Name a French girl who can live without mascara. I bet you can’t! Mascara is undoubtedly one of the French girl beauty essentials.
Mascara can make the lashes appear longer, fuller, and darker, which can make the eyes appear more prominent and attractive. Mascara can help open the eyes and make them appear more awake and alert.
French women likewise enjoy the ritual of applying mascara as a part of their daily makeup routine, as it can be a quick and easy way to enhance their overall sultry, makeup look.
What’s amazing about French mascaras is that they can be versatile, with different formulas and brush shapes providing a range of effects, from curled to natural to dramatic.
There are many great French mascara brands available, and choosing the “best” brand can depend on your personal preference and the specific needs of your lashes. Scroll down to read the most popular and highly-rated French mascara brands in Europe so you can find the best one for you!
L’Oréal
L’Oréal is a French makeup and beauty brand that was founded in 1909 by Eugène Schueller. Originally a hair dye company, L’Oréal has since expanded to include makeup, skincare, and fragrance products. The brand’s iconic slogan “Because You’re Worth It” was introduced in 1971 and has become synonymous with L’Oréal’s message of empowerment and self-worth. L’Oréal is now one of the largest budget beauty companies in the world, with a killer mascara lineup.
The best affordable L’Oréal mascaras you should try include:
Lash Paradise: Lengthen your lasts and say goodbye to clumps with this best-selling mascara by L’Oréal.
Telescopic Lift: A favorite for decades, this lengthening mascara is best for those with sensitive skin who still want dramatic length to their eyelashes.
Voluminous Original: Give your lashes up to 5 times their normal thickness with this affordable, volume-boosting mascara.
In addition, L’Oréal makes a lash-boosting, conditioning Voluminous Mascara Primer to give you dramatic volume.
Lancôme
Lancôme is a French luxury cosmetics and fragrance brand founded in 1935 by Armand Petitjean. Its name was inspired by the ruins of a castle, Le Château de Lancosme, while the brand’s symbol, the rose, was inspired by the roses that surrounded the castle.
Lancôme is known for its high-end mascaras, so it’s definitely one of the best French mascara brands out there. Check out the top mascaras from Lancôme:
Lash Idôle: This lash-lifting mascara will give your lashes bold volume and last all day long.
Définicils High Definition: This mascara was formulated to evenly separate your lashes and define them for the ultimate eye makeup look.
Hypnôse Drama: This volumizing and lengthening mascara gives you reliable eyelash volume with as little as one coat.
Monsieur Big Waterproof: This waterproof mascara will stay put no matter what kind of humidity you encounter throughout the day.
Lancôme recommends starting with the Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base to prep your lashes for mascara.
Dior
Dior, one of the most iconic names in the world of fashion and beauty, launched its makeup brand in 1953, with the introduction of the first-ever Dior lipstick. The brand’s founder, Christian Dior, believed that makeup was an essential accessory to fashion, and his vision was to create a line of cosmetics that embodied the same elegance and luxury as his couture clothing.
The Dior makeup line has continued to expand, adding new and innovative mascaras that are beloved by makeup artists, models, and everyday Parisians alike!
Diorshow Mascara: This is one of Dior’s most iconic mascaras, known for its volumizing and lengthening effects. It features a large brush that can coat each lash evenly, creating a full and dramatic look.
Diorshow Iconic Mascara: This mascara is designed to give a lengthening and curling effect to the lashes, with a brush that has a curved shape to lift and separate each lash.
Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Volume Mascara: This mascara features a squeezable tube that allows you to customize the amount of product you apply to your lashes. It promises to give both volume and length to the lashes.
Chanel
Chanel is a luxury fashion and beauty brand that was founded by Coco Chanel in 1909. The brand became famous for its iconic fashion designs and accessories, including the little black dress and the quilted handbag.
In the 1920s, Chanel launched its first makeup line, which was revolutionary at the time for its focus on natural beauty and simplicity. Since then, Chanel has continued to be a leading French mascara brand.
Le Volume de Chanel is the best and most well-known mascara by Chanel, designed to provide intense volume and curl to the lashes, with a formula that promises to be long-lasting and smudge-proof.
Guerlain
Guerlain is a high-end makeup brand that is known for making quality products, including mascaras. Guerlain is an admired brand in the beauty industry and their mascaras are worth trying if you’re looking for a high-quality, luxurious product.
Some of the popular Guerlain mascaras include:
Guerlain Mad Eyes Mascara: This mascara is designed to provide volume, length, and curl to your lashes.
Guerlain Noir G Mascara: This mascara is formulated with a combination of natural and synthetic fibers to enhance the length and volume of your lashes. Its brush is designed to catch every lash and coat it with the formula for a dramatic effect.
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Lashdress Mascara: This discontinued Guerlain mascara was inspired by the iconic little black dress. It provided intense volume and length to your lashes. Its formula was enriched with silk and cotton fibers to give your lashes a soft, velvety texture.
Christian Louboutin
While you know Christian Louboutin as a luxury shoemaker, the brand also makes high-end mascaras. The brand is well-known for its luxury footwear and accessories, but it has also expanded into the beauty industry with a range of high-end makeup products, including mascaras.
