Perfect Your Eye Makeup with the Right Mascara Brush

When it comes to makeup, everyone has different needs and wants, and that includes how a mascara enhances our eyelashes. Whether you’re looking for a hit of volume or length, it’s easy to forget that along with a great formula, the best mascara should also have a great brush to go with it. Bristles that separate can help create the illusion of more thickness and minimize clumping, brush-like bristles can help elongate lashes, and a tapered brush with an unexpected shape can help you coat each and every lash for a full-fan effect. If you want to up your eye makeup game with the best types of mascara wands, but you’re not sure where to start when it comes to the brush, this guide can help you find the right one so you can achieve the lash look you want.

Mascara brush for volume and length

Whoever said you need two different mascaras in your makeup stash to get both volume and length just hasn’t found the right one. It’s all about a mascara brush with lots of soft, varying bristles that pick up just the right amount of formula and deposit it on each lash, top to bottom. L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara has more than 200 wavy bristles on its brush, which means every lash gets some volumizing formula that adds maximum length.

Mascara brush for soft, natural volume

If your ideal makeup look for everyday is something a little more subtle and natural-looking, you need a mascara that fits into that. Look for one that elevates your lashes, thickening and lengthening them, but doesn’t leave them looking clumpy or flaky. L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara adds five times the volume, and its Volume Maximizing Brush helps you achieve an even application. You’ll be left with soft lashes, coated with just the right amount of mascara, making them a perfect fit for that no-make-up makeup look.

Mascara brush for length and separation

If you’ve already got a lot of density through your lashes but you’re lacking length, look for a skinny mascara brush that can comb and separate each lash so it gets evenly coated with the formula. L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara’s double-sided brush has comb-like bristles on one side, which coat each lash individually, and a unique flat side that adds up to 60% more length. Start by brushing through your lashes with the comb side, let it dry for about a minute, and then add another layer or two using the flat side of the brush.

Mascara brush for volume and density

If you want to achieve that false-lash look with just a mascara, choose a formula infused with fibers like L'Oréal Paris Voluminous XFiber Mascara. You’ll get a huge amount of volume without having to add fussy false lashes to your daily make-up routine. On top of that, the fiber formula gets a boost from its curved mascara brush that both lifts and separates your lashes. The brush mimics the natural shape in which your lashes grow, so the fibers get deposited right where you want them and your whole fringe gets lifted right from the roots.

Mascara brush for definition and volume

Any eye makeup look can be ruined by clumpy, over-coated lashes. You can avoid that and still get lots of volume with a big brush mascara that’s built to deposit just the right amount of formula on each lash. L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara’s Millionizing brush has a multitude of bristles, which means it’s able to separate each lash and build volume from the root to the tip. Million Lashes also comes with a built-in Clean Sweep Wiping System that catches excess formula as you pull the brush out of the tube, so you’ll never end up with too much mascara on your lashes.

Mascara brush for speedy, clump-free volume

Finding a mascara formula that adds volume is only half the battle – as with any makeup item, you need the right application tools to help boost the product you’re applying. L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara not only has a Hydra-Collagen Complex Formula that adds up to 12 times the volume, but the Instant Impact brush is 50-percent larger than the average mascara brush. That means you can deposit more formula in fewer swipes, and while you’ll be adding lots of volume in seconds, you won’t have any clumps.

Mascara brush for a perfect winged look

You might be tempted to stick with a basic, spoolie-style brush, but don’t be intimidated by (or underestimate) an unusual shape. L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara has a revolutionary Butterfly Brush that looks a little different from your average mascara brush. Its asymmetrical shape lets you deposit the lash-wrapping formula right from the root of each lash, and to extend it evenly along each one. When you hit the outer corner of your lashes, it will lift and stretch them outwards, leaving you with a dramatic, winged look. Of course, this mascara and its brush are the perfect way to finish off a cat eye make-up look.