Clean beauty brand Ilia launches a new brown mascara this Spring 2025.
Ilia
For years, a coat or two of black mascara was a non-negotiable final step in makeup regimens worldwide. Besides a handful of specific cases—on blondes, for instance, or those going for an intentionally natural aesthetic—the high contrast drama afforded by jet-black lashes was simply the most-desired look.
But Spring 2025 beauty trends are changing a long-held industry status-quo as luxury brands like Sisley, celebrity makeup artist-founded brands like Lisa Eldridge Makeup and now the clean beauty brand Ilia introduce brown mascaras into their lineups.
The brown mascara trend is delighting beauty consumers and industry experts alike, with celebrity makeup artist Carissa Ferreri confirming that she has been reaching for brown mascara daily. There were other signs predicting that the pendulum swing in favor of the softer looks of brown mascaras and liners.
After Latte Makeup swept TikTok last year, celebrity makeup artist Allen Avendaño gave the deep espresso style a gentle makeover. Using shimmery browns and champagne hues, his Iced Latte makeup iteration of the trend was notably topped by none other than brown mascara.
Ilia Beauty
The brown mascara trend has spread to various beauty niches, from the luxury sphere to the clean beauty sector’s ingredient-conscious crowd. Back when Ilia’s Limitless Lash Mascara, $29, first launched seven years ago, it was widely considered to be clean beauty’s best mascara to-date.
It became a cult-favorite among those favoring soft, fluttery lashes that also wanted to keep their beauty regimens free of potentially harmful ingredients. According to Ilia’s founder, the clean brand’s fans have been unambiguous in their desire for a clean brown version of the mascara to launch.
“Our customers strongly expressed the need for a brown mascara, especially over the last few years,” writes Sasha Plavsic, the founder of Ilia Beauty, in an e-mail to Forbes.com. In the last year alone, she reports receiving “nearly 1,000 direct requests” for a brown shade of their beloved mascara. It was only natural that Ilia acquiesce, with their rich brown hue, ‘Before Dawn’, now available.
With the brown mascara trend’s entry into the non-toxic beauty sphere, Ilia is giving the “clean girl aesthetic” a new and literal meaning. Below, learn more about the brown mascara trend and why experts call it a must-have minimalist makeup essential for Spring.
Brown Mascara Trend: When To Wear Brown Versus Black Mascara
On set, there have always been certain cases when brown mascara was called for as opposed to the traditional black. Makeup artist Diane Caranica explains that on blonde clients with “softer facial features” or “light eyebrows and lashes,” black mascara can sometimes look “too jarring or intense.” This is especially pertinent when the brand, director or client is going for a more natural look, such as at beach shoots.
“Brown mascara doesn’t look like there is so much makeup on,” Caranica says on a phone call. “It just gives a nice, natural flow.”
Occasionally, Caranica will opt to apply black mascara at the base of the lash, but use brown mascara at the tips, all in order to keep the overall look more natural. Celebrity makeup artist Natasha Denona also mixes and matches, recently revealed that she sometimes uses black mascara on the upper lashes only, reserving another hue for the bottom when creating her iconic eye makeup looks.
Ilia Beauty
Celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty, who works with stars like Lorde, Auli’i Cravalho and Jenny Slate, points out that brown mascara is also ideal for the daytime. She will specifically reach for Ilia’s new launch when wants the eyelashes to look more subtle, or to allow eyeliner or eye shadow to stand out as opposed to the lashes.
“I also use it when I want the focal point of my makeup to be another feature [than the eyes], like the lips or cheeks,” Bhatty says. This has often been the case in her recent work with clients. “The brown mascara trend really leans into the minimalist beauty trend, which we have been seeing rise for the last several seasons.”
Brown Mascara Trend: Lengthening Versus Volumizing
All of this speaks to an overall interest in playing with bold versus gentle eye makeup, and specifically, how this is achieved with the eyelashes. In the last year, some beauty trends even saw looks that forewent mascara altogether. But the bottom line is that as far as mascara goes, the color itself is only part of a winning equation.
Individual preferences for relative “tackiness,” longevity and viscosity all determine which mascara becomes regularly reached-for in your beauty kit. Those that seek lash volume as opposed to length might prefer tubing mascaras, like Sisley Paris Phyto-Noir Mascara, $85, in the shade ‘Deep Brown’.
Ilia Beauty
Alternatively, those in favor of soft, fanned-out lashes tend to prefer non-clumping, lengthening mascaras that can hold just the right amount of curl.
“I love a lengthening mascara that separates [the lashes],” Bhatty says, naming Ilia’s Limitless Lash formulation the “most versatile” in her kit. “It’s a beautiful lengthening formula that has lasting [duration]; the lashes look longer without clumping. It is a natural choice for both the red carpet and days on-set.”
Ilia’s formula also imparts haircare ingredients like Arginine, Biotin and ethically-sourced beeswax via a beloved applicator (they tested over a hundred wands when formulating).
As for their new brown shade, Bhatty calls it “very flattering” for all complexions in tones. As Plavsic points out, they sought a brown hue that “was not too warm yet not too cool,” that would suit any eye color and be suitable for sensitive eyes.
Brown Mascara Trend: Will You Try It?
With Spring’s arrival and beauty’s seasonal evolution underway, it remains to be seen whether consumers choose to stick with minimalist beauty’s new must-have mascara. After all, the beauty industry is known for its ever-expanding options.
Mascara alone has seen newcomers that promote lash growth, like Revitalash Length Define Tubing Mascara, luxury newcomers like Prada Beauty Pradascope Lash Lifting & Lengthening Mascara, as well as formulas that impart lash-benefitting actives, like Ilia’s Limitless Lash Mascara.
But while the verdict is still out, Bhatty encourages beauty-lovers to experiment using the myriad brown mascaras and liners that are emerging. Each brand’s formula and shade of brown will suit various looks—for instance, the Lisa Eldridge Kitten Lash Mascara in Burnt Umber, $36, affords a warmer, mahogany-like hue whereas Ilia’s paints on more like a milk chocolate. For further inspiration, Bhatty specifically suggests pairing brown mascara with makeup looks featuring “glowing skin, a statement lip, a bright bold cheek [or] a brown winged liner—the list goes on and on,” she says.
The good news is that whether you are personally a fan of volumizing or lengthening mascaras, or consider yourself to be a luxury-lover or a clean beauty purist, you now have plenty of options to choose from with even more to come.
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