Can coloured mascara take years off you? The shades, tips and tricks to enhance your look like the stars from just £5

WITH A-listers like Victoria Beckham, Dua Lipa and Millie Bobby Brown embracing vibrant mascara shades, beauty journalist Claire Coleman explores which colours truly enhance your look. 

STILL sticking to boring black mascara? It’s time to shake things up. 

Beauty journalist Claire Coleman explores which colours of mascara truly enhance your lookLorna Roach David CummingsClaire before trying out the benefits of mascara[/caption]

Coloured mascara might sound oh-so-Eighties but, if you hadn’t noticed, everything — from shoulder pads and leotards to Duran Duran — is having a moment now. 

So it’s time to embrace a bit of colour on your lashes. 

Victoria Beckham just launched her Future Lash Mascara in Bordeaux, a deep reddish brown, while Millie Bobby Brown sent a burgundy L’Oreal Paris version (not available in the UK) viral after declaring it her favourite. 

‘You don’t have to dive right in’ 

Elsewhere Cara Delevingne instantly made blue cool after sporting it in a YSL mascara ad, and TOWIE’s Amber Turner confessed on TikTok she’s been seduced by green. 

With a rainbow of shades on offer, I decided to put this summer’s most surprising eye make-up trend to the test and asked make-up artist and content creator, Nicola Chapman, for her advice. 

“I love the idea of coloured mascara as a quick and easy way to change things up,” she says.

“With festival season coming up, it’s a way to elevate your look, and you don’t have to dive right in. 

YSLCara Delevingne instantly made blue cool after sporting it in a YSL mascara ad[/caption]

“You can layer a colour over black mascara, or just use colour on the tips, or outer edges if you’re not feeling confident. 

“Wearing coloured mascara is an easy way of showing you’ve got your eye on current beauty trends so, get it right, and it can give you a youthful boost.” 

But she has a clever tip for those who want to try something more dramatic. 

“It’s like red lipstick,” says Nicola.

“Sometimes you need to get used to it yourself first.

“Wear it around the house for a few days, look in mirrors and notice it, then go out in it.” 

As for who should choose which colour, Nicola says: “While there are some shades that will make certain eye colours pop, or might work well with certain skin tones, I don’t like being too prescriptive. 

“It’s make-up — it’s meant to be fun and experimental.” 

We reveal the best — and most purse-friendly — of what’s on offer . . .  

The one that looks more luxe than it is 

MAXFINE 5D MASCARA IN ­PURPLE,
£4.99, amazon.co.uk (Also available in blue and white) 

The purple was striking when it went on and, despite the depth of colour, left lashes looking natural and not caked

I WAS shocked – in a good way – by this impulse Amazon purchase. 

The purple was striking when it went on and, despite the depth of colour, left lashes looking natural and not caked.

I applied an extra coat half an hour later and it was even more impressive. 

Nicola says: “Shades like this are about fun and creativity so pick a colour you like and go for it.”  

The one that lasts 

REVOLUTION WRAP LASH IN ­BURGUNDY,
£10.99, Superdrug 

It gave depth to my brown eyes and crucially, despite streaming hay fever, my mascara stayed put

UNLIKE others that paint colour on to the lashes, mascaras such as this one wrap each lash in the coloured formula giving a flake-free finish. 

The burgundy felt like a sophisticated choice. 

It gave depth to my brown eyes and crucially, despite streaming hay fever, my mascara stayed put. 

Nicola says: “This is great for green eyes as the red brings out green tones.” 

The green that looks gorgeous on everyone 

KIKO MAXI MOD COLOUR MASCARA IN ­METALLIC GREEN,
£12.99, amazon.co.uk  (Available in four more colours) 

Throughout the day I would catch it working beautifully with iridescent blues and greens for a really stunning peacock-inspired smoky eye

DON’T be put off by the name — this “metallic green” was more of a teal blue, and all the more wearable for it. 

It didn’t have that much wow factor when I first put it on.

But throughout the day I would catch it working beautifully with iridescent blues and greens for a really stunning peacock-inspired smoky eye. 

The best of the bunch 

MAYBELLINE SKY HIGH ­MASCARA IN BLUE,
£12.99, Boots (Available in pink, black, brown, burgundy and plum) 


It required a ­couple of coats to get a really punchy blue shade

I AM a fan of the original black version and the blue didn’t disappoint. It gave me serious length without heaviness, but it required a ­couple of coats to get a really punchy blue shade. 

Nicola suggests: “For brighter shades to pop, use a white primer first.

“But a royal blue mascara with a smoky eye can look gorgeous and a bit different.” 

The biggest bargain 

BARRY M REBEL LASH COLOURED MASCARA IN PINK,
£4.99, ­barrym.com (Available in blue and ­purple) 

It left me with what looked like pink frosted tips to my lashes

ON paler lashes than mine, or maybe with a white primer first, this pink might have looked really zingy. 

But, for me, the colour didn’t shout as much as I expected it to.

The result was chalky and clumpy.

Instead it left me with what looked like pink frosted tips to my lashes.

But if you want to experiment, at this price, you can’t really complain. 

The grown-up choice 

EYEKO LASH ALERT LIFT & CURL MASCARA IN GREEN,
£17, eyeko.co.uk (Available in purple, black, brown and blue) 

I felt it looked like I had made an effort but as not trying too hard

KEEN to try a new shade but don’t want to draw too much attention?

These may be the answer – a creamy formulation with earthy, rather than primary, ­colours. 

I used the green shade – a sort of muted khaki –  on my upper and lower lashes.

I felt it looked like I had made an effort but as not trying too hard. 

The one to skip 

3INA MAKEUP THE COLOUR ­MASCARA IN YELLOW, £14.95, uk.3ina.com (Available in eight other shades including pink, orange, violet, turquoise and green) 

Perhaps it will look OK on some ­people

I HAVE no idea if the other shades available are any better than this but the yellow went on thick and clumpy and basically made my eyelashes disappear into my olive skin.

Perhaps it will look OK on some ­people, but it just wasn’t right for me. 

The timid choice 

PS… PRO EXTREME LASH ­MASCARA IN BROWN,
£3.50, Primark 

As a shade, it has a more everyday vibe – the tracksuit bottoms of mascara

IF you’re looking to branch out from black mascara, brown is probably the gateway option to other colours. 

I liked it.

As a shade, it has a more everyday vibe – the tracksuit bottoms of mascara. 

It made my lashes appear longer and thicker, but there was a bit of clumping which I imagine would only get worse with more use (new mascaras tend to clump the least). 

But as an introduction to non-black, it’s worth giving this a whirl. 

Ultimate anti-ageing mascara trick 

PLUMMY, burgundy tones are really fashionable right now, according to Nicola, who says that and they can also be really flattering and soft. 

SuppliedTop tips to knock the years off with mascara[/caption]

She adds: “As we get older, we tend to get redder round the eye and so for these shades to flatter, you need to take that redness out first. 

“Use a really lightweight concealer close to the lashes on the lid and underneath and then buff it out before applying one of those plum or burgundy mascaras.” 

What better way to knock off five years than with a super on-trend shade that is also really flattering for almost everyone? 

For even more anti-ageing bang for your buck, use some brightening eye drops before you start (try Brightening Eye Drops, £3.49, Superdrug).