Blue Mascara is Back — I Tested it Out

My very first makeup memories involved copious amounts of blue mascara. Growing up in the early 2000s, my beauty mecca was the now-defunct MyScene makeover website. A mix between Bratz and Barbie, MyScene dolls were a relic of early aughts tween culture, and the internet destination erected in their honour allowed fans to beautify the cool-girl avatars. Naturally, for me, this meant piling on turquoise eye product.

My sisters and I would crowd around our bulky, slow-to-load monitor, taking turns as we transformed their cartoon lashes from subdued black to imaginative indigo. Blue mascara, it seemed, was the ultimate badge of self-expression. But by the time I was actually old enough to wear it, it somehow seemed... outré. These days, however, the look is being reborn.

A staple of ’80s maximalism, its modern-day revival has occurred alongside sartorial longings for the statement-dressing decade — think: power suits and vibrant workout-wear. On TikTok, videos under the “blue mascara” topic have millions of views and eager-to-try commenters. Teal-tinted lashes are even infiltrating viral celeb beauty moments, like Serena Williams’s cobalt-coloured falsies at the Super Bowl.

From intentionally clumpy lashes on recent runways to smudged shadows that evoke party-goer messiness, 2025’s must-have eye makeup is signalling a sense of individuality. Similarly, the re-embrace of blue mascara invites experimentation, and in turn, challenges clean-girl beauty norms.

These days, I’m no longer a girl with a MyScene obsession and an unchecked internet addiction (well, half of that sentence is true). I’m a grown woman who wants to be taken seriously. How would this whimsical look fare in my day-to-day life? Would its playful hue make me feel free or infantilized? Would it impact the way I got dressed, or inspire me to follow my fashion gut? Most importantly, what would the world around me have to say? I tried the trending shade for a week to find out.

Day 1: Marcelle blue mascara

Because this is more of a navy as opposed to a saturated shade, it was the perfect way to ease into my experiment. Marcelle’s mascara glides on like a dream and is forgivingly buildable. The result is a hard-to-find balance of long but not at all spidery. (For some extra colour contrast, I paired it with baby pink eyeshadow and gloss.) Transparently, I had some trepidations on my way to an important lunch meeting. (Would it seem childish for the elevated setting filled with executives?) To my surprise, even with natural light illuminating the restaurant, no one seemed to notice.

Just as I thought I was completely inconspicuous, my colleague caught wind of my colourful lashes in the sun, saying they made my eyes pop. A compliment, unprovoked? One point for navy blue mascara.

Day 2: Lise Watier blue mascara

By now I was ready to take a bigger colour risk, but I found Lise Watier’s blue mascara to be the most subtle selection of the bunch. A pricier pick, this $32 best-seller has a round, thick brush with a great amount of pigment. (I only needed a few swipes to get my desired lash fullness.) It doesn’t give quite as much length as Marcelle, and the colour is more of a midnight than a bright blue.

To up the ante for an evening of errands, I paired my unconventional lashes with a bold red lip. By the time I got to my last stop — a visit to Toronto’s Eaton Centre — I was sweaty, schlepping three totes and slightly disoriented. But when I looked in the department store mirror, there were no traces of under-eye residue. My tinted lashes were intact, and even under the harshest fluorescent mall lighting, my makeup looked fresh. (While this best-seller is currently sold out, below is a similar pick.)

At this point, I knew it was time to veer into full-on vibrancy.

Day 3: L’Oréal blue mascara

Possibly the boldest hue on the market, I knew L’Oréal’s fan-favourite blue mascara would deliver all the whacky weirdness of out-there eye makeup. As I swiped it on in the morning before work, I had a moment of self-doubt. But, remembering that beauty risks can smell fear, I persevered with fake-it-till-you-make-it confidence. At the office, a few colleagues offered exuberant comments — like, “Your lashes are blue!” — that could be construed as either compliments or confusion. (I chose to view them as the former.)

After a day of feeling slightly uncomfortable, I caught a glimpse of myself with the sun shining onto my skin. My lashes were almost glowing in the natural light, and I was instantly reminded of the giddy excitement rule-less makeup can bring.

Day 4: L’Oréal blue mascara with primer

By the end of the week, I was ready to louden my lashes. To make blue mascara pop — especially if you have dark hair like me — experts suggest starting with a primer. So, for my final foray, I paired my trustee L’Oréal wand with the brand’s top-rated pre-application product. This made a considerable difference. The white base creates a blank canvas for the sapphire shade to shine, and it locks in the formula for a longer-lasting wearability.

I took my vivid eyelashes out to interview a pop star visiting from L.A. While she didn’t remark on my makeup, just knowing that I was trying out my own experimental ultramarine aesthetic gave me more confidence in our conversation.

The verdict

At the end of my blue-hued week, my lashes had been transformed — not just in their physical form but in what they represent. After ushering this token of my girlhood into adult life, I felt inspired to take self-expression a little less seriously. The Marcelle blue mascara was my winning pick for an everyday product. To achieve more dramatic saturation, I’ll be reaching for my L’Oréal primer-mascara combination.

Should you try blue mascara for yourself? That’s a question only you can answer. But if any trend brings you joy, it’s worth exploring — even if for no other reason than honouring your inner child.