My Top Green Beauty Mascara Picks is here! Having been in green beauty for over seven years now, I’ve tried my fair share of mascaras. I’m pretty picky when it comes to a stellar formula too. It has to meet some strict requirements. I mean a girl doesn’t want just volume, but length, separation, and maybe even a bit of drama. Who’s with me?!
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I had some standards as I tested out mascara. There have been some mascaras I’ve noticed some people pegging as “clean” but they had questionable ingredients. For example, if a mascara had phenoxyethanol in it-I didn’t even try it. My top recommendations are completely clean. However, there are a few ingredients here and there in some of the other mascaras that rate a higher score on EWG. In comparison to conventional mascaras, I think they’re pretty good. But that’s a decision you have to make for yourself.
Also, a few tips on mascara I’ve picked up along the way. I’ve found for me any mascara, whether conventional or green beauty mascaras, they all do better after a week or two. It helps when they’ve been exposed to some air. It makes them become a little more buildable. So don’t give up on one after a day or two-give it at least a week. Always swirl the brush inside to pick up product, don’t pump. Once your mascara gets clumpy it’s time to get a new one, typically 3 months. Oh and side note-I never wear mascara on my lower lashes. I find I haven’t found a solution to the under eye smudging that occurs. Plus, I find I don’t need it.
Top Picks-
Honest Beauty Mascara-
Formula- Ok, so I did try this mascara when it first came out over two years ago and I didn’t like it. It stung my eyes pretty bad and there wasn’t anything amazing about it. However, they re-did the formula and I have to say it is completely different and I LOVE it! This is hands down my favorite mascara in green beauty now. I know, that says a lot but it’s true. The formula checks all the boxes. It offers thickness, length, separation- it’s just awesome! The formula isn’t too dry or too wet and I love that I don’t have to apply 5 coats of mascara to see product on my lashes. In just two coats my lashes are instantly lengthened, thicker and have overall more volume. I’m sold! On one end of the mascara wand is a primer and the other the mascara color. I apply the primer first and then the mascara.
Smudge factor/Flaking- Doesn’t flake or smudge!
Brush- The brush is longer and thinner, with a slight curve.
Price- $22(and even cheaper if you bundle it with two other items from Honest Beauty)
FitGlow Good Lash + Mascara-
Formula- It gives my lashes volume, separation and some drama. It definitely lifts them up and creates a lash that you can’t help but notice! I love how you can build the formula on top of your lashes. The formula is overall thicker but easy to apply to the lashes.
Smudge factor/Flaking- I didn’t have any smudging or flaking.
Brush- The brush on it is different than any other I’ve used. It starts out wide and then gets narrower. Great for getting the bitty lashes in the corner of the eye.
Price- $42
Get your FitGlow mascara here!
Inika Long Lash Mascara- (Vegan)
Formula- The formula is pretty wet. It gets better the more air gets to it. Once I apply the first couple coats I move to the next eye and then come back to the first eye. It then is easier to build it up more. It really gives great length and separation, not as much volume.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It did smudge a little if I wasn’t careful letting it dry. But no flaking.
Brush- It comes with a long brush.
Price- $33
Crunchi Mascara-
Formula- This mascara gives big, separated, pigmented lashes. I had so many people comment on my lashes when wearing it. Some mascaras will sting my eyes when they get wet but not Crunchi’s. It checks all my mascara boxes!
Smudge factor/Flaking- It only starts to flake when the bottle is almost empty and it’s time to get a new tube.
Brush- The brush is excellent! A big fat brush- just the way I like it.
Price- $28
Get your Crunchi Mascara here!
Hynt Beauty Nocturne Mascara– (Gluten Free)
Formula- The formula is drier. It takes a few strokes to get the product on your lashes. But once on you can really build it up on the ends to lengthen. It gives my lashes separation, volume, and length. Plus, some thickness.
Smudge factor/Flaking- Overall the smudging is minimal to none. I don’t notice smudging as much as flakes sometimes as I’m nearing the end of the tube. It’s a good reminder to switch it out.
Brush- It comes with a thick, fat spoodle brush. Love the brush!
Price- $24
Get your Hynt Beauty Mascara here!
Hush & Dotti Mascara-
Formula- The formula is great mix of dry and wet. It goes on so easy and doesn’t require a ton of applications. Gives my lashes thickness, length and separation. A good building mascara.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It doesn’t smear on my eyelids or flake at all.
Brush- It’s a smaller standard mascara brush. It gets smaller towards the end of the brush.
