The Best Mascaras For Beginners

As indispensable as mascara is, there's certainly a learning curve when it comes to applying it and finding the right wand for your lashes. But generally, the best mascaras for beginners have a thinner brush, which makes it easier to enhance your lashes without worrying about smudging or clumping. To learn more, Elite Daily spoke with makeup artist Mia Jones, who shares her tips ahead.

The Expert

Mia Jones is a New York City-based makeup artist who studied at the London College of Fashion. An industry go-to for both editorial and red carpet work, her celebrity clients have included Riley Keough, Amal Clooney, Gigi Hadid, and Amy Schumer.

What To Look For When Shopping For A Mascara For Beginners

"Try a lengthening mascara, and a brush that really separates [the lashes]," Jones says of the best way for beginners to avoid ending up with lashes that are overloaded with mascara and clumped together. A thinner brush will always give you more length, and a tapered or pointed tip helps you to get those hard-to-reach lashes. "A rubber brush will deposit less mascara," Jones adds of another wand quality beginners will love. These brushes typically provide more even coverage as they comb through your lashes, and because they're made of plastic, they're more flexible and easier to use when trying to reach tricky spots your lower or inner lashes.

How To Apply Mascara

"Try something new technique-wise every day and try different formulas," Jones suggests to all the mascara beginners out there. But if you're looking for a tried-and-true technique, Jones says applying mascara in the shape of a fan will give you full, fluttery lashes every time. "[Apply the mascara] along the inner lashes, in the center up toward the brow, and at the outer corners toward the temples using two coats," she advises. One more thing to keep in mind if you're a mascara newbie: Be sure to replace your mascara every six months, and never share it with a friend. Experts agree that you shouldn't hold onto your mascara for more than six months because the tubes create a prime environment for infection-causing bacteria.

Shop The Best Mascaras For Beginners

In a hurry? Here are the best mascaras for beginners:

1. Best Lengthening Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara

2. Best Classic Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

3. Best Volumizing Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara

4. Best Lower Lash Mascara: Lord & Berry Back In Black Deep Black Mascara

5. Best Mini Mascara: Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara

6. Best Lash Serum Mascara: Perricone MD No Makeup Mascara

1. Writer's Pick: Best Lengthening Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Lengthens lashes
• Separates lashes
• Clump-free application

Cons:

• Doesn't add curl or lift

This mascara wasn't around yet when I was starting out, but I sincerely wish it had been. You probably heard about Maybelline's Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara when it first launched and subsequently went viral on TikTok in 2021. But if you haven't tried it yet, it's more than worth it. I know this mascara has gotten rave reviews for the length it adds to lashes, but it doesn't get nearly enough praise for being impossible to mess up. Whether you want one coat or three, the formula truly never clumps, and the brush features easy-to-maneuver plastic bristles that allow it reach every last lash.

Nourishing Ingredients: Glycerin, Bamboo Extract Cruelty-Free: No Waterproof Option: Yes

2. Editor's Pick: Best Classic Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Lengthens lashes
• Separates lashes
• Super-pigmented formula
• Clump-free application

Cons:

• Wet formula

The fact that this Maybelline mascara has been on the market for more than 50 years is a true testament to its popularity. That Elite Daily editor Caroline Goldstein chose Great Lash as her most beginner-friendly pick is further proof of its winning formula/wand combo. "The formula is pretty wet, so you have to be careful with it before it dries," she cautions of the potential for smudging. "But it doesn't get clumpy and has a nice balance between lengthening, separating, and volumizing," she adds. "It's also super-pigmented so you get instant color payoff."

