Makeup
My 5 Favorite Mascaras for Minimalist But Flirty Lashes
Join my quest for the perfect Bambi eyes.

24 February, 2020
10 November, 2021
Since I’ve tested upwards of 100 mascaras in my time as a beauty editor, I’ve grown more and more picky with my favorites. The combo I seek is a tricky one—it has to give lift and curl without looking too thick or va-va-voom. Those types of formulas I save for my weekends, when I want to resemble a disco princess (complete with glitter eyeshadow and oodles of highlighter). It can’t melt down my face by 3:00 PM or flake off and land in my newly Lasik-ed eyeballs. My lashes should look flirty without being the main focus on my face—that’s reserved for my brows. Am I high-maintenance? Perhaps. But minimalist lash fanatics know what I’m talking about, and trust me, those mascaras do exist. These five are a few of my current go-tos.
3 / 5
L’Oréal Paris Bambi Mascara, $11
From the get-go, I knew this mascara would be a staple for me because it has my eyelash icon in the title: Bambi. Say what you will about that deer having the most tragic of all Disney plotlines, the lash game was on point. My eyes look wider, more open, and framed by the most delicate of eyelashes. The brush never holds too much product, either, so it’s great for getting those little baby lashes on the bottom as well.
From the get-go, I knew this mascara would be a staple for me because it has my eyelash icon in the title: Bambi. Say what you will about that deer having the most tragic of all Disney plotlines, the lash game was on point. My eyes look wider, more open, and framed by the most delicate of eyelashes. The brush never holds too much product, either, so it’s great for getting those little baby lashes on the bottom as well.
Photo: Shot on site at 6 Columbus, a Sixty Hotel. On Jonelle: Necklace, Baker & Black; Hair, Angela Soto; Makeup, Andriani.
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Want more stories like this?
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The Biggest Beauty Trends from New York Fashion Week