Want lash extensions without actually getting them done? Now you can, with “mascara cocktailing”a technique popularised on TikTok recently.

What is “mascara cocktailing”?

Mascara cocktailing is the hack of layering multiple mascaras producing different effects to create a custom 3D lash effect. One could layer a lengthening mascara with a volumising or curling one, for instance, to create the perfect fluttery, lifted lash look.

While the trend has since taken TikTok by storm, garnering over two million views in just a few weeks, this technique is not entirely novel. Birthed from the idea that the perfect mascara does not exist, and achieving dramatic results with only one product without extensions or falsies would not have been possible, this technique has long been adopted by celebrity makeup artists.

@honestbeauty

Celebrating National Lash Day with one of @jessicaalba’s favorite #redcarpet makeuphacks! Jessica loves mixing our clean mascaras together for the perfect “mascara cocktail.” 🍸 The result? Sky high AND fanned out lashes for the most dramatic effect. Get the look: 1️⃣ Extreme Length Primer 2️⃣ Extreme Volume Primer 3️⃣ Extreme Length Mascara 4️⃣ Extreme Volume Mascara Duet or stitch this if you try it yourself! #NationalLashDay

♬ FLOWERS X I WILL SURVIVE BY ALTÉGO – ALTÉGO

By its definition, it may seem daunting initially, with lots to consider: What specific products should we use? Cocktailing means more products needed—what are some wallet-friendly combinations? What qualities should we look out for?

In this list, we give you five game-changing mascara cocktails brewed to a perfection, spanning drugstore brands to higher-end labels.

Mascara pairings to try: Picks under RM80

Mascara cocktail #1: Maybelline Sky High Mascara + Hypercurl Waterproof Mascara

Credit: Guardian Malaysia

With its unique flex brush wand, which features a soft and bendy brush tip packed with short and dense bristles to coat every lash, Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara promises enhanced volume and length of lashes. Though not waterproof, its formula is smudge-free and long-lasting. Users have shared how the wand allows for lashes of all lengths to receive an even coating, and the buildable formula, a continuous increase in length and thickness.

Pair this up with the Maybelline Hypercurl Waterproof Mascara for an added lift. Its curl fixing brush which has longer, bushier bristles on a curved wand tip helps curl lashes naturally without the need of a lash curler. Promising a curl lock of up to 12 hours, the formula also boosts lashes by 13 times. A fanned-out, lifted set of lashes creates the appearance of a wider eye, which makes you appear much more refreshed.

Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara retails for RM61.90 on Guardian and RM62 on Watsons. The Hypercurl Mascara retails for RM31.90 on Guardian and Watsons.

Mascara cocktail #2: L’Oreal Paris Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara + Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara

Credit: Guardian Malaysia

We’re sure you’ve seen clips of mascaras that use the power of small, powdery fibres to help extend and thicken lashes. L’Oréal has similarly hopped on the bandwagon with their Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara.

Use the white end of the tube to first deposit white fibres that will prime and volumise your lashes. Then, use the other end to apply black fibres to lengthen them. Its formula claims to be conditioning and able to extend your lashes by 60%, and is waterproof and smudge-proof.

Next, one coat of L’Oreal Paris’ Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara to finish would create a dramatic and voluminous appearance. The fine and densely-packed bristles of the hourglass-wand comb and separate every lash, giving you feathery definition without any flaking, smudging or clumping.

L’Oréal Paris’ Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara retails for RM72 on Guardian and Watsons, and the Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara retails for RM68 on Guardian and Watsons..

Mascara pairings to try: Picks under RM170

Mascara cocktail #3: Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara + Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara

Credit: Sephora Malaysia

Tarte took the makeup world by storm with the birth of its Shape Tape Concealer, making an indelible mark and securing itself as a front-runner in cosmetics. Today, it is lauded for its quality across its many products.

The Maneater Voluptuous Mascara boasts a 500+ bristle brush count, designed with three reservoirs to load an abundance of product that will promote extreme curl, length and volume. Its skinny wand tip with short plastic bristles makes it ideal for those with short lashes, catching on every lash and separating it in the process, creating a defined and thick appearance.

Top it off with Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara that curls, lengthens, volumises your lashes, and even gives it a nourishing treatment, infused with olive esters that condition and protect your lash follicles and provitamin B5 that hydrates your lashes. The fluffy applicator also helps in thickening the appearance of the lashes.

Tarte’s Maneater Voluptuous Mascara retails for RM120 (9 ml) on Sephora. The Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara retails for RM120 on Sephora.

Mascara cocktail #4: Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara + They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara

Credit: Sephora Malaysia

When we think of Benefit Cosmetics, we typically think of their brow products. But their mascaras are equally as impressive. Take the BADgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara, for instance.

Incorporating aero-particles, one of the lightest known materials derived from space technology to produce a gravity-defying formula, it offers insane volume minus the weight for up to 36 hours. Their custom Slimpact! brush is also designed to effectively distribute product from root to tip, and corner to corner. In other words, a 360-degree coverage.

Take your look to the next level with the They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara. Its jet-black formula is smudge-proof, with 100% of its users surveyed sharing that they all saw long-wearing results. Its football-shaped wand tip includes short bristles right at the very tip, functioning like a ball applicator, offering precision and separation of lashes to achieve a fanned-out, fluffy appearance.

Benefit Cosmetics’ BADgal Bang! Volumizing Mascara retails for RM139 (8.5 ml) on Sephora. The They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara retails for RM139 (8.5 ml) on Sephora.

Mascara cocktail #5: Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Mascara Primer-Serum + Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara

Credit: Sephora Malaysia

The Diorshow duo has been dubbed a premium miracle product for lashes—and rightfully so.

Though not exactly a mascara by definition, the Diorshow Maximizer 3D Mascara Primer-Serum helps boost the appearance of lashes, before it is further enhanced by the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara.

Prolonged use will gradually result in a smoother, stronger and suppler appearance. Its triple-action formula promises oversized lashes instantly, providing curling, lengthening and volumising effects for up to 24 hours.

Follow that up with the application of the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara to really bring your lashes to life. Available in a waterproof version as well, it was designed to lend lashes extreme volume and curl. As if the packaging was not eye-batting-ly stunning and impressive enough, its formula is infused with cotton nectar, making your lashes appear revitalised, nourished, strong and soft.

Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer 3D Mascara Primer-Serum retails for RM169 on Sephora. The Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara retails for RM155 on Sephora.