Price- $24
Get your Hush and Dottie Mascara here!
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara-
Formula- This mascara is especially great for lengthening. It also does an amazing job of separation. It builds up quite well too after you let it dry for 30 seconds and go back and add some more. It’s a wetter formula overall. It doesn’t claim to be waterproof but water resistant, which is pretty awesome for a mascara in green beauty.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It can smear a bit if you don’t let it dry first. Once you let it dry though it doesn’t flake.
Brush- The brush is curved a bit, thinner and longer.
Price- $25
Get your 100% Pure Mascara here!
W3ll People Expressionist Mascara- (Gluten Free)
Formula- I initially didn’t really like this mascara but after giving it two solid weeks I really liked it. Initially it was hard to get the product off the brush. In my opinion, it gets better as more air is exposed to it. It gets a little more goopy and helps the product to be able to build on your lashes. It didn’t give me quite as much length as I would like but definitely gave my lashes a bit of drama. It’s not a lightweight mascara, you can see there is product on your lashes. Overall, definitely a great product. There is a couple ingredients in it that scored a 5 or higher on EWG. However, they don’t seem significant enough, especially with some data gaps.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It didn’t flake on me until the end of the tube. Then I noticed some flakes around my eyes.
Brush- The brush wasn’t my fave- it’s the new high tech rubber brush. I’m more into the old spoodle brushes.
Price- $21.99
Get your W3ll People Mascara here!
Lily Lolo- (Vegan)
Formula- This mascara definitely gets some good product on your lashes. It definitely gives your lashes some drama and lift. It seems a little wetter of a formula. It’s a little harder to build the product on the lashes unless I wait a minute or two for the first coat to dry. The only thing I noticed was some irritation when my eyes would water-which was randomly when I had my second baby-hormones are real people! I feel the formula got thicker and better the more I used it and air got to it.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It does smudge a little the first week or so because the formula is wetter. However, once you use it more the formula thickens and I didn’t have a problem with smudging.
Brush- The brush is a big fat brush- just the kind I like!
Price- $19.50
Get your Lily Lolo mascara here!
Zuzu Luxe Mascara- (Vegan)
Formula- This a great everyday mascara, for someone who doesn’t want anything too dramatic. Adds great color definition and builds well too. It comes off easy at the end of the day. It’s a great pick for those who have sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. It isn’t going to give you the drama or vixen lashes but a great option for those wanting something a little subdued and have sensitive eyes. I also love how easy it is to find. They sell it at most Whole Foods and natural groceries.
Smudge factor/Flaking- It doesn’t smudge or flake on me.
Brush- The brush is a standard mascara wand. Not big and gets smaller at the tip of the brush.
Price- $17.60
Get your ZuZu Luze mascara here!
Fails-
Zao Organic Volume Mascara-
This does cross over into the $30 range, which I said I wouldn’t buy. I didn’t buy this one, it came in a beauty subscription box. I wasn’t impressed with it. The formula was so wet and it left my lashes more limp than vixen. It smudged and came off easily too. At $33.20 a pop, I was disappointed in the overall performance of this mascara.
RMS Beauty Volumizing Mascara-
This was probably the biggest flop. If you’ve been around green beauty long enough you know RMS Beauty. Their products are superior and ingredients top notch. However, it unfortunately didn’t translate into their mascara. The product is almost invincible on my lashes. I had to coat them but even then you could hardly see the product or a difference. It flaked too. There were some questionable ingredients too. Not worth it at $28.
Jane Iredale Purelash Lengthening Mascara-
This is similar to RMS mascara in my opinion. It was hard to see the product on my lashes or even notice I had on mascara, it was so subtle. If you like your mascara to look as natural as possible then this would be your mascara. But for me I want some drama in my lashes! $24
Juice Beauty Mascara-
This did absolutely nothing for my eyelashes- like nothing! It’s such a wet formula and doesn’t build, add volume or anything. Wouldn’t recommend this at all.
That sums up my mascara post! I hope it helped you have a better idea of what mascara you should go for. Let me know what mascara you’re loving! XO
Related
Cheers, Suzi
I have the Hynt and w3ll people mascara and both of them give me raccoon eyes within hours! Do you have any suggestions on how to stop the under eye smudging? I love the way my lashes look with both mascaras. I have the zuzu and it doesn’t smudge, but doesn’t give that “look”.
I feel like you have always mentioned Coleur caramel in your past posts as top, now I see it’s not even listed. Why?
