A bit of dour, though not surprising, news: The aging process isn’t always kind to eyelashes. But as lashes become shorter, thinner, and more sparse over time, the best mascara for older women step in to lift the lashes—and the spirits—up. “At 53 years old, and with lashes that I call my sads, mascara is my desert-island product,” says Pilar DeMann, a Connecticut-based makeup artist. “I try them all!” In the course of her research, DeMann has found a handful of mascaras that seem to have magic embedded in their wands. “They make my puny, thin, short, lashes get thick, long, and look amazing” she says. Ahead, DeMann and celebrity makeup artists (including Jane Fonda’s) share their favorite mascaras to use on older clients.
Vogue’s Favorite Mascaras for Older Women:
In This Article:
From the best tubing formulations to lengthening, curling, and Bambi-eye-producing picks, these mascaras restore life to lashes of any age.
Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
- Why We Love It: One of Vogue’s favorite mascaras for fuller, lifted lashes, Charlotte Tilbury’s volumizing mascara has a devotee in DeMann, whose clients mostly fall into the 50-plus age range. “If you want crazy-big, very thick Bambi lashes, this Charlotte Tilbury is a dream,” she says. With jojoba waxes to condition the lashes, the mascara also has a special technology called “lash vinyl-black wrap tech,” which is infused with polymers to plump each individual hair. What’s more, it’s resistant to smudging, flaking, and clumping.
- Key Ingredients: Lash vinyl-black wrap tech, jojoba waxes
- Type: Volumizing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: Smudge-proof, flake-proof, clump-proof, humidity-proof, clinically tested
- Shades: 1
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara
- Why We Love It: Kevyn Aucoin’s volumizing mascara, designed for dramatic lashes in a single coat, comes in a cylindrical tube that prevents clumping. Its straight, skinny brush makes it easy to separate the lashes and coat each one with the pitch-black formula, which is infused with moisturizing jojoba oil and volume-boosting fibers. Celebrity makeup artist Fabiola Arancibia, whose clients include 50-year-old Hillary Swank and 54-year-old Melissa McCarthy, gives the simple-to-use product a glowing review. “The formulation is amazing in that it deposits fibers to give you a thicker set of lashes,” she says. Because the tubing formula doesn’t transfer onto the skin, Arancibia adds, the mascara is “perfect for bottom-lash application.”
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil, squalane, carnauba wax
- Type: Volumizing, tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: Clump-proof, smudge-resistant, long-lasting
- Shades: 1
Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
- Why We Love It: “This Hourglass is ruling my world lately,” says DeMann. “It’s the best. It’s a gentle tubing mascara and it really volumizes.” The vegan formula, designed to deliver a false-lash look, contains film-forming technology that coats each lash in lightweight fibers. The result? Fanned-out lashes wrapped in inky black pigment that refuses to smudge. The product’s appeal doesn’t end with the 50-plus set, either. “I almost forgot to mention this one because my 15-year-old daughter stole my tube,” DeMann quips. “It’s that good.”
- Key Ingredients: Camellia japonica flower extract, shea butter, castor seed oil
- Type: Tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: Smudge-proof
- Shades: 1
Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara
- Why We Love It: “This is my favorite mascara overall for more mature eyes,” says Aaron Paul, a celebrity makeup artist for clients like Jennifer Tilly, who’s 66. “The curling formula lifts the lashes and opens the eyes, while also providing both volume and length. It’s also smudge-resistant.” Celebrity makeup artist James Molloy is also a fan of the formula, which is enriched with cornflower water to condition eyelashes and soothe irritated eyes. “This gives the lashes the instant volume I like with a silky feel and full bristle brush that helps to lift the lashes,” Molly previously told Vogue. The classic mascara comes in three hues: Black, brown, and blue.
- Key Ingredients: Cornflower water, jojoba esters, cotton nectar
- Type: Curling
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: Smudge-proof
- Shades: 3
Chanel Inimitable Mascara
- Why We Love It: Available in black and brown-black, Chanel’s volumizing, lengthening, and curling formula is a go-to for celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose, whose clients include 87-year-old Jane Fonda—plus some of his own family members. “This is my mom’s favorite mascara,” Barose says. “It has the perfect slim brush and a rich formula that adds drama to the lashes in one, clump-free coat.” Barose notes that small fiber brushes like Chanel’s are ideal for applying mascara, as they coat the lashes evenly and help prevent clumping.
