We Tried Fall’s Best New Mascaras & Our Lashes Are Obsessed

Mascaras are one of those choose-your-own-adventure beauty products. The formula you buy depends on a) the look you want and b) your lash type. Consider my decently thick lashes, which can hold a curl, but are tragically short, which is why lengthening formulas are always in my cart. “It’s about looking at your lashes and seeing what you would want to get the best out of them,” agrees Toronto-based makeup Jasmin Winnie Stephen, whose go-tos include the new mascara Essence Lash Princess Curl & Volume Mascara (see our review below!), L'Oréal Paris Voluminous, and Pat McGrath’s FetishEye Lengthening Mascara.

Remember, says Stephen, smaller brushes allow you to get right to the root (and are better for lengthening; Stephen will often use small brow brushes on lower lashes), but bigger brushes “do the job quicker” and help with volume and product building, she says.

As for trends, Stephen has been loving spiky lashes and coloured mascara. Before you pull out that electric blue Maybelline (just me?) from middle school, she’s seeing “plum shades and really nice greens, which are beautiful for fall.” Still lost? The Refinery29 Canada team has your back. We tested seven of the best mascara launches of summer and fall 2021. We'll be updating as more come out! You're welcome, lashes. — Carli Whitwell