Nourishing Ingredients: Stearic Acid Cruelty-Free: No Waterproof Option: Yes

3. Best Volumizing Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Lengthens lashes
• Volumizes lashes
• Separates lashes

Cons:

• Not waterproof

Most beginner-friendly mascaras don't offer much in the way of volume since the thinner brushes that are the easiest to use are mostly ideal for length. But CoverGirl’s Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara found a way to do it all with its foolproof fuller brush that bulks up and lengthens your lashes. Even with the densely packed bristles, you don't have to worry about clumping because they’re made of plastic to expertly separate and lengthen each lash. The mascara is also one of the most conditioning options on this list, with a formula that's infused with argan oil, marula oil, and panthenol (aka pro-vitamin B5).

Nourishing Ingredients: Glycerin, Argan Oil, Marula Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes Waterproof Option: No

4. Best Lower Lash Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Lengthens lashes
• Volumizes lashes
• Precise applicator wand
• Super-pigmented

Cons:

• Not waterproof

This Lord & Berry mascara features the thinnest wand on this list, which helps to better coat your lashes from root to tip without getting mascara smudged across your lids. The wand is also narrower at the tip, which is great for grabbing onto the smaller lashes at the inner corners of your eyes. The formula uses rice bran wax to help condition your lashes as it adds a subtle volumizing effect, and the color is a deep inky black that makes your eyes really pop.

Nourishing Ingredients: Glycerin, Rice Bran Wax Cruelty-Free: Yes Waterproof Option: No

5. Best Mini Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Volumizes lashes
• Lengthens lashes
• Super-pigmented formula
• Mini, easy-to-use wand

Cons:

• Not waterproof

The first time that I picked up a travel-size mascara was for the obvious: traveling. But I quickly realized they have benefits beyond (and largely thanks to) their compact size. The mini wands are easier to wield than their full-size counterparts, allowing you to reach your lower and inner-corner lashes while drastically reducing the risk of jabbing yourself in the eye. They also seemingly tend not to clump as much for some mysterious reason. Plus, their smaller size (and cheaper price tags) allow you to test out different formulas before committing to one — which, as an additional bonus, will make it easier to remember to toss your mascara every six months.

Anyway, back to the mascara in question. Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara thickens and intensifies your lashes with a richly pigmented formula that was designed to be layered on for maximum drama. The hourglass shape of the mini wand helps deposit just the right amount of pigment onto each and every last lash, and although it’s not waterproof, it is at least water resistant.

Nourishing Ingredients: Glycerin, Rice Bran Wax Cruelty-Free: Yes Waterproof Option: No

6. Best Lash Serum Mascara For Beginners

Pros:

• Lengthens lashes
• Subtly volumizes lashes
• Lightweight formula
• Infused with conditioning serum

Cons:

• Not waterproof

If you're looking to subtly enhance your eyes or want a formula that promotes naturally longer, stronger lashes, Perricone MD’s No Makeup Mascara is your best bet. The plastic brush features flexible bristles that are set further apart to separate and lengthen your lashes, and the formula has a serum-like consistency that feels lightweight while still adding soft definition. But it's the mascara's moisturizing and strengthening ingredients that make it really stand out, like biotin and tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E) to encourage lash growth, and avocado oil and pro-vitamin B5 to nourish and help minimize breakage.

Nourishing Ingredients: Biotin, Avocado Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Nettle Extract, Tocotrienols, Peptides Cruelty-Free: Yes Waterproof Option: No

You May Also Like: A Lash-Separating Tool To Comb Through Clumps

Pros:

• Separates lashes
• Eliminates clumps

Cons:

• Must be used while mascara is still wet

"Have a lash tool handy," Jones suggests of the perfect companion to any mascara wand. "Tweezerman makes a brilliant metal lash comb to brush out excess mascara and define the lashes," Jones says of the brand's Folding iLashcomb. To brush out clumps, lengthen, and define your lashes, carefully comb through your lashes before the mascara has a chance to fully set. If you're adding multiple layers of mascara, you can use the gold-plated metal comb in between each coat. Just don't forget to keep alcohol wipes handy to disinfect the tool between uses (you are using it in close proximity to your eyes, after all).

Expert:

Mia Jones, a celebrity makeup artist based in New York City