The Best Brown Mascara of 2023, Tested + Reviewed

If you want a natural look…

Tower28 MakeWaves Mascara in Drift ($20)

Tower28’s widely adored mascara is now available in a rich espresso brown! Water-resistant, vegan and safe for sensitive eyes, this your-lashes-but-better mascara adds natural-looking length and a bit of volume for just the right amount of oomph.

If you want major volume…

Try Too Faced Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara in Chocolate ($28)

The brand’s signature, best-selling Better Than Sex Mascara now comes in a rich, chocolatey brown that is great for softer glam looks. The fluffy, hourglass brush imparts tons of mascara onto each lash, but not in a messy, clumpy way. Expect tons of volume, but in a slightly less dramatic fashion than the black formula. “This is not your grandmother’s espresso mascara,” says Reneau. “It is a warm, chocolatey brown that pops on the lashes and delivers the same dramatic volume, length and curl you can always rely on from Better Than Sex.”

If you want dramatic length…

Try Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High True Brown Mascara ($13)

This viral mascara is so popular in the shade True Brown that it’s actually sold out at Ulta right now. The brand’s exclusive flex tower brush lifts lashes higher than you think they can actually go, while the bamboo extract–infused formula ensures lashes stay lightweight and comfortable with zero flaking.

If you want a waterproof formula…

Try Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara in Chestnut ($29.50)

Dior’s iconic mascara has been used on countless Fashion Week runways and red carpets since its launch in the late aughts. The oversized brush allows you to coat nearly all your lashes with creamy brown pigment in one go, building up to the intensity level you want for each look.

If you want a tubing mascara…

Try Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in Crystal ($25)

I feel like a broken record professing my love for this mascara as much as I do, but the effortless removal is unrivaled in my opinion. The brand’s Flake-Free Tubing Technology wraps each lash in a little “tube” of firm-hold, super-lengthening mascara, and at the end of the day, it all comes off with water—no makeup remover, no aggressive wiping, no stinging. The brown-black shade “Crystal” is really pretty on my light blonde lashes.

If you want a 100-percent vegan formula…

Try Well People Expressionist Pro Mascara in Brown ($20)

Natural-looking lashes are a big trend this year, as is vegan beauty products. This everyday brown mascara delivers in both categories and nourishes lashes with plant-based ingredients like jojoba oil, rice brand, castor seed wax and sunflower seed. It helps keep lashes healthy and happy underneath, no matter how many coats you choose to apply (I like a lot!).

If you want a little more oomph than basic brown…

Try Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Push-Up Lashes! Mascara in Dream Pop ($29)

This new shade of the brand’s lifting mascara has become a fast favorite and continues to sell out. A unique spin on the classic brown look, this shade has a bit of a berry hue mixed in, giving it a little pop of something different, especially on light lashes. Tilbury says it “contrasts beautifully with every complexion, emphasizing and defining your eye color to bring out the gold in hazel eyes, the green in green eyes, the amber in brown eyes, and the blue in blue eyes.”