What is Mascara Cocktailing

Jan 26, 2024

It's a lot less complicated than it sounds.

Like most TikTok trends, mascara cocktailing is nothing new—makeup artists have been doing it for years—but in case hearing "mascara" and "cocktail" in the same breath is confusing for you, here's what you need to know. Despite the name, you don't actually have to be a master mixologist to nail this trend—all it involves is layering mascaras. The hard part is figuring out exactly which mascaras to layer. Mascara wands and formulas are designed for different purposes—lengthening, defining, or volumizing—and even though some people spend most of their lives looking for a unicorn, a mascara that does it all doesn't exist.

So, to get the lash look you want, you can layer two or three mascaras. But which mascaras should you use? Ahead, two experts break down the trend and exactly how to execute it.

"I’ve noticed that slim brushes are my favorite kind of wands," says makeup artist Elizabeth Seropian. "[I prefer] a classic mascara wand to comb through lashes evenly from root to ends using a medium-sized wand and evenly spaced out bristles," says Bobbi Brown Cosmetics National Pro Artist Jaime Perez. "I recommend a classic wand because it always gets the job done. It's a straight brush wand that delivers lengthening and definition with the thicker base and gets every lash, even the small hard to reach lashes."

According to Seropian, there are so many different wand shapes that can help add length but she thinks the one that’ll give you extra height is the straight bristle. Perez agrees: "A thin mascara wand with short, spaced out bristles gives lashes length."

"For volume, you definitely need a wand that has more of a thicker bristle," says Seropian. Perez also recommends a thick wand for added volume. "It thickens the lashes on its own but when it's layered over a lengthening and separating mascara, you get better definition, volume, and less clumping."

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