Lashes are a crucial element to any makeup look. They can accentuate your features, make your eyes pop, and help make a bold statement, or they can also take away from your look and create a harsh contrast from soft makeup.
Mascara is usually the first makeup product that most people start wearing. It lengthens your lashes, adds volume and definition, and adds color. However, the wrong formula can be unflattering, flaky, runny, and give a raccoon eye effect.
Another characteristic most people don’t consider when choosing mascara is the color. Most mascaras are black, but they are available in a wide variety of shades. Mascara can be brown, blue, purple, green, and more.
So, what’s the difference between brown vs black mascara? Besides the color, brown mascara can accentuate your features just like black mascara, except it can look more natural on certain skin tones and hair/eye colors. It can also work better for a natural makeup look.
While colorful mascara has been in the spotlight, brown mascara has yet to see the same hype. Surprisingly enough, black mascara isn’t for everyone. Yes, you can’t go wrong with black mascara, but it can be too harsh for some people without the right makeup look to compliment it.
So keep reading to know more about brown mascara and how you may be able to use it to transform your look.
Brown And Black Mascara – Comparison
Black Mascara
Black mascara is one of the most commonly used mascaras. It’s used to give length to your lashes, add volume, and saturate your lashes with color. Usually, when anyone first starts getting into makeup, mascara is the first thing they try. It’s the quickest way to transform and compliment your eyes.
Mascara isn’t an intimidating product once you know how to apply it, and even mistakes can be easily fixed. However, you should choose the right formula and brush. Black mascara can quickly smudge, flake off, or even be difficult to remove from the lashes if you’ve chosen a waterproof formula.
Black mascara offers intense pigment and saturation. If you’re someone who loves a bold lash statement, you’ll be thrilled by this striking black mascara.
For fair lashes, black mascara can coat your eyelashes to provide a bold finish. However, fair skin tones, light eye colors, and fair lashes can look too dramatic wearing black mascara with the wrong makeup to accompany it.
That doesn’t mean you can never wear it. On the contrary, black mascara is a staple in any makeup routine, but it should be paired with the right eye makeup to look flattering on lighter eyes/lashes. This is especially true if you have light eyebrows and don’t darken them while wearing dark mascara.
Black mascara is stunning and flattering on medium to dark skin tones and eye colors. Black mascara won’t impact dark lashes when it comes to adding saturation, but it can still lengthen and volumize lashes or hide/blend fake eyelashes.
Overall, it’s rare to go wrong with black mascara. However, if you don’t think it’s flattering or natural-looking when paired with your own features, this may be a great time to try brown mascara.
Brown Mascara
Brown mascara is one of the most underrated mascara colors. Within the past few years, we’ve seen the rise of colorful mascaras, which can also accentuate your features if you know your color theory. However, no one is talking about brown mascara.
Brown mascara has the power to completely transform your eyelashes either by itself or when paired with certain eye makeup looks. There are so many shades of brown.
For example, if you love neutral tones, opting for a neutral brown mascara can complement your look. Likewise, if you are warmer in tone or love warm tone colors, you can choose a more reddish-brown mascara.
The various shades of brown mascara that are on the market allow you to customize your look completely. Brown mascara isn’t as intense as black mascara.
It can easily complement blue/green eyes, red hair, blonde hair, and light skin tones for a more natural everyday look.
However, even darker skin, hair, and eye colors can benefit from brown mascara because it can add more dimension to your lashes if you want them to stand out. There is a brown mascara for everyone.
Also, mascara is one of the most accessible products to experiment with; if you don’t like the shade or can’t make brown mascara work for you, wipe it off and now you have a clean canvas. You can even simply go back over them with a darker or lighter mascara. Just be careful not to clump your lashes together.
If you’re considering test driving brown mascara, this cocoa-colored pick is a beautiful color with just the right amount of volume and oomph.
Which One Is Best?
Eye Color
Your eye color can help determine what mascara will look the most flattering for you. Eye color is only one of the many characteristics that help decide the perfect color for your lashes.
However, to clear one thing up, any eye color can wear any mascara. There just happen to be a few tried-and-true looks that almost always work for certain eye colors.
