What Is Clear Mascara For?

We love mascaras for their ability to darken and lengthen lashes. With current beauty trends putting an emphasis on bold lashes, black mascara is, without a doubt, an essential makeup in any kit or collection. This has got us wondering whether clear mascara has a place in our makeup routines.

Clear mascara is a pretty polarizing beauty tool — you either get it or you don’t. But if you haven’t used it since your preteen days, it might be time to change that.

You might overlook it in favor of your typical volumizing and lengthening formulas, but here’s the thing about clear mascaras: They’re versatile, super easy to use, and will give you a natural and effortless look.

And did we mention that it’s multipurpose? That’s right, there is more than one way to use clear mascara, from enhancing your lashes to grooming your brows. Keep reading to learn all the ways makeup artists use clear mascara.

How to Use Clear Mascara

Define the lashes

Clear mascara is perfect for a “no makeup” makeup look; it gives you curled and defined eyelashes minus the inky black look of black mascara. When used on its own, clear mascara adds a wet sheen gloss to the lashes and slightly darkens them, similar to how water darkens hair when wet. It also helps lashes hold a curl better when using a lash curler.

Use it as a base, then wait for it to dry before curling your lashes. And voilà, beautifully curled natural lashes that will instantly open up your eyes! You can apply a second coat to give your lashes a glossy finish.

This look pairs perfectly with a bright, bold statement lip. Clear mascara adds definition without overwhelming drama so that your lips are the main focus. Use it with your favorite matte red lipstick for a chic everyday makeup look.

Pro Tip: You can apply clear mascara after using black mascara to soften up the black pigment and add a beautiful sheen to your eyelashes.

Tame Brows

Clear mascara also works as a brow gel. It can help tame and slightly darken the eyebrows. To do this, simply comb your brows in an upward motion. The spoolie will help define and shape the individual eyebrow hairs. It will also set brow powder or pomade and keep your brows in place.

Style Baby Hairs and Flyaways

Sometimes, your hair has a mind of its own. If you struggle with baby hairs and flyaways, clear mascara is a great product for taming them — and with great precision, too. Load a generous amount of clear mascara on the applicator, then comb through any short, stubborn strands along your hairline. It works like a hair gel to keep them in place, minus the thick black pigment of a normal mascara.

Clear mascara is also great for styling edges. Use the spoolie to comb and swirl the baby hairs along the hairline to your desired style. It’s best to apply it on freshly washed hair and do touch-ups throughout the day. The clear formula adds a bit of hold without leaving fine baby hairs feeling crunchy.

Prime your lashes

Clear mascara is great for minimally enhancing your lashes, but can also be used to amp up the drama. Using it as a mascara primer will result in bigger and bolder lashes without any unnatural clumps of pigment that you typically get when layering multiple coats of black mascara. Simply swipe a coat of clear mascara to prime, volumize, and extend your lashes, then apply your favorite mascara like usual.

Using clear mascara as a lash primer will also make makeup removal a breeze, which is especially useful for waterproof mascara formulas that are harder to clean off.

DIY Your Own Colored Mascara

If you’re tired of the same old regular mascaras, color-contoured lashes are a super fun look that’s trending right now. If you want to get in on the trend without breaking the bank on buying every color of mascara, then this beauty hack is perfect for you!

You can create your own colored mascara by mixing clear mascara with a loose pigment. To do this, start by pressing the pigment onto the wand or mixing it in the tube. The clear mascara will help separate, define, and bind the color to your lashes. After applying the first coat, let it dry completely, then apply another coat of clear formula. This will prevent flaking throughout the day.

Set False Lashes

You know the drill. After applying false lashes, use mascara to comb through and blend the false fibers and natural lash together. This almost always results in dirty, clumpy falsies that are difficult to clean. That said, you can actually use clear mascara to do the same thing.

The clear formula will lock your lashes (real and fake) in place and make things a little cleaner. It’s a great alternative when using fine or colored falsies that would be ruined or obscured by black or brown mascara.

source https://degreesofvanity.com/what-is-clear-mascara-for/