The 4 Best Mascaras for Strawberry Blondes

My friend is a strawberry blonde with fair skin and pale blue eyes, just like the famous character Nancy Drew. She reached out to me as she struggled to find mascara for her fair lashes and eyes. She wanted to share what she has found to be the best mascaras for strawberry blondes and those with fair skin, fair eyes, and light-colored lashes and brows.

Why Strawberry Blondes Need Different Mascara Colors

My friend shared that for years she was able to find an auburn-colored mascara from L'Oreal but they discontinued it. Even then, she felt the color a too red making her eyes look tired. Since then she tried several different mascaras for light lashes and wanted to share her results.

Women would kill for our coloring – celebrities like Nicole Kidman are famous for it! It does prove difficult when purchasing makeup. The foundations are not pale enough, the blushes are too potent, and the mascaras are all made for those who want thick glossy black fringe. What about those of us with fairer coloring who need a fairer colored mascara?

I desire pigment and volume, but too dark or thick, and it looks as though a caterpillar took up residence on my eyelid. However, clear mascara doesn't give enough “oomph.” What color looks both natural and gives my lashes a bit more intensity?

The Best Mascaras for Strawberry Blondes

I did a bit of research. Auburn mascara may seem like the best choice for strawberry blondes but red colors around the eyes do make us look tired and pink. With pale eyes, colored mascaras may be too intense of a look and look too dramatic and artistic for every day.

Many “brown” mascaras are actually just warmer shades of black, and still too intense for our face. However, there are many beauty brands that now carry great mascaras for strawberry blondes and those with fair skin and pale eyes. They are a cooler brown, plus there are some unique colors I found perfect for those of us Nancy Drews of the world.

My Picks of Mascara for Strawberry Blondes

Since originally sharing my thoughts in 2006, so many new brands and mascara colors have com on the market, I just had to come back and update my mascara recommendations! We've come quite a way in the past 15+ years. These are my favorites:

Redhead Revolution Gingerlash

Can you believe it? A brand of cosmetics just for us with red hair! Gingerlash from Redhead Revolution is a long-wearing gentle mascara available in two colors. Honest Auburn is a reddish brow great for gingers, and Genuine Ginger is a warm light brown I think is perfect for us strawberry blondes.

Redhead Revolution also carries brow gel and pencils, tinted moisturizer, Bobby pins, and other cosmetics designed to work with, not against, the redhead coloring. Vegan options are also available!

Just for Redheads Mascara Naturelle

Just For Redheads' mascaras are specifically designed for those with pale lashes and brows. There are four colors, and I actually own more than one of these because they look so natural and give different levels of impact.

Ginger Cocoa is great for daytime, offering definition and darker lashes without looking extreme. Ginger Cocoa has no red in it so it looks natural on us strawberry blondes. Ginger Brown is a warm brown that isn't red, and it's a favorite for evening or when I want more “oomph” from my mascara.

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Tinted Lash Primer

The Mink Brown color of this lash primer is perfect for us strawberry blondes. Not red, not black, and it gives an extremely natural look while making lashes look long and luscious. This is a primer but can be worn alone.

Benefit's They're Real! Tinted Lash Primer is my everyday mascara. It is the perfect color for me, I like how soft the lashes feel and the formula doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes.

ETUDE Curl Fix Mascara

If like me your lashes are fine and don't like to hold a curl, you need to try ETUDE Curl Fix Mascara. It doesn't clump, it helps keep a curl, and it comes in a few different shades of brown.

If you find a cool or taupe brown is the best choice for your lashes, check out SET Grey Brown. Right now, I have New Curl Brown, which is a cool brown with a hint of auburn to it.

How to Prevent the Gap Between Lashes and Lids

When you have really fair skin and pale lashes, mascara can look really obvious and you may find it looks as though there is a gap between lashes and lids. A few tips to prevent the gap between lashes and lids when wearing mascara:

Tightlining Without Transfer

Tightlining is when you apply eyeliner under the lashes, instead of above. This is also a great method to make your lashes look fuller. You need a waterproof eyeliner pencil; I like this one. Tiger Queen is great for gingers and I like Cheeky Chiku for my coloring.

Some will apply the pencil directly to the base of the lashes, lining under not above them. I however, appreciate the precision of an eyeliner brush. I will wipe the pencil on an eyeliner brush like this, then lift my lid with my finger and wiggle the eyeliner pencil at the base of my lashes coming from underneath. This YouTube tutorial shows the process I use for tightlining.

Wiggle Your Mascara Wand

Once you have finished tightlining, take your mascara wand and wiggle it right near the base of your lashes before swiping through. This will help you get product as close to the lids as possible. If the mascara smudges on your lids, use a q-tip with a bit of micellar water to clean up.