Black mascara can be the most flattering for dark eye colors like deep brown, almost black eye colors. Usually, mascaras are formulated to be the most pitch-black shade possible, and when your eyes are already dark in color, they can add extra depth.
Brown mascaras can be the most flattering for lighter eye colors like blue and green. There is a wide variety of blue and green shades, and brown mascara can look very natural on the lashes no matter the hue.
It can highlight specks of gold, green, or gray tones within your blue or green eyes.
Lastly, hazel eyes can also benefit from brown mascara to enhance any gold specks within your eye color. However, hazel eyes can also wear black mascara without it looking harsh or unnatural.
Regardless of your eye color, you can wear any shade of mascara you want; this is just a general rule of thumb. Also, makeup can be a creative escape, so enjoy experimenting with mascara any way you choose.
Finish
Brown and black mascara can give you a completely different finish, especially when paired with different makeup looks. However, even when worn alone, they are both stunning. They can transform your lashes by adding color, length, and volume.
Black mascara can be virtually paired with anything, but it usually gives a bold and dramatic finish. So if you want to enhance your deep eye color or define every lash on your eyeballs, then black mascara is an excellent way to go.
If you want to create a natural look without the drama, brown mascara will be perfect. Brown is still pigmented enough to conceal fairer eyelashes without looking harsh. It can enhance any warm tones or the natural makeup you decide to apply.
Overall, black is a classic shade, but it’s a dramatic one. Anyone can wear it, just make sure you have a transfer-proof formula. Brown is an attractive option for those who want to wear makeup and have voluminous lashes, but like a soft and subtle look.
Having both brown and black mascara in your makeup routine can ensure that you consistently achieve the finish you desire.
Eyelash And Eyebrow Color
Next is eyelash and eyebrow color. Although rare, a lot of people have blonde or light brown eyelashes and eyebrows. Those who have darker lashes usually use mascara for lengthening, volumizing, or defining them.
Light eyelashes can be a struggle when they’re so light it looks like they don’t even exist in certain lighting. Because of this, those with fair lashes often look for color saturation in their preferred mascara so that their lashes will show up.
Mascara can also be helpful in blending your natural lashes into fake strip lashes. Black mascara will coat your lashes to match the fake ones if you have blonde lashes. But if your eyelashes are now a stark black and your eyebrows are left too light, the harsh contrast can make your eyebrows look nonexistent and give you raccoon eyes.
If you are fair in skin tone and your lashes are light, brown mascara may be the way to go, especially if you want a natural or no-makeup-makeup look or you prefer to leave your eyebrows light. Brown mascara can still coat your lashes in a darker hue without needing extra eye makeup to balance out your look.
Even if you have extremely dark eyelashes, you can still get some use out of brown mascara. Since it still deposits color, it can add highlights to your dark lashes or add dimension to create a fuller-looking lash line.
Or you can just wear it on your bottom lashes. So, even naturally dark lashes shouldn’t shy away from brown mascara. You never know what lash combo you will fall in love with when you play around with mascara.
Skin Tone
Your skin tone can also help determine the most flattering lash color for you. As stated earlier, this will be just a guideline, and anyone can wear any shade of mascara. Makeup is all about creativity and experimentation, and you never know what amazing looks you can achieve by breaking the norm.
However, there are some generalized rules of thumb if you’re more interested in following a tried-and-true method for your makeup routine.
Both brown and black mascara can be beautiful on all skin tones, but fair skin tones can benefit from brown mascaras because brown can add various pigments to the lashes and give them fullness/dimension without harshness. Brown mascara can accentuate fair skin without looking over the top or too bold.
Medium to dark skin tones can benefit from black mascara because it’s such a rich shade that it can add dimension and contrast to even the deepest of skin tones. It will define every single lash to ensure you have a complete and fluttery look.
Just like black mascara can still look stunning on fairer skin tones, brown mascara can look flawless on medium, deep, and dark complexions to add a highlighted effect to your lashes.
However, if you don’t know how to make a specific color work for you, you can pair it with the right eyeshadow or eyeliner shade to make it complete. Mascaras can amplify any eye makeup look, so don’t shy away just yet!