- Key Ingredients: Polymers, rice bran wax, beeswax, carnauba wax
- Type: Lengthening, curling
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: Ophthalmologist-tested, safe for contact lens wearers
- Shades: 2
Merit Beauty Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara
- Why We Love It: A go-to for 83-year-old Martha Stewart, Merit’s lengthening mascara is infused with ingredients—such as fatty acids and olive oil esters—that nourish and hydrate brittle lashes. Robert Bryan, celebrity makeup artist for the likes of Mindy Kaling, is also on board with the easy-on-the-eyes (literally!) formula. “This tubing mascara can be removed using only lukewarm water, which prevents you from damaging or losing lashes from vigorously rubbing them to remove makeup,” he says.
- Key Ingredients: Fatty acids, olive oil esters, vitamin B5
- Type: Lengthening, tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional Features: vegan, buildable, easy to remove
- Shades: 1
Everything You Need to Know
What mascara is best for older women?
For older women, Paul recommends mascaras that offer both volume and length, since lashes can lose density and become shorter as the hair-growth cycle slows down. “Curling mascaras are also great, because they provide lift to the lashes that really helps to open up the eyes,” he says. This is key for older women: Over time, biological factors such as the loss of orbital fat and weakening eyelid muscles can make the eyes appear smaller. As for Bryan, “I tend to prefer lightweight or tubing mascaras,” he says. “I find these types of mascaras don’t put a lot of stress on the eyelashes and still provide ample support and lift.”
What to Look For in a Mascara for Older Women
For older clients, “I like to look for mascaras that contain nutrient-rich ingredients to help condition and treat the lashes over time,” Bryan says. “I personally tend to steer away from waterproof mascaras to avoid them possibly flaking into the eyes.”
According to Paul, customers should also consider wand size. “Smaller, deep-set, and hooded eyes do best with smaller brushes that can reach every lash, even into the corners of the eye, without creating a mess on the eyelids,” he says. “Larger eyes work well with mascaras that have big, fluffy wands.”
What mascara is best for sparse lashes?
For sparse lashes, Paul recommends choosing volumizing mascaras that will build the lash to create the illusion of fullness. “It’s also great to pair a mascara with a primer like Diorshow Maximizer 4D that not only builds up the lash before mascara but also nourishes and strengthens the lashes as you wear it,” he says.
Wand shape comes into play here, too, and Bryan recommends amping up sparse lashes with a mascara that has a smaller brush that’s easy to control. “That way, you can build up volume and length without clumping the sparse hairs together with a larger brush,” he says.
What color mascara is best for older women?
According to Paul, the best way to choose a mascara color is to consider one’s overall color intensity. “Brunettes pair well with black mascara, blondes and redheads with brown, and navy works well with grey hair,” he says. He adds that navy mascaras are also ideal for tired eyes on anyone. “They enhance the whites of the eyes to make them appear well-rested and bright,” he says.
Should older women put mascara on the bottom lashes?
Paul says choosing where to place your mascara depends on a few factors. “If you are aiming for a lifted appearance, then only wear mascara on the upper lashes,” he says. “However, if looking more lifted isn’t a concern, then you can also apply mascara to lower lashes.” A hack to get the best of both worlds: apply brown or navy mascara on the lower lashes to add subtle definition. “Then, apply black mascara on the upper lashes to really define and open the eyes,” Paul suggests.
- Fabiola Arancibia is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Hillary Swank, Katherine Heigl, and Melissa McCarthy.
- Nick Barose is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Jane Fond, Kim Cattrall, and Heather Graham.
- Robert Bryan is a celebrity makeup artist who works with Mindy Kaling and Mena Suvari.
- Pilar DeMann, founder of Pilar Beauty, is a professional makeup artist and beauty and brow expert based in Connecticut.
- Aaron Paul is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Jennifer Tilly, Lilly Singh, and Meghann Fahy.
