicely, buildable, formula contains nourishing ingredients.

What We Don't Like: Some say the tube dries up relatively fast.

Benefits:Curl and volume |Shades:5|Cruelty-Free:No

If you have straight lashes, then you know how important it is to find a wand that works to lift them from the roots. In addition, it's crucial to find a formula that doesn't weigh them down, thus deflating the curl. This recently reformulated mascara from Dior is great at providing length and volume, but we think it's notable for how well it helps to give the lashes a lifted and curled look. The curved brush helps to grip each and every lash, coating them from root to tip, and the airy formula is buildable without getting too heavy. We'd also be remiss not to mention that in addition to the chocolate brown shade, it also comes in fun colors, like forest green and a brick red.

What We Like: Great for an everyday look, smudge-resistant, rich brown shade.

What We Don't Like: Not buildable.

Benefits:Length and separation |Shades:2|Cruelty-Free:Yes

A no-makeup makeup look isn't complete without natural-looking, fluttery lashes—and this mascara is the perfect one to achieve them with. Though you can't build it up for significant volume, one or two coats work to darken, define, and separate each lash, creating a soft, feathery effect. Once applied, it remains intact and smudge-resistant all day. We also love that the shade of brown is rich and has some warmth to it—this helps to make your eye color pop while softening your overall makeup look.

What to Look for When Buying a Brown Mascara

• Brown shade: Not all brown mascaras look the same on the eyes. While tons of formulas (especially from the drugstore) come in brown-black shades that essentially look black on the eyes, others are warmer and richer in color, meaning that they can look softer and slightly more golden once applied.
• Brush type: According to makeup artist Ricky Wilson, larger mascara brushes are best for creating volume, as they allow a lot of product to be easily layered for maximum impact. On the other hand, small molded brushes allow for ultimate precision, making it easy to cover every single lash.
  

Why Trust Byrdie

Alyssa Kaplanis an experienced writer in the beauty industry and product tester specializing in cosmetics. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied marketing and product development in the cosmetics industry as well as fashion business marketing. Alyssa has been a commerce writer at Byrdie since 2022, where she covers all things beauty.

• Janice Kinjo is a celebrity makeup artist and men's groomer who’s painted the faces of celebs like Mindy Kaling and Mary J. Blige.
  
• Ricky Wilson is a celebrity makeup artist who's worked on editorial campaigns and runway shows.
  
• Renée Loiz is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked on clients like Quinta Brunson and Cynthia Erivo.

According to ourDiversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any brown mascaras from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us atcontact@byrdie.comand we will evaluate the product ASAP.