Eyeshadow Look
Eyeshadow and mascara go hand in hand. So if your eyeshadow looks drab or your mascara looks unbalanced, pairing these two products together will create a match made in heaven. So, how can you implement brown or black mascara in your routine?
Brown mascara will look stunning with brown eye makeup, warm-toned eye makeup, or even jewel-toned eyeshadow hues.
Brown is neutral, and it can be paired with almost anything. You can even pair it with bronzer as an eyeshadow for a non-makeup-makeup finish. It can also accentuate brown smokey eyes if black eyeshadow is still intimidating.
Brown mascara can also complement rich green, blue, and purple eyeshadow shades. However, it can create an unflattering look when paired with black eyeshadow or eyeliner, as it may be too light in comparison and can cancel out the boldness of your eyeshadow look.
What about black mascara? Black mascara can be paired with anything. If you want to go bold, pair it with an intense gray/black smokey eye.
You can even pair black mascara with a simple black eyeliner look. You can create your eyeliner shade with eyeshadow or actual eyeliner. This will also create the illusion that your lash line is fuller than it actually is.
Black And Brown Mascara – Similarities
Besides their color, brown and black mascara share many similarities. For starters, they both provide color, pigment, and saturation. So no matter what color you choose, you are guaranteed to swipe on an intensely pigmented hue to your eyelashes.
Besides their color, brown and black mascara share many similarities. For starters, they both provide color, pigment, and saturation. So no matter what color you choose, you are guaranteed to swipe on an intensely pigmented hue to your eyelashes.
Another similarity they share is that they will define your lashes and create a full and fluttery finish. Some people want definition and fullness, which are characteristics that both black and brown mascara can provide. Mascara will coat every lash.
Overall, both black and brown mascaras function the same regardless of their colors. You can remove them both easily with makeup remover or with double-cleansing. Both are fantastic products to have in your routine.
Brown-Black Mascara
What if you can’t choose between black or brown mascara? Well, get both! You can layer both black and brown mascara to customize your own lash shade. This will give you control over how much of each shade you apply until you reach the desired color!
Hundreds of makeup brands also sell mascara that is actually brown-black. Brown-black mascaras are the perfect mix of black and brown mascaras into one product. Then you don’t have to keep track of all your mascara tubes.
Purchasing a brown-black mascara will take all the guesswork out of creating your perfect mascara shade. This will be especially helpful for those who don’t have the time or energy to experiment and create their own shade of mascara at home.
Who knew you could combine both these shades into one? So whether you layer two different mascaras on at home or you purchase another mascara, brown-black mascara exists, and it will look stunning on absolutely everyone!
It truly is the best of both worlds.
Final Thoughts
Brown and black mascaras do share many similarities, but they have differences that set them apart as well. They will offer a different finish because they aren’t the same color, and they can help accentuate various features.
Brown mascara offers a natural but saturated look. It’s ideal to use to create an everyday, natural makeup look. It can complement green/blue eyes, fair eyelashes, and lighter skin tones. However, anyone can use brown mascara.
Black mascara is a classic makeup product everyone needs in their makeup collection. However, black mascara can look harsh or dramatic on lighter skin tones unless paired with a bold makeup look. It can add intense pigmentation and definition.
Black mascara can complement medium, deep, and dark skin tones, along with dark eyelashes and deep eye colors. However, everyone can make black mascara work for them.
Regardless of your features, anyone can wear black or brown mascara. Dark lashes can benefit from brown mascara to accentuate the lower lash line or create the illusion of highlights and a thicker lash line.
Fair lashes can also benefit from black mascara on its own or even with the correct balance of eye makeup. But what if you can’t decide on a shade? Make your own! You can create your own custom shades by layering both brown and black mascara.
However, you can also purchase a brown-black mascara to get the best of both worlds. Overall, lashes are crucial to any makeup look, and mascara can also be worn entirely on its own.
So it’s essential to have a mascara that you love to create your desired look! Which mascara are you most interested in? Will you be trying out any of these tips?
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