How to Get Ghost Lashes, the Cool-Girl Alternative to Mascara

Photograph by Harley Weir, styled by Brian Molloy

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One of the biggest beauty trends of the season.

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Ask any beauty lover to name their desert-island product, and chances are, mascara