11 Best Clear Mascaras, According to Reviews (Plus How to Use Them)

Clear mascara can do many things, including acting as a brow and lash gel, mascara primer, hair gel, false lash setting gel, and even a DIY color mascara. Let’s break it down:

• Brow and lash gel: This one may be pretty self-explanatory, but a clear mascara can be used to comb unruly brows and lashes into place or emphasize the hairs to define, add volume, and lengthen them.
• Mascara primer: If you’re looking to have some holy-wow lashes, use clear mascara to bulk up the eyelashes before applying mascara—just don’t forget to let it dry first. Fun fact: Just like a face primer, mascara primer ensures that your mascara lasts all day long sans flaking.
• Hair gel: Flyaways happen, we’re all human. If you’ve got a few pesky hairs after sleeking your hair into a tight ponytail or bun, consider using clear mascara to lightly secure them into place.
• Set fake lashes: Sometimes, a regular mascara may be too heavy to combine the faux lashes with your real ones. After applying your fake lashes and allowing the lash glue to set, gently comb the clear mascara through your lashes.
• DIY color mascara: For the coolest hack yet, simply grab your favorite loose pigment and either mix it all completely into the tube of clear mascara or grab a clean, new spoolie and mix both products into the wand.

Determine what you need it for

The skin around the eyes is a particularly sensitive area, Gohara has explained to Cosmo, which is why it’s important to ensure that if the product is marketed as an eyebrow gel, it’s also safe for use on your eyelashes. If not, using products meant for other areas can lead to irritation, bumps, redness, or even allergic reactions, she explained. To avoid this problem, determine beforehand what you need it for. Looking to use it for both the brows and lashes? Cool, there are a ton of formulations on this list designed to do both.

Think about the brush size and shape

As Nicole has explained to Cosmo, the main factor contributing to the results of your lashes is the wand. “A fat and fluffy applicator will give you voluminous, fat, and fluffy lashes,” Nicole said, adding that “a long, skinny, more-precise wand will give you long, skinny, clump-free lashes.” Though clear mascara won’t add pigment, this still rings true.

Siena Gagliano is a contributing beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has two years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories, like the top eyelash curlers and the best tubing mascaras, and feels especially knowledgable on clear mascaras thanks to years of trying to find the best one for her unruly brows and short lashes. She regularly tests and analyzes clear mascaras on herself for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top makeup artists to assess new brands and products.