The Best White Mascaras

Face primers and eyeshadow primers tend to get all the glory when it comes to makeup prep. But if you want longer, thicker lashes, you’re right in thinking about adding a white mascara to your routine. The best white mascaras serve as a priming base by working to lengthen and bulk up your lashes before you apply your go-to black (or brown) formula. Ideally, they'll also be infused with conditioning ingredients like castor seed oil, jojoba seed oil, and even peptides to help nourish and strengthen your natural lashes. The white color of the mascara allows you to see exactly where you're applying it, ensuring that you don't miss a single lash. You can pair your white mascara with a traditional neutral color for everyday wear, but white mascaras can also be worn on their own for a frosty look or used as a base to make brightly colored mascara (like blue or emerald green) stand out more on dark lashes.

Tips For Using White Mascara

White mascaras tend to work best when you apply your black (or brown, or other color) mascara before the white one has completely dried so that the mascara is able to glide on top without clumping. You'll always want to check the 'how-to' instructions for your mascara in case there are any specific application directions, but here's a general step-by-step:

1. Working on one eye at a time, start by curling your lashes.
2. Swipe the white mascara from the roots to the tips of your lashes and give the primer about 30 seconds to set (but not completely dry).
3. Apply your secondary mascara on top, if using one.

Shop The Best White Mascaras

In a hurry? Here are the best white mascaras:

1. The Overall Best White Mascara: L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Primer
2. Best White & Black Mascara Duo: CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara & Lash Blast Amplify Primer
3. Best White Mascara With Lash Benefits: Grande Cosmetics GrandeRepair Leave-In Lash Conditioner
4. Best White Mascara For Sensitive Eyes: Blinc White Lash Primer
5. Best Budget-Friendly White Mascara: Essence Volume Booster Lash Primer

1. The Overall Best White Mascara

This drugstore mascara primer has nearly 30,000 five-star ratings on Amazon for its ability to leave your lashes looking noticeably longer and thicker with a single coat (though you can layer on a second coat, too). L'Oréal’s Voluminous Lash Primer uses a full wand similar to the one you'll find on their cult-favorite Voluminous Original Mascara to more effectively bulk up lashes. And the formula is infused with hydrogenated jojoba oil and rose hip oil to help soften and condition your lashes.

Relevant Review: "This stuff is amazing. Whenever I use it, I always get asked if I have lash extensions on. My lashes are naturally short so that says a lot about this product. I originally got a sample tube of this in a makeup box and promptly fell in love with it, so I bought the full-size tube. It's easy to use and isn't clumpy or messy. […]"

2. Best White & Black Mascara Duo

If you're using your white mascara as a primer, you can pair it with any black or other color mascara of your choosing. Or, you can try a set like this one, which simplifies your mascara routine by giving you both a white primer and a black mascara, designed to work in tandem with one another. Both mascaras use plastic brushes to help separate and lengthen every last lash for a clump-free finish, and the white primer is packed with nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, argan oil, coconut oil, castor seed oil, and jojoba oil to prevent lashes from becoming brittle.

Relevant Review: "Never used a eyelash primer before and have used CoverGirl mascara for years. I just apply primer on lashes, wait 30 seconds, and add mascara. It stays on all day and makes lashes look fuller."

3. Best White Mascara With Lash Benefits

True, all of the white mascaras on this list contain at least one conditioning ingredient for your lashes. But Grande Cosmetics’ GrandeRepair Leave-In Lash Conditioner was designed to promote healthier lashes first, and serve as a primer second. A blend of oils and botanical extracts like sunflower seed oil and avocado oil are combined with the brand's biotin peptide-infused Widelash technology to make lashes appear longer and fuller while helping to prevent lash fallout. Not a true white mascara, this Grande Cosmetics formula goes on clear so that you can use it on its own on makeup-free days (or overnight) when you want to give your lashes a little extra TLC.

Relevant Review: "I wanted something to improve the condition of my lashes, which have gotten sparse as I have grown older. I was amazed at how much improvement I've seen in just a short time. My lashes are longer and twice as thick. I'll never stop using this."

4. Best White Mascara For Sensitive Eyes

If you wear contact lenses or consider your eyes to be more sensitive in general, this Blinc White Lash Primer doesn't contain any parabens, sulfates, talc, oil, or fragrances. Though it was designed to be paired with Blinc's Tubing Mascara for a finish that's sweat-proof and rain-proof but still easy to remove, you can use this with any mascara you like. The lash-boosting formula contains ingredients like rice bran wax to immediately volumize lashes, as well as vitamin E and panthenol to moisturize and strengthen your lashes with continued use. The brand also notes that you can use this on your brows as a way to thicken sparse spots before you go in with your usual brow pencil or powder.

Relevant Review: "If your mascara smudges, runs, or flakes, this stuff is perfect for you. I had stopped wearing mascara because I have sensitive eyes and the mascara would always flake off in tiny pieces. I didn't believe the hype about this stuff because it just sounded impossible. If you follow the directions, however, it's true. It's hands down [the] best mascara I've ever used in 30 years of wearing makeup."

5. Best Budget-Friendly White Mascara

For a tried-and-true white mascara that will only cost you $5, this Essence Volume Booster Lash Primer has over 15,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. For a fraction of the cost, it will add length and volume to your lashes for a falsie-like effect (once you apply your mascara), and it still conditions your lashes with ingredients like mango seed butter, acai fruit oil, and vitamin E.

Relevant Review: "If you haven't tried this yet, you are missing out on one of the most amazing products on the market. And for under $5? I can't believe the difference it makes in my lashes. Pair it with any Lash Princess mascara and get ready to be wowed."

About The Author:

Marissa DeSantis has worked as a beauty writer and editor for nearly 10 years. Her pieces can be found across print and digital publications like Bustle, Evening Standard, Teen Vogue, and InStyle.