Finding the right colour mascara enhanced my green eyes

Thanks to another TikToker’s expertise

Lucy Smith
Beauty writer
Thursday 26 September 2024 10:04 EDT
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Its warmth really draws out the green
Its warmth really draws out the green (Maybelline/iStock/The Independent)

Ever since I saw that burgundy mascara is allegedly the holy grail of lash additions for people with green eyes I have been desperate to hop aboard the trend. I first saw the phenomenon from @makeupwithmillie, who pairs burgundy mascara with a similarly warm-toned eyeliner, leaving her olive-toned pupils looking perfectly pronounced.

For context, my eyes are also green but perhaps in a more lacklustre way; as such, they’re in need of a bit of burgundy mascara oomph. Surprisingly, there are quite a handful of burgundy mascaras on the market – from Charlotte Tilbury’s pillow talk to benefit’s bad gal bang, I seemed I was spoilt for choice.

Of course, when I spotted that my favourite high street mascara – Maybelline lash sensational sky high (£13, Lookfantastic.com) – was available in its own burgundy haze colourway, I could hardly pass up this affordable and adored option.

How I tested

Before, during, and after applying the burgundy mascara
Before, during, and after applying the burgundy mascara (Lucy Smith)

Applying the mascara to bare, clean lashes, I applied one coat of the Maybelline tubing mascara (it adds ‘tubing’ fibres to encapsulate the lashes to leave them looking longer and volumised) in burgundy to one eye, plus one coat of the same mascara in my usual black formula to the other.

I paid attention to any differences in eye colour appearance in the burgundy versus black, as well as noting all the usual mascara criteria: lengthening ability, definition, lift and, over the course of the day, staying power.

The burgundy mascara worn on the left versus black on the right
The burgundy mascara worn on the left versus black on the right (Lucy Smith)

Maybelline lash sensational sky high mascara in burgundy haze

burgundy mascara maybelline review indybest
  • Size: 7.2ml
  • Type: Tubing, non-waterproof
  • Cruelty-free: No
  • Why we love it
    • Lengthens lashes
    • Doesn’t weigh lashes down
    • Leaves green eyes looking brighter
  • Take note
    • Not as red/pinky upon application

Admittedly, when I first saw the colour on the spoolie, I was slightly nervous. As it turns out, I needn’t have been as the baby pink of the plastic beneath the formula actually makes the mascara look more intimidating than it does on the lashes themselves.

I was shocked that I could hardly tell the difference between the burgundy and my usual black/brown mascara – if anything, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t see a pop of pinky-red on my lashes. But when you compare the finish of the burgundy against the black, that’s when you can really see the colour its afforded your pupils.

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In the above image, you can see how the black mascara has actually shaded the green in my eyes whereas the burgundy has lightened the greenier tinges around the centre.

I find it 10 times more versatile than I thought it would be, and, as I did anticipate, both the black and burgundy left my lashes looking lengthened, volumised and defined – perhaps even better on the latter front with the burgundy formula. Not to mention the colour didn’t budge in either case throughout my full day’s wear. Not a smudge or imprint.

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The verdict: Maybelline lash sensational sky high mascara in burgundy

All in all, this mascara is a great everyday pick for green eyes and, based on the suggestions I’ve seen on TikTok, blue eyes, too. It’s not going to leave your lashes looking party-ready in the same way that a sweep of metallic burgundy on the lids might, but it does give paler blue-green eyes more light access to (quite literally) have their moment in the sun.

It’s surprisingly a more natural-looking mascara in line with current make-up trends and, with the first day of autumn officially behind us, it’s without a doubt a seasonal colour to inject into your routine, too. I’m sold.

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