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6 Mascaras From Asian Beauty Brands That Make My Short Lashes Look Like Falsies

If you're of East Asian descent, chances are you may not be so blessed in the lash department. Monolids or no, short lashes are another minimal eye feature we happen to possess. Nothing wrong with that but this definitely means that if you're into long fluttery eye-ball bangs, no basic mascara will do. Mascaras promising volume, length, and curl often work for lashes with more surface area to begin with. When your lashes naturally are on the petite side (hi, hello), you're going to need mascara made by those who can commiserate. Asian mascaras generally cater to these issues, so they're here to give you those CGI-rendered-looking peeper curtains that otherwise were achievable only by actual falsies.

By Sable Yong

February 1, 2018

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

1/6
Son & Park Power Volume Mascara
This mascara from Korean brand Son & Park looks pretty basic — the brush is the standard issue nylon bristled variety, but the formula is so silky that it glides over my lashes, making them a nice glossy black, as well as stretching them out to look longer and perfectly separated. The Power Volume moniker, to me, was a slight overstatement, but I was mostly impressed at how neatly separated this mascara made my lashes look. This is the basic black leather ankle boot of mascaras.
$15 (Shop Now)
2/6
Peripera Air Wing Volume Lashcara
This curved hourglass-shaped brush is the key to buttering up your lashes with this fibrous formula — believe me, it is hairy. That's not a bad thing though. The fibers attach to your lashes, acting like teeny extensions so it really bulks up and lengthens each lash. My favorite way to wear this mascara is by flicking it on my outer lashes for a faux cat-eye look. Also worth noting is that this formula stays all day and does not smudge at all — very polite of it, no?
$10 (Shop Now)

3/6
Kiss Me Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara
I tried this popular Japanese mascara after spotting it at a local Asian beauty boutique in Chinatown. I'd read rave reviews in various Asian makeup forums and I can chime in that this mascara definitely makes good on the "long and curl" promise. It's another fibrous formula, attaching little hairs to your lashes to build upon each other — it actually built so much that with every stroke, my lashes became slightly too long in a "be careful what you wish for" sort of way. I mean, I love the editorial clumpy lash look personally, so I'm not complaining. Just be warned that there's a bit of a learning curve with this baby.
$23 (Shop Now)
4/6
Clio Salon de Cara Mascara
The cute theme behind this volumizing and curling mascara is that the brush is shaped like a tiny velcro hair roller. Does it actually make a difference? Well, sure. Since the silicone bristles are so stubby, it really lays on the mascara thicc, which does indeed make for ultra-volume. However, it's a bit jarring to literally spread mascara on like butter. Just keep swiping through and it evens out. This one definitely volumizes more than lengthens, but it also holds a curl with the jaws of life and is wholly waterproof. So I guess it's a bit like hairspray too.
$23 (Shop Now)

5/6
Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Edge Meister
I discovered this Japanese mascara when a family member brought it back for me after a trip to Tokyo. It's made by Shiseido and is considered one of the more popular mascara picks in Japan. The tiny comb makes it really easy to apply this while separating lashes, and the formula contains extension fibers that lengthen...a lot. Seriously, it's like building a Jenga tower of lashes upon lashes. My only complaint is that it does make your lashes feel quite brittle, which if you're an eye-rubber means lash breakage. But on the upside, that means more lash-wishes.
$23 (Shop Now)
6/6
Etude House Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara
The brush on this mascara is like the paddle brush of mascara wands. Thusly, it really coats every lash widely, and if you twirl it just so, it helps shape your curl. This is definitely not a subtle lash look, but it holds a curl like New York City building scaffolding, I swear.
$14 (Shop Now)

Sable Yong is an award-winning beauty writer and the former digital beauty editor of Allure. She currently hosts the podcast Smell Ya Later (along with fellow Allure contributor Tynan Sinks) and is the author of Hard Feelings on Substack. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Vogue, ... Read more

Former Digital Beauty Editor

Keywordsmascara korean beauty japanese beauty Asian beauty

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