Which is better: brown or black mascara? originally appeared on Quora, the knowledge-sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

First of all, the color mascara you should use depends on the look you are trying to achieve. If you’d like a more dramatic look, always go black (or you can even do just the tips with a fun color like violet or blue!). If your lashes are naturally black, black also achieves a natural look.

Brown mascara can work as a more natural look for people with fair hair and skin, and because it is near the opposite on the color wheel for blue and green, it can make blue and green eyes pop!

It also depends on what color eyeliner and/or eye shadow you’re wearing. I think any color eyeliner/shadow goes well with black mascara, but to me, it would look a little odd if you were wearing black eyeliner or a black smokey eye and brown mascara.

If you have really dark skin, you also may want to opt for black, as the brown may blend too much into your skin tone and not make your lashes stand out the way you’d prefer them to!

If you’re also wondering whether you should use brown or black eyeliner and shadow, that mostly depends on your desired look. If you’re looking for a natural look that simply defines your eyes so they don’t blend into your face, browns are most likely the answer, unless your skin is pretty deep in tone.

If you’d like a little more drama, or an evening look, black is most likely the best choice, though you can achieve a natural look using black eyeliner/mascara/and shadow, you just have to make sure that you blend and go light in terms of application.

Here are some other mascara tips:

• Only keep a tube around 2–3 months, and ditch it even earlier if you notice a funky smell!

• Don’t pump the brush into the tube, as you’re also pumping in air that makes it dry out AND potentially helping bacteria grow!

• Move your mascara brush back and forth from side to side as you put it on, from root of the lashes to the tip for the most volume impact.

• If you’re going to use an eyelash curler, use it BEFORE the mascara - or you could accidentally rip lashes out!

I hope this helps!

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