A bit of dour, though not surprising, news: The ageing process isn’t always kind to eyelashes. But as lashes become shorter, thinner, and more sparse over time, the best mascara for older women steps in to lift the hairs and the spirits. “At 53 years old, and with lashes that I call my sads, mascara is my desert-island product,” says Pilar DeMann, a New York-based makeup artist. “I try them all!”
During her research, DeMann has found a handful of mascaras that seem to have magic in their wands. “They make my puny, thin, short lashes look thick, long, and amazing,” she says. We’ll open your eyes to those exact products below.
Vogue’s favourite mascaras for older women
But first, it’s worth noting that results are even more impressive when one knows how to wield the wand like a makeup magician – and for that, makeup artists have a few tried-and-true tips. For instance?
Celebrity makeup artist Tonya Riner tells clients to look down into a mirror while applying mascara. “Keep your gaze lowered for a few seconds until the formula has dried,” she instructs. This helps prevent transfer onto the upper lid – a common concern for mature eyes with softer, sagging, or hooded lids.
A light-handed approach is especially flattering on mature women. “Going too bold can weigh the eyes down and make them appear smaller,” Riner notes. “Use feather-light strokes to avoid applying too much product at once. It is always easier to add than take away.”
She also advises moving the wand in one direction, working from the base of the lashes to the tips in clean, precise strokes. “This helps the product distribute evenly,” she explains. “Avoid back-and-forth motions, which increase the likelihood of clumps.”
Since sagging skin can make the lashes harder to reach, it also pays to know a few hacks for making application a breeze. To wit: “I take the makeup wand and slightly bend it so it’s more at a 45-degree angle,” says Chicago-based hair and makeup artist Kate Johnson. “This allows you to hold the mascara wand at a more comfortable angle while getting closer to the lash line.” (Bonus: Johnson says there’s no need to straighten the wand out before inserting it back in the tube – it will automatically adjust.) Meanwhile, Riner likes using a wand with “small, tooth-like bristles” for easy, ultra-precise application.
Now, it’s time to shop. Ahead, celebrity makeup artists (including Jane Fonda’s) share their favourite mascaras to use on older clients. From the best tubing formulations to lengthening, curling, and Bambi-eye-producing picks, these mascaras restore life to lashes of any age.
Best overall: Chanel Inimitable Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Available in black and brown-black, Chanel’s volumising, lengthening, and curling formula is a go-to for celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose, whose clients include 87-year-old Jane Fonda – plus some of his own family members. “This is my mom’s favourite mascara,” Barose says. “It has the perfect slim brush and a rich formula that adds drama to the lashes in one, clump-free coat.” Barose notes that small fibre brushes like Chanel’s are ideal for applying mascara, as they coat the lashes evenly and help prevent clumping.
- Key ingredients: Polymers, rice bran wax, beeswax, carnauba wax
- Type: Lengthening, curling
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Ophthalmologist-tested, safe for contact lens wearers
- Shades: 2
Best for a curl: Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: “This is my favourite mascara overall for more mature eyes,” says Aaron Paul, a celebrity makeup artist for clients like Jennifer Tilly, who’s 66. “The curling formula lifts the lashes and opens the eyes, while also providing both volume and length. It’s also smudge-resistant.” Celebrity makeup artist James Molloy is also a fan of the formula, which is enriched with cornflower water to condition eyelashes and soothe irritated eyes. “This gives the lashes the instant volume I like with a silky feel and full bristle brush that helps to lift the lashes,” Molly previously told Vogue. The classic mascara comes in three hues: Black, brown, and blue.
