Natural mascaras are changing the beauty game. Sjaniël Turrell, holistic make-up artist and nutritional therapist shares her favourites.
Natural mascaras caveat: formulating truly natural products is extremely difficult – the main factors that make commercial mascaras work are the very ingredients that the organic beauty world try to avoid. Also, always keep in mind that mascara preferences are as different as the people who use them, so when one person says they love it, you may very well hate it. This is a guide to steer you towards your personal preferences, but ultimately you may have to try a few before you find your perfect match.
Hiro Cosmetics Natural Vegan Mascara
HIRO Cosmetics Natural Vegan Mascara – Discovering this mascara has called for a top 10 list update! Hiro has blown much of the competition out of the water with this amazing little powerhouse of a mascara. It comes in black and brown and has a smaller than standard tube which means you’ll use it up before it gets too old. It gives amazing volume and has incredible staying power for a natural mascara and this sans silicone – I will confess (let’s say in the name of research – do not try this at home) to have gone to bed with this product on my lashes and woken up with it all still in place. Beat that!
Inika Long Lash Vegan Mascara
Well-known Australian vegan certified brand INIKA has done a great deal of reformulating over the past few years and the results have been well worth it. Their mascara has won several beauty awards and voted best natural mascara by many organic beauty experts. It gives just the right amount of product with one coat for lengthening effect and is buildable for extra volume without clumping. The brush is tapered and a good size for maximum control. Long lasting with the perfect intense black finish.
£23; Available at Inika Organic
Absolution Le Mascara Chritophe Danchaud
The bonus of having a renowned makeup artist collaborate with designing your products is that they work – really well! If you’ve been waiting for the natural mascara that is going to give you maximum volume, maximum build and maximum spider lash possibilities, then this is the mascara for you. The wand gives you a lot of product to work with and you can build it up with a single application. 98% natural with 22% ingredients from organic origin. If you love big, OTT lashes you will love this mascara.
£24; Available at Absolution Cosmetics
Zao Refillable Aloe Vera Mascara
Not only does this mascara tick the sustainability and organic box big time, it is a godsend for those with sensitive eyes. The bamboo casing comes with a refillable inner, so you can simply reorder the essential part, whilst the formula is 100% natural and 58% organic (VERY good for mascara). Lengthening and separating lashes well for those who love cleanly coated lashes without clumps. Once dry, this Aloe Vera rich formula amazingly stays put and does not smudge when rubbed. A perfect every day mascara. (Also available in dark brown)
£20.75; Available at Zao
Ilia Pure Mascara Nightfall
This is the perfect mascara for those who love a very natural, subtle lash or if you generally don’t wear makeup and simply want a tinted lash effect. The formula has a glossy black finish and the clever brush design helps to keep lashes separated. Highly recommended as a ‘first makeup’ option for your eco-conscious tween as there is no overkill effect with this product. The formula is made with 100% natural dye is 42% organic, vegan and gluten free. (Also available in dark grey ‘Ashphalt Jungle)
£24; Available at ILIA
Green People Volumising Mascara
Green People has surprised with this amazing product as most people don’t associate it with makeup, though their growing selection has some exceptional options. This mascara gives incredible length and volume with a silicone brush that does a great job at giving lashes excellent definition. Drying to a matte black, the overall effect is very commercial worthy and it’s bound to become a staple for many. 98% natural ingredients with all-natural pigments and 15% ingredients from organic farming it’s a great all rounder for any makeup bag.
£16.50; Available at Green People
Kjaer Weis Mascara
As a makeup artist, Kirsten Kjaer Weis understands how products work best and made this mascara much smaller than what we’re used to seeing out there. Generally, mascara goes off after 3 months of being exposed to air and bacteria transfer from our lashes and environment, so the smaller, refillable container makes perfect sense as you’re more likely to finish the product. It is also one of the very few long-lasting and smudge free options in organic mascaras. Smudging occurs mainly due to an eye shape where your lashes touch your skin when you blink – the oils on your skin will mix with the product and break it down and therefore residue sits on your skin. This formula coats the lashes and then dries to a matte black so that it does not smudge once dry. Easily removed at the end of the day with a bit of cleansing oil.
£29; Available at Kjaer Weis
Erez Perez Volumising Avocado Waterproof Mascara
One of the few natural mascaras that claim to be waterproof, this may be the answer for those who’ve been looking for a natural product that works with their smudge prone or tear prone eyes. The deep black formula can give a very natural finish or with several layers be build up for more volume and length. The thick natural bristle brush applies the mascara gently onto the lashes and even a few layers won’t turn into clumps. Some dimethicone has been added to achieve its waterproof effect (which most commercial products are solely based on & natural products try to avoid) but may be the best compromise when the rest of the ingredients comply with natural mascara standards. The formula is also vegan and gluten free.
£21; Available at Erez Perez
AVRIL Mascara Volume Noir
This certified organic and super affordable find is a recent discovery and a very exciting one at that. It has great coverage, volume and lift and is a lovely deep black. It definitely gives the desired effect for those who want their lashes to look primed. With 57% ingredients from organic origin and 99% of those ingredients being natural, this is a great mascara. Did we forget to mention it only costs about £6 a pop!
£6; Available at Avril
Lavera Organic Mascara Endless Definition Perfect Black
This mascara is great for your day to day wear – the brush is an easy to manoeuvre long, thin spiral of natural bristles which helps to give lashes definition and coating. It has an intense black finish and is buildable for more impact. Lavera is a great affordable option when spending on individual makeup items is simply not a priority and you want something that you can buy and buy again. It is 100% natural and also gluten free.
£13.90; Available at Lavera
*All natural and organic certified products are cruelty free by default