This morning, I thought I lost my eyelash curler and ran around my room in panic for a good 15 minutes: That’s how personally invested I am in eye makeup. But it seems the industry may not agree.
According to a report by Business of Fashion, mascara sales are slowing down as lash tinting and extensions have gained popularity. Newer and successful makeup brands like Fenty Beauty and KKW Beauty don’t even sell mascara, since it is so time-consuming and expensive to produce. Other cosmetics upstarts like Glossier have made mascara, but only after “after amassing a loyal customer base they know will buy it.” Mascara will always be around, but perhaps people are moving away from it and towards other, more expensive and high-maintenance solutions for the “problem” of having eyelashes that are makeup-free.
As we look ahead to a potentially mascara-less future, where people have bi-weekly lash extension appointments auto-booked into their calendars, I want to take this opportunity to bid adieu to mascara as I have known and (maybe) loved it.
Goodbye to mascara face.