- Key ingredients: Cornflower water, jojoba esters, cotton nectar
- Type: Curling
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Smudge-proof
- Shades: 3
Best for sensitive eyes: Clinique High Impact Hi-Fi Full Volume Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Ophthalmologist- and allergy-tested, Clinique’s volumising formula is gentle on sensitive eyes. Its lightweight gel formula – infused with a blend of botanical oils – softens and strengthens the lashes, and it comes in two highly-pigmented hues, including black and brown. Pro tip: “When choosing mascara colours, consider brown for fair skin tones,” Riner says. “You will still get beautiful lift and definition, just without the harshness.” Formula aside, the mascara’s wand has a wave brush with a precision tip, which makes it easier to define the corner lashes. Don’t skip this step: Since volume loss can make eyes appear rounder over time, Riner tells her mature clients to focus on the outer third of their upper lashes when applying mascara. “This [elongating] technique creates such a flattering, softly lifted eye shape,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, coconut oil, castor seed oil, argan oil, moringa seed oil
- Type: Volumising
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Ophthalmologist-tested, safe for sensitive eyes, safe for contact-lens wearers, allergy-tested, fragrance-free
- Shades: 2
Best clean: Merit Beauty Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: A go-to for 83-year-old Martha Stewart, Merit’s lengthening mascara is infused with ingredients – such as fatty acids and olive oil esters – that nourish and hydrate brittle lashes. Robert Bryan, celebrity makeup artist for the likes of Mindy Kaling, is also on board with the easy-on-the-eyes (literally!) formula. “This tubing mascara can be removed using only lukewarm water, which prevents you from damaging or losing lashes from vigorously rubbing them to remove makeup,” he says. The finished result gives a natural-looking flutter for any minimalist eye makeup look.
- Key ingredients: Fatty acids, olive oil esters, vitamin B5
- Type: Lengthening, tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: vegan, buildable, easy to remove
- Shades: 1
Best tubing mascara: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: “This Hourglass is ruling my world lately,” says DeMann. “It’s the best. It’s a gentle tubing mascara, and it really volumises.” The vegan formula, designed to deliver a false-lash look, contains film-forming technology that coats each lash in lightweight fibres. The result? Fanned-out lashes wrapped in inky black pigment that refuses to smudge. The product’s appeal doesn’t end with the 50-plus set, either. “I almost forgot to mention this one because my 15-year-old daughter stole my tube,” DeMann quips. “It’s that good.”
- Key ingredients: Camellia japonica flower extract, shea butter, castor seed oil
- Type: Tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Smudge-proof
- Shades: 1
Best skinny wand: Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Kevyn Aucoin’s volumising mascara, designed for dramatic lashes in a single coat, comes in a cylindrical tube that prevents clumping. Its straight, skinny brush makes it easy to separate the lashes and coat each one with the pitch-black formula, which is infused with moisturising jojoba oil and volume-boosting fibres – making it one of the more hydrating formulas on our list. Celebrity makeup artist Fabiola Arancibia, whose clients include 50-year-old Hillary Swank and 54-year-old Melissa McCarthy, gives the simple-to-use product a glowing review. “The formulation is amazing in that it deposits fibres to give you a thicker set of lashes,” she says. Because the tubing formula doesn’t transfer onto the skin, Arancibia adds, the mascara is “perfect for bottom-lash application.”
- Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, squalane, carnauba wax
- Type: Volumising, tubing
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Clump-proof, smudge-resistant, long-lasting
- Shades: 1
Best volumising: Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: One of Vogue’s favourite mascaras for fuller, lifted lashes, Charlotte Tilbury’s volumising mascara has a devotee in DeMann, whose clients mostly fall into the 50-plus age range. “If you want crazy-big, very thick Bambi lashes, this Charlotte Tilbury is a dream,” she says of the mascara most akin to a set of lash extensions. With jojoba waxes to condition the lashes, the mascara also has a special technology called “lash vinyl-black wrap tech,” which is infused with polymers to plump each individual hair. What’s more, it’s resistant to smudging, flaking, and clumping.
- Key ingredients: Lash vinyl-black wrap tech, jojoba waxes
- Type: Volumising
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Smudge-proof, flake-proof, clump-proof, humidity-proof, clinically tested
- Shades: 1
Best chubby wand: Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: One of Vogue’s favourite mascaras of 2025, Westman Atelier’s plant-based mascara was made to deliver maximum volume – a boon for lashes that have lost density over time. Made with nourishing shea butter, the formula also has a botanical wax blend that gives it a creamy, buildable texture, and its pigment, available in black and brown, is made of a vegan ester with intense payoff. Its hourglass-shaped wand has no shortage of fans at Vogue HQ. “The chubby brush lifts and separates in the most natural way – without depositing a ton of mascara on my lashes and then flaking throughout the day,” shopping director Talia Abbas reports. “I can’t help myself from rubbing my eyes throughout the day, and this one I can use worry- and mess-free!”
