The Best Mascaras For Your Wedding Day

Think about that magical moment when you say, “I do” and you're fighting back your happy tears. The last thing you want to be thinking about is your mascara smudging. There’s one beauty essential you absolutely can’t overlook: mascara. And not just any mascara. We’re talking about the kind that can handle emotional vows, awkward speeches, and the dance floor without smudging, smearing, or flaking. Whether you’re going for fluttery lashes or a bold, dramatic eye, your mascara needs to be as committed as you are. In this guide, we’ll dive into the best wedding mascaras that won’t betray you, no matter how many happy tears fall.

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The best wedding mascaras for your wedding day  

Should you wear waterproof mascara to a wedding? 

The short answer is yes. The reason why? It’s just so much easier all around whether you’re a bride or a wedding guest. A waterproof mascara, not to be confused with any mascara branded as ‘smudge-proof’ is specially formulated to not budge or smudge when in contact with any water including sweat and other liquids. So, it just makes sense to wear waterproof mascara at a wedding due to all the happy tears, sweat from the dancefloor, and just general longevity. A wedding lasts all day and all night! No ‘regular’ mascara is going to last you up to 16 hours. 
 

Plus, waterproof mascaras can sometimes actually hold your lash curl better than non-waterproof mascaras. The reason for this is the formulation of these mascaras. If you’re someone who has more straight eyelashes and uses an eyelash curler, this is another reason to consider a waterproof mascara. 

How to choose the best wedding mascara for you

Everyone will have their own priorities of what they want their mascara to achieve and this can all come down to a few things. You should think about your eye shape, your natural eyelashes, and the look you want to achieve for the wedding. These keywords below are what you should look for when shopping for your wedding mascara. 
 

Lengthening 

If achieving long lashes is your goal, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a lengthening mascara. These mascaras focus on separating your lashes and stretching them to achieve the appearance of fuller, longer lashes. 

Volumising

Going for something a little more bold? A volumising mascara is something you should choose. These mascaras thicken the lashes to make them look more dramatic. The mascara wands for volumising mascaras are often larger to help deposit more product on the lashes. 

Buildability 

Buildability is important for anyone who likes to go over their lashes a few times with a few different layers to get the look they want. This speaks to a maraca’s ability to not clump up and give you that dreaded spider legs look. Think of Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. 

Waterproof 

As mentioned above, having a waterproof mascara isn’t a priority for everyone but you might as well go for the waterproof option if there is one available. You can be so confident that you won’t cry on the day but who knows how you’ll fare during the wedding speeches? It’s better to be safe and look for waterproof mascara. 
 

Tubing  

What is a tubing mascara? We’re so glad you asked! Tubing maracas are our latest obsession and are a recent mascara formulation that allows mascara to literally be removed in tubes. That’s right, you don’t need to scrub your eyes and ruin your lashes with your makeup remover, and you don’t have to use an oil-based cleanser that leaves a sheen over your eyes. 

Instead, tubing mascaras are just as long-lasting and flexible wearing as waterproof mascaras. They don’t smudge or flake and won’t run or transfer, even if you're sweating or crying! The best part is that you can remove them just with a flannel or cotton pad and water. That’s all! They’re perfect for people with sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers! 

Best Lengthening Mascara For Your Wedding Day 

Best Volumising Mascara For Your Wedding Day

Best Waterproof Mascara For Your Wedding Day  

Best Tubing Mascara For Your Wedding Day 

Best Curl Holding Mascara For Your Wedding Day 

Tips for Testing Your Waterproof Mascara Before Your Wedding

• Wear it all day long 

It goes without saying that testing your mascara by wearing it all day long is a must. Your wedding day prep will start fairly early in the morning and you may not get back from your reception until early hours of the following morning. Long-wearing mascara is essential. 

• Wear it working out or in a sauna 

Get your sweat on by wearing your mascara during a run or any form of cardio. If you really want to put it to the test, head to the sauna and see if it can last through extreme heat. 

• Watch a sad movie

Grab your besties and have a movie night! Stick on Marley & Me, P.S. I Love You, The Notebook or A Star Is Born or any film of your choosing to get those tears flowing. 
 

• Go swimming 

Can your mascara survive you swimming? If the answer is yes, you know you’ve found the holy grail product! 
 

• Try a layer of your waterproof mascara over a regular mascara 

Sometimes one coat is all you need. If you have a mascara you really love but it isn’t waterproof, then try adding just one coat of waterproof mascara over your regular one and see how it wears trying out all of the above. 

• Apply using a few different techniques 

Don’t forget to try applying your mascara in a few different ways. Angle the mascara wand in different ways. Try it with and without an eyelash curler. Consider indulging in an eyelash primer to help the mascara stick to your lashes more and increase the length and volume at the same time. Practice makes perfect. 

• Test taking off your makeup 

As much as you probably never want to take off your wedding makeup, after the long day and it being captured in thousands of your wedding photos, there’s probably no feeling quite like taking off your wedding makeup at the end of the night. What you don’t want, however, is spending ages scrubbing at your eyes because the waterproof mascara won’t come off and you don’t have the right cleanser for it. The wedding night is not a time to be playing around with dodgy makeup removal techniques. 

Choose your best wedding mascara from waterproof, volumising, tubing and more! 

So, now you have your wedding mascara sorted, you can focus on the rest of your makeup routine. If you are doing your own wedding makeup, take a look at our guide to doing your own wedding makeup for our top selected bridal beauty products. Considering getting lash extensions? Here’s everything you need to know about eyelash extensions.