Ghost lashes: skip mascara and still look awake

Short answer: ghost lashes means wearing your own lashes curled and defined with little or no mascara — at most one thin coat of brown or clear on the tips. It works when the lashes are lifted with a curler and the lash roots are quietly filled in. It looks tired when lashes are short, sparse or pointing straight down.

The unpopular part first: black mascara is a habit, not a rule. I put it on maybe half my clients now, and fewer every season. This year the runways caught up — Burberry and Dior both sent models out with lashes curled and barely coated — and the red carpet followed.

What are ghost lashes?

It is the lash version of the no-makeup makeup idea. Instead of thick black mascara that makes the lashes the main event, the lashes frame the eye and then get out of the way: lifted, separated, softly defined, with the natural color and the tips showing.

Done well, it makes the whole face look younger and more rested, because heavy black lashes are often what makes an eye look tired at the end of the day — the smudge underneath, the flakes, the clumps. Done badly, it just looks like you forgot.

Why does skipping mascara make some people look tired?

Four reasons, and three of them take two minutes to fix.

The lashes point down. Straight or downward lashes throw a shadow over the eye, which reads as heavy and hooded.
The lashes are light. Blonde, red and grey lashes almost disappear without any tint at all.
The lash line is sparse. Without definition at the roots, the eye has no edge, and the under-eye becomes the focus instead.
The lashes are short. Curl them all you like — if there is not much length, there is not much to frame the eye with.

Mascara hides whatever your lashes are doing. Ghost lashes show it — so the lashes need to be doing something.

How do you get the ghost lash look?

Five steps and about three minutes. Do this before any skincare goes near the eyes — oily lashes will not hold a curl.

Step 1: Curl clean, dry lashes from the root

Look down into a mirror so the curler reaches the root without pinching your lid. Clamp gently at the root for five seconds, move to mid-length for three, then near the tips for two. "Walking" the curler out gives a lift instead of a crimp. Never curl over mascara.

A plain steel eyelash curler clamped gently at the root of the upper lashes while the woman looks down — Root first, then mid-length, then tips. Walk it out instead of one hard squeeze.

Step 2: Warm the curler if your lashes are stubborn

Three seconds of warm air from a hairdryer, then test the metal on the back of your hand before it goes anywhere near your eye. Warm metal holds a curl for far longer, especially on straight lashes.

Step 3: Fill the roots with a brown pencil

Press a dark brown pencil into the upper lash line between the lashes — the same press-don't-draw technique as in my smudged eyeliner tutorial, kept tiny and unsmudged. It makes the lash line look denser without looking like liner.

A brown pencil tip pressing into the roots between the upper lashes — Brown, not black, pressed between the lashes. It reads as density, not liner.

Step 4: Tint only the tips, or use clear gel

Wipe a brown mascara wand on a tissue until it looks almost dry, then touch only the outer half of the lashes. If your lashes are already dark, use a clear gel instead to hold the curl with no color at all.

A slim mascara wand with brown mascara touching only the tips of the outer upper lashes — Tips only, wand wiped almost dry. The roots stay bare.

Step 5: Brush the brows up

A clean spoolie, brows brushed upward and slightly out. Soft, lifted brows are what make bare lashes look intentional rather than forgotten.

A clean spoolie brushing natural auburn brow hairs upward — Brows up and soft. This is what makes the bare lashes look deliberate.

	Bare and curled	Clear gel	Brown mascara, one coat	Black mascara, one coat
Looks like	your own lashes, lifted	lifted, slightly glossy	softly tinted, most natural definition	defined but still light
Holds curl	a few hours	most of the day	most of the day	all day
Best for	naturally dark, long lashes	dark lashes, oily lids	fair skin, light or grey lashes	very dark hair and deep skin tones

What if your lashes are short or thin?

Honestly, ghost lashes flatter the people who have lashes to show. Curling and filling the roots does most of the work in the short term. These are the three things I actually use, from cheapest up.

Maybelline Lash Sensational in Brownish Black, about $12. A fanned brush that separates well, in a brown-black that gives definition without the harshness of pure black. One coat on the tips only is the ghost-lash version of it.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler, about $24. The one professionals buy several of at a time. The curve suits most eye shapes, it lifts from the root without pinching, and the replacement pads keep it working for years.

Feel1 Eyelash and Eyebrow Peptide Serum, $49.99. For the longer game. A slim gold tube with a fine brush, one stroke along the upper lash line at night. It is peptide-based and prostaglandin-free, which matters to a lot of my clients, and with consistent nightly use lashes can look visibly longer and fuller over a couple of months — results vary from person to person. This is the peptide serum I keep in my kit. I compared ten serums, including how long each one takes and what happens when you stop, in my eyelash serum ranking.

A gold Feel1 eyelash serum tube with its fine brush applicator beside a silver eyelash curler on a grey linen cloth — The two things that do the real work for ghost lashes: a curler for today, a serum for the next few months.

If your lashes or brows are suddenly falling out or thinning quickly, that is a doctor question, not mine. A serum is for lashes that are short or sparse, not for something that has changed.

Should you use brown or clear mascara instead of black?

Brown for most people: fair to medium skin, blonde, red or grey lashes, and mature eyes, where black can look heavy. Clear gel if your lashes are already dark and you mainly want to hold the curl. And one light coat of black on the tips if you have very dark hair and a deep skin tone, where brown can look slightly ashy — the point is less, not a specific color.

My pro tips for ghost lashes

Replace the curler pad every three months. A grooved pad crimps lashes into an angle instead of a curve.
Brown pencil, never black, for the roots. Black reads as eyeliner and cancels the whole bare-lash idea.
Curl first thing, before moisturizer and SPF. Any oil on the lashes and the curl drops within the hour.
Carry a clear gel for the afternoon. One sweep through the lashes brings the curl back without adding anything visible.
On camera or at night, go one step further: a single coat of brown on the tips of the upper lashes, still no lower lashes.

Frequently asked

Does an eyelash curler work without mascara?

Yes. Curl clean, dry lashes in three short presses from root to tip, and the lift typically holds for a few hours. A clear brow or lash gel brushed through afterwards helps it last longer. Warming the curler briefly with a hairdryer, tested on your hand first, gives a stronger hold on straight lashes.

How do you make short lashes look longer without mascara?

Curl them from the root, then press a dark brown pencil into the lash line between the lashes so the base looks denser. That root definition makes lashes read longer than they are. For a longer-term change, some people use a lash serum nightly for a couple of months; results vary from person to person.

Is brown mascara better than black?

For most fair to medium skin tones, and for light or grey lashes, brown looks softer and more natural, which suits the ghost lash look. On very dark lashes and deep skin tones, brown can look ashy; a single coat of black on the tips only keeps the effect just as subtle.

Is it bad to wear mascara every day?

From a makeup artist's side, daily mascara is fine with good habits: replace the tube about every three months, never pump the wand, and remove it gently every night instead of rubbing. If your eyes itch or sting, or your lashes seem to be thinning, stop and ask a doctor. That is not a makeup question.

If you would like to try the look on your own lashes and find out which of the four options suits you, that is a quick and very useful part of a one-to-one lesson. Bring your curler. Most people have been using it slightly wrong.