Last year, I finally got lash lift. For years, I’d heard my friends rave about how they didn’t have to wear mascara anymore or curl their lashes. No lies were detected in that respect. Lash lifts truly do create an effortless fanned-out effect that brightens and awaken eyes. However, my friends neglected to mention that the chemicals used to perm lashes sting! I was in major discomfort throughout the service, and my lids were irritated for a good two weeks after. I’ve vowed to avoid lash lifts from now on.

Luckily, the Korean beauty scene is offering an incredible alternative for a natural-looking, no-makeup makeup lash vibe: brown mascara.

But the top-selling brown mascara in Seoul is nothing like any brown mascara that I’ve ever seen before, and it has yet to be duped by an American brand. Enter: Etude Curl Fix Mascara.

Earlier this year, Etude dropped fresh packaging for its best-selling mascara alongside a brand-new shade called Grey Brown. I’ve always been a pitch black mascara girl, but this deep ashy taupe formula has showed me a whole new world of eye makeup. It gives my lashes the most gorgeously soft, fluttery look.

Unlike brown mascaras you can find stateside, Etude’s Gray Brown is free of warm reddish tones and veers toward more cool tones. Wondering why that matters? Here’s a quick breakdown:

🖤 Gray-toned brown > reddish brown mascara

● Enhance lashes more naturally by slightly darkening them
● Cool tones adds crisp definition to lashes more effectively
● Doesn’t emphasize the natural redness in your skin or make your eyes look bloodshot
● More flattering on deeper skin tones
● Less harsh-looking on those with lighter hair and eye colors

Some other Eastern Asian brands are starting to bring their own cool brown mascara to the market now, too.
● Kiss me Heroine Makeup Long Up Mascara in Fog Grazy: This Japanese selection comes in a hazy gray brown
● Rom&nd Han All Fix Mascara in Long Ash & Long Hazel: Our favorite Korean glossy lip tint brand also makes its own cool-toned brown mascaras

Curious about what stateside options are available? These ones have rich, cool-toned espresso hues.
● E.L.F. Big Mood Mascara in Deep Brown
● Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara in True Brown
● Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara in Cryst