I ask because I went off your previous posts and purchased a tube a month ago but I’m not a big fan. Wish I would’ve realized you had a lot of others that ranked higher.
I’ve been using poofy organics mascara and when that’s out I wanted to try some other brand. Thank you so much for this post.
Oh good, of course! I know it can be hard trying to find a good mascara!
Oh no! I don’t apply mascara on my lower lashes, only the top. I totally get what you mean about the Zuzu. What if you applied the Hynt or W3ll People on your upper lashes and then ZuZu on your lower? You could also try setting your lower lashes with a translucent powder. It might help soak up some of the excess oil.
Hi Emily! Yes, it used to be my fave and really the only mascara out there for a while that really performed like conventional mascaras. However, I noticed they changed the ingredients and it now has an ingredient that I’m not comfortable using. I’m so sorry! It’s hard sometimes because formulations change and sometimes I’m not even aware until I look at the ingredients again randomly. Companies can be so sneaky! I’ve been working on this mascara post for a while because I wanted to be able to give more of a broad range for people. I had people say Couleur Caramel was too expensive or irritating. I realized mascara is such a personal thing because everyone’s eyes are so different and what might work for one, may not work for another. So I wanted to give people options. I had been waiting to post about mascaras until I had a more broad range of options.
Thanks for this great review! I am considering the Hynt and wondering if it smudges or flakes a lot? I have been using waterproof mascara since I had Lasik and find that even a little bit of flaking / smudging causes irritation.
Hi Alyssa! It does flake a little towards the end of the tube-but usually by that time it’s time to toss it. I didn’t have any smudging! But i think that can often depend on the individual and how their eyes are. Hope that helps!
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for a waterproof mascara?
Hi Rebecca!
Yes, there are a couple I like. With mascara in green beauty you won’t get waterproof-no such thing. If it says that they’re using chemicals, which you don’t want anyways. Instead with a lot of green beauty mascaras they will say “water resistant.” The ones I like best are 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara and Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara. Both say they’re water resistant and I’ve found do the best job. The Honeybee Gardens isn’t going to give you those vixen, drama lashes but once you apply it and it drys it stays put. Hope that helps!
Hey just wanted to let you know that the Honest Beauty company actually took their mascara off the market for almost a year to fix that problem. It’s back now and doesn’t sting anymore! I love it now but did have the same exact issue initially.
I love the PUREhaven Essentials mascara! Have you tried it?
I haven’t but now I’ll have to try! Thanks for the rec. 🙂
I love the Lily Lolo mascara! It is the only natural brand I have tried that makes my lashes look as good as a conventional brand. The best part being that it stays on all day and does not smudge or make my eyes sting. Every other brand I have tried so far has left me with raccoon eyes too. I am going to try out the Hynt Beauty and Gia Minerals that you recommended as well. Thanks so much for your thorough research!
of course! Thanks for reading!
Howdy!
Thanks for your list. I’m gonna guess you’re a black mascara gal, so may not have any suggestions, but I’m looking for more brown mascaras that hold up well.
I don’t mind a bit of smudging, but little-to-no flakes is a requirement, and does a formula that isn’t real wet, because I have abysmally wimpy lashes, with eyes set back into my head, and heavy hoods. Wet formulas I get everywhere, and force me to redo any eye makeup that’s already applied. I also have ultra sensitive eyes, so I’m rather high maintenance. I’ve finally found eyeshadows I don’t react to, but mascaras are so very tricky.
Green and clean is the way to go.
Thanks!
Alima Pure makes a fantastic brown mascara – one of my very favorites! Also the wonderful Inika mascara mentioned above comes in brown. The Alima is a darker brown, the Inika very slightly lighter.
Oh good to know! Thanks Nina!
Which one lasts the longest? I have oily and watery eyes and the Hynt Beauty mascara smudged on my within a few hours 🙁
The 100% Pure is a great option then. It isn’t waterproof-no green beauty mascara can be but it is water resistant!
I had the same exact problem with Hynt mascara and well people. I recently tried Lily Lolo and I love it! No smudging for me! Zulu Luxe also didn’t flake but didn’t have the same look as Lily Lolo.
Hi! Have you tried ZuZu Luxe mascara in dark brown? I really like their black mascara. It doesn’t flake on me and after about 10 days the formula dries up a bit and isn’t wet. It’s a really great price too!
Coincidentally, yes. I currently have the brown and blue in zuzu luxe’s mascaras. The brown seems like a wetter formula than the blue, so at this time, I’m tending to reach for the blue more. Looking forward to the brown drying up a bit so it’s easier to use. So far, no noticeable irritation. I also repurchased the honeybee gardens brown mascara, giving it a second chance. Thanks for responding!
Shaunna! Thanks for the comment. Yes, Lily Lolo is a great mascara and you should definitely try out Hynt and Gia-serious faves too 🙂
Have you tried Dr. Hauschkas mascara? Is it a clean option?
I have! Yeah, it is clean however, wasn’t my favorite for giving me lots of lift and separation.
Thanks for this post! I tried the 100% Pure mascara but still have smudging. My top priority is non-smudging, even if I have to sacrifice volume. Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Honeybee Gardens drys like glue on the lashes- a good option for non-smudging!
Thank you for such a detailed post. So helpful!! What lip color are you wearing with the honest beauty mascara? It’s such a flattering color on you!!
Hi Suzi,
I was using the 100% Pure maracuja oil mascara and I loved that but with my second tube, it was so wet it’s practically unusable. It never dried a bit and I think they reformulated because it now does nothing for my lashes but gives a bit darker of a color. I switched to Hynt and I’m definitely liking that much better! It gives some great volume and length and I love that’s not irritating at all. Have you tried the Red Apple Lash Project? It’s on my list for someday because it has a lash conditioner in their mascara and I’ve seen Sarah from Holistic Habits wear it and it looks beautiful!
Thanks for the awesome review and positive comments about Hynt Beauty NOCTURNE Mascara. Now available in Brown too. xoxooxMerylxoxoxoox
Yes, tried the brown and love it too! I’ll add it in as well. 🙂
No Kajer Weis mascara? It’s the only one I own as it doesn’t irritate my sensitive eyes like other mascaras. It smells lovely and defines lashes well but can flake towards the end of the day.
Hi Lorraine! I haven’t tried it yet but it’s on my list of mascaras to try. I originally wasn’t going to try it because it was pretty spendy. But since I reviewed FitGlow and it’s pricier I’ll definitely give Kjaer Weis a try- thanks!
I have tried pretty much all of these except the Honest Company one – so I need to get on that 🙂 However, my curent most favourite (used to by Hynt) is one by Sappho (a Canadian company) – it’s vegan and organic and amazing! https://www.mysappho.ca/collections/mascara-new-paradigm-vegan-mascara
Oh cool! Never heard of that one. Thanks! I’ll definitely look into it!
Hi Suzi. I appreciate this post. Thank you for taking the time to try all of these mascaras, chose your favorites, and write reviews. Yesterday I was in SF’s Credo asking one of their salespeople/makeup artists if she’d experimented with the Hush & Dotti mascara. She said in the last few weeks a lot of customers are mentioning the brand to her. After some experimentation, I chose Hush & Dotti for my mascara. Most of my life I had dark, thick lashes; all I had to do was curl them and they looked done. Now I’d like some help, and I wanted a mascara not too difficult to work with. I tried Ilia, RMS, Kjaer Weis, Alima Pure, and Jane Iredale. Hush & Dotti is my favorite. One of the things I particularly love about it is its diminutive tube size. It’s easier for me to work with the tube, and I love how easy it is to transport. I also love what I think of as its classic wand style. (BTW, some of your links, including the Hush & Dotti link, don’t go to the correct mascara. The Hynt and Hush & Dotti links both go to Beauty Heroes Fitglow, Well People goes to 100% Pure, and Zuzu Luxe goes to Lily Lolo.
Oh thanks for telling me about the links! Yes, I think Hush and Dotti is a great all around mascara pick for sure.
I’m glad you found one that works! It can be so frustrating. Yes, I really love Hynt! I haven’t tried Red Apple Lash Project- but I want to now! 😉
Hi! I’ve been using the lashes for days Crunchi mascara and I love that it is water resistant and it keep my lashes really soft feeling. Does the Honest Beauty one make your lashes ‘crunchy’ and hard feeling or stay soft and feathery? I tried their mascara a couple years ago and didn’t like it either, but if they fixed the formula so well, as you described, I may try again! Always looking for another good option! 🙂 Thanks!
How often would you recommend replacing honesty beauty mascara with a new tube? Thanks!
Thanks for posting a link to this again on Instagram! So helpful! I just bought Pacifica mascara in the green beauty section at Target ??, but noticed that product didn’t make your review. Was it not out at the time or am I missing a nasty ingredient?