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Finding a mascara that manages to simultaneously lift, separate, thicken, and plump lashes is something of a lifelong pursuit. But for those with sensitive eyes, unearthing a formula that satisfies all of the aforementioned criteria and also happens to be ultra-gentle and non-irritating has seemed a futile endeavor until recently. This spring, makeup brands are leaving redness-inducing dyes, fragrances, and pore-occluding ingredients out of the equation. “The eyes are incredibly delicate and very sensitive to cosmetic additives,” says New York dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, M.D., who often advises patients who wear contact lenses or are prone to infections to hold their mascara to higher, hypoallergenic standards. According to Nazarian, “It’s more about what you don’t have in the ingredients that makes a mascara good.” And, thanks to the latest wave of launches, slimming down the ingredients list no longer means going without.
After years of stocking up on suitcases' worth of La Roche-Posay mascara in Paris, fans of the French pharmacy makeup staple can finally find it stateside in the form of two new high-tolerance formulas—a lengthening version that smooths lashes without the sting and a tear-free, waterproof volumizing variation with texturizing waxes. Nazarian, meanwhile, swears by VMV Hypoallergenics, whose offerings are free of 76 common allergens, including surfactants, phthalates, parabens, and preservatives. The thickening mascara forms little tubes around your lashes, which neatly prevent any particles from smearing. She recommends applying when your lids and lashes are fully dry to avoid any dampness that “can cause small amounts of the product to travel into or around the eyes, triggering inflammation and irritation.”
Proving that, in the world of mascara, gentle is not synonymous with ineffective, makeup artist Daniel Martin points to the performance power of Honest Beauty’s dermatologist-tested, dual-ended mascara, which is his on-set go-to. One side has a rich, mineral-oil–free black ink, while the other has a clump-minimizing primer that can be layered underneath to multiplying effect. And for next-level lift, Los Angeles–based makeup artist Jamie Greenberg packs Sisley Paris’s strengthening mascara in her kit. “It’s super-inky and volumizes without flaking,” she says of the pro-vitamin-B5 and peptide-infused long-lasting formula that’s as delicate as it is effective. But when she does want to erase it? “Albolene makeup remover is the most powerful formula I’ve found that’s also great for sensitive types. It’s preservative-, paraben-, and fragrance-free,” she says, promising not even the slightest sting. Here, eight mascaras that are easy on the eyes.
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