Some of the mascaras offered by Christian Louboutin include:
Christian Louboutin Les Yeux Noirs Lift Ultima Mascara: This lightweight, everyday mascara is designed to provide volume, length, and curl to your lashes. Its unique brush is made of both bristles and fibers, which work together to coat every lash, even the small ones.
Christian Louboutin Les Yeux Noirs Volumaxima Mascara: This intense mascara is formulated to give your lashes a full, dramatic look. It gives you 24-hour long bold lashes and the signature “multiplied lashes” look.
Christian Louboutin’s mascaras are known for their luxurious packaging and high-quality formulas.
Givenchy
Givenchy is a high-end makeup brand that is known for developing quality beauty products, including mascaras.
Givenchy Volume Disturbia Mascara is the best Givenchy mascara, designed to provide excessive volume and length to your lashes. Its formula contains vitamin E for an easily gliding texture, free of clumps.
Givenchy is a reputable brand in the beauty industry and their mascaras are worth a shot if you’re looking for a makeup artist-quality mascara.
Chantecaille
Chantecaille is a luxury makeup and skincare brand that was founded in 1997 by Sylvie Chantecaille. The high-end makeup brand is known for producing quality beauty products, including mascaras. Chantecaille is also committed to environmental sustainability, and a portion of its profits goes toward supporting conservation efforts for endangered species.
Some popular Chantecaille mascaras include:
Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara: This mascara is designed to provide length, volume, and definition to your lashes. Its formula is enriched with rosewater to help nourish and strengthen your lashes.
Chantecaille Longest Lash Mascara: This mascara is formulated with peptides, vitamins, and botanicals to help promote lash growth and strengthen your lashes. Its brush is designed to catch every lash and coat it with the formula for a natural, voluminous look.
Chantecaille is a classic brand in the beauty industry and its mascaras are worth testing out if you’re looking for a high-quality, luxurious product!
YSL Beauty
YSL Beauty is a high-end makeup brand that is known for churning out quality makeup and beauty products, including dramatic mascaras.
Some of the best YSL mascaras include:
YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils: This mascara is designed to provide intense volume, length, and curl to your lashes. The “Faux Cils” means “false eyelashes,” implying the product is designed to help give you that nearly perfect look without the actual hassle of applying and removing false lashes! The YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara helps to build volume without clumping or smudging.
YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume: This mascara has an oversized brush to provide intense volume and length to your lashes. Its brush is designed to catch every lash and coat it with the formula for a dramatic effect. It’s paraben-free, too.
YSL Radical Volumizing: This long-wear formula lifts the eyelashes to create an incredible volume that won’t fall throughout the day!
YSL The Curler: If you have stubbornly straight lashes, this is the curling mascara for you!
Sisley
Sisley is a high-end French makeup brand that is known for selling premium quality beauty products, including mascaras tailored to your specific eyelash needs.
The best Sisley mascaras include:
Sisley So Intense Mascara: Its formula contains ingredients that help to build volume and definition.
Sisley So Stretch Mascara: If you suffer from short eyelashes, this formula will gently lengthen your eyelashes. Its brush is designed to catch every lash and coat it with the formula for a natural, elongated effect.
Sisley So Curl Mascara: This mascara is designed to provide curl to your lashes.
Sisley So Volume: This mascara is designed to provide intense volume and thickness to your lashes.
Sisley Phyto-Mascara Ultra-Stretch: This mascara is formulated to give you bold volume while caring for and conditioning your lashes. Its formula is enriched with pro-vitamin B5 and rice phytoceramides, which help to strengthen and protect your lashes.
Clarins
Clarins is a reputable Parisian beauty brand that produces quality makeup products, including mascaras.
Some of the popular Clarins mascaras include:
Clarins Supra Volume Mascara: This mascara is formulated with plant-based waxes and pigments to provide intense volume and length to your lashes. Its brush is designed to catch every lash and coat it with the formula for a voluminous effect.
Clarins Supra Lift & Curl Mascara: This mascara is formulated with water-resistant minerals to provide intense lifting and curling to your lashes.
Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D: This mascara is designed to provide volume, length, curl, and definition to your lashes. Its formula is enriched with nourishing plant extracts, such as cassie flower wax and panthenol, to help protect and strengthen your lashes.
Clarins Wonder Perfect Waterproof Mascara: This mascara is unique in that its clear, waterproof quality makes it suitable for swimming and other water activities. Its formula is enriched with rose and cornflower extracts.
Clarins is a highly reputable brand in the beauty industry, even Air France relies on it for serving its passengers.
La Roche-Posay
La Roche-Posay is primarily a French pharmacy dermatological brand that focuses on developing products for sensitive skin. While La Roche-Posay does not have a wide range of makeup products, it does offer one mascara called the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Extension Mascara. This mascara is designed for sensitive eyes and is formulated with a minimalist formula that contains minimal ingredients to reduce the risk of irritation.
Those who have tried this French pharmacy mascara have reported that it is a good option for those with sensitive skin and people who wear contact lenses as it does not cause any irritation or stinging. There’s even a waterproof version.
It is worth noting that this mascara is not designed to provide dramatic volume or length, but rather a more natural look.
If you are specifically looking for a mascara safe on sensitive eyes and has a minimalist formula, the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Extension Mascara could be a good option to consider. However, if you are looking for a mascara that provides more dramatic results, you may need to look elsewhere!
Now you know the best French mascara brands!