- Key ingredients: Carnauba and candelilla wax blend, organic shea butter, plant-derived ester
- Type: Buildable, safe for sensitive eyes, flake-free
- Waterproof: No
- Additional features: Hourglass-shaped brush, also available as a travel-friendly mini
- Shades: 2
FAQs
What mascara is best for older women?
For older women, Paul recommends mascaras that offer both volume and length, since lashes can lose density and become shorter as the hair-growth cycle slows down. “Curling mascaras are also great, because they provide lift to the lashes that really helps to open up the eyes,” he says. This is key for older women: Over time, biological factors such as the loss of orbital fat and weakening eyelid muscles can make the eyes appear smaller. As for Bryan, “I tend to prefer lightweight or tubing mascaras,” he says. “I find these types of mascaras don’t put a lot of stress on the eyelashes and still provide ample support and lift.”
What to look for in a mascara for older women
For older clients, “I like to look for mascaras that contain nutrient-rich ingredients to help condition and treat the lashes over time,” Bryan says. “I personally tend to steer away from waterproof mascaras to avoid them possibly flaking into the eyes.”
According to Paul, customers should also consider wand size. “Smaller, deep-set, and hooded eyes do best with smaller brushes that can reach every lash, even into the corners of the eye, without creating a mess on the eyelids,” he says. “Larger eyes work well with mascaras that have big, fluffy wands.”
What mascara is best for sparse lashes?
For sparse lashes, Paul recommends choosing volumizing mascaras that will build the lash to create the illusion of fullness. “It’s also great to pair a mascara with a primer like Diorshow Maximizer 4D that not only builds up the lash before mascara but also nourishes and strengthens the lashes as you wear it,” he says.
Wand shape comes into play here, too, and Bryan recommends amping up sparse lashes with a mascara that has a smaller brush that’s easy to control. “That way, you can build up volume and length without clumping the sparse hairs together with a larger brush,” he says. Thinning lashes should also consider formulas that feature conditioning ingredients like botanical oils, butters, and waxes which help limit breakage.
What color mascara is best for older women?
According to Paul, the best way to choose a mascara color is to consider one’s overall color intensity. “Brunettes pair well with black mascara, blondes and redheads with brown mascara, and navy works well with grey hair,” he says. He adds that navy mascaras are also ideal for tired eyes on anyone. “They enhance the whites of the eyes to make them appear well-rested and bright,” he says.
Should older women put mascara on the bottom lashes?
Paul says choosing where to place your mascara depends on a few factors. “If you are aiming for a lifted appearance, then only wear mascara on the upper lashes,” he says. “However, if looking more lifted isn’t a concern, then you can also apply mascara to lower lashes.” A hack to get the best of both worlds: apply brown or navy mascara on the lower lashes to add subtle definition. “Then, apply black mascara on the upper lashes to really define and open the eyes,” Paul suggests.
How to remove mascara
The key to removing mascara is avoid tugging at the eyes. “Eye makeup removal is one of the most overlooked steps in a beauty routine, yet it is absolutely critical to maintaining healthy skin and lashes,” pro makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre previously said. “After nearly two decades in the beauty industry, working with everyone from brides to celebrities, I’ve seen how improper removal can age the eye area prematurely or lead to irritation, and how the right products can completely transform the skin’s resilience.”
You want to choose something with slip to seamlessly remove water-resistant or long-wearing eyeshadow, eyeliner, or concealer. Start with a micellar water or cleansing oil, then cleanse with your face wash and rinse with warm water.
How we tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts – from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity makeup artists – to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to mascaras for older women, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, wand shape, shade range, mascara type, whether it’s waterproof, and additional features. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the experts
- Fabiola Arancibia is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Hillary Swank, Katherine Heigl, and Melissa McCarthy.
- Nick Barose is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Jane Fond, Kim Cattrall, and Heather Graham.
- Robert Bryan is a celebrity makeup artist who works with Mindy Kaling and Mena Suvari.
- Pilar DeMann, founder of Pilar Beauty, is a professional makeup artist and beauty and brow expert based in Connecticut.
- Aaron Paul is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Jennifer Tilly, Lilly Singh, and Meghann Fahy.
- Kate Johnson is a professional hair and makeup artist, co-founder of Glossed Finishing Studio, and founder of The Bridal Beauty Team.
- Tonya Riner is a celebrity and editorial makeup artist based in Houston, Texas.