From hot flashes to brittle bones, getting older isn’t always pretty. But the best mascaras for older women sure are. Don’t fight back against your eyelashes' thinning fragility. Work with them instead by finding mascaras tailor-made to fit a mature woman’s needs.
4 Eyelash Problems Older Women Face
Just like aging will affect a woman’s hair density and texture, it will also impact a woman’s eyelashes. Even if you grew up with luscious long lashes, you still may find them changing over time.
Some of the main problems older women face with their eyelashes include:
- Thinning: Eyelash thinning is typically the first aging-related symptom that women notice concerning their lashes.
- Slower regrowth: As you age, your eyelash follicles slow down their regrowth process leading to fewer lashes overall.
- Turning brittle: Just like with hair, your eyelashes can grow brittle as you get older. This leads to higher breakage.
- Graying: Your eyelashes will gray alongside the rest of your body hair.
Thrive Causemetics' Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
When it comes to beauty brands, Thrive Causemetics isn’t one that immediately comes to mind. Yet, their Liquid Lash Extension Mascara is supermodel Paulina Porizkova’s go-to. At 59 years old and embracing the aging process whole-heartedly, Porizkova “absolutely love[s] this mascara.”
With a tapered brush that’s got precise rubber bristles, you can enhance each lash without globbing the product on. And as a tubing formula — which has polymers that wrap around your lash like a tube — it’s perfect for adding length to age-shortened lashes. With Porizkova’s stamp of approval, you can’t go wrong.
With tubing mascara, make sure to soak your lashes in warm water for a few seconds before trying to remove them. If you don't, you'll accidentally add to your thinning problem.
MAC's MAC Stack Mascara
MAC is a beauty industry staple for a reason. They’ve got products that all ages can enjoy, but their MAC Stack Mascara takes the cake for mature eyes. This clump-resistant mascara is perfect for all-day wear.
But best of all, it’s designed to be buildable. So, you can layer up to get the level of volume you need for your specific lash situation. Only beginning to thin? Slap on a few coats. Experiencing substantial lash loss? Work your way up to several layers.
Related: Eye Makeup Tips for Older Women to Keep Your Look Fresh & Flattering
Maybelline Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara
Let’s be honest. Most people aren’t going to spend over $10 on their mascara. So, if you want the most bang for your buck, the drugstore titan Maybelline is the way to go.
Maybelline’s Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara’s formula is enriched with collagen to strengthen your strands all day long. The oversized brush helps you grab and coat every lash. And as a volumizing mascara, it’s tailor-made to help fill out those thinning lashes.
If you have fragile lashes that grow slowly, steer clear of waterproof formulas. They can cling too strongly to your lashes and cause damage during removal.
L'Oreal Paris' Voluminous Original Mascara
L’Oreal Paris is another drugstore beauty titan that’s worth its salt. It’s a brand you’d find in your grandmother’s purse as a kid and now one you can turn to yourself. Their Voluminous Original Mascara isn’t Viola Davis’ go-to.
With an oversized fluffy brush and a clump-resistant formula, it’s designed to build your lashes up to 5x their natural thickness. And at ~$9, it’s a highly accessible product. If you need a new mascara in a pinch, you’ll be able to find a bottle in just about every store that sells cosmetics.
Related: Makeup Magic: What Clear Mascara Does & Brands to Try
Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
Another great tubing mascara that works to lengthen and define your lashes is Hourglass’s Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara. With a tapered applicator brush, this cruelty-free and vegan product can give you a softer look than other volumizing mascaras.
While some people want caterpillar-thick eyelashes, others just want their lashes to look a little longer. This lightweight formula won’t weigh your delicate lashes down. Instead, it’ll lift and fan them out for a beautifully lived-in look.
Related: 11 Flattering and Fun Hairstyles Perfect for Senior Women
Surratt's Lash Tint
If you’re in a splurging mood, Surratt’s Lash Tint is the way to go. It’s vastly different from most mascaras on the market in that it’s designed to give you the most definition with the least amount of product possible.
This mascara comes with a micro brush that has super tiny bristles that’ll just barely comb through the lashes on your eyelid. If you have extremely brittle and delicate eyelashes, this applicator should be a game-changer.
It also produces the most natural-looking effect of all the mascaras on our list. Although it’s in the $50 range, it’s worth investing in if you want a really lowkey lift and definition.
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RMS Beauty's Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara
Rose-Marie Swift — a talented makeup artist — launched RMS Beauty in 2009. As a mature woman herself, she’s got her fingers on the pulse of what it means to deal with mature eyelashes. So RMS Beauty’s Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara is the answer to many mature women’s prayers.
Using a peptide system, this mascara formula works to lift and volumize for up to 12 hours. And those nourishing ingredients also help strengthen and revitalize your lashes, too. It’s all in a day’s work.
Smudge-free, flake-free, clump-free, and packaged in sustainably-minded materials, this mascara is almost too good to be true
Mascaras We Live, Lash, Love
If you can’t fit into your high school tees, why are you trying to use the same makeup products you did in your teens? Update your makeup bag to reflect your new needs with one of the best mascaras for older women on the market. You and your lashes deserve the best in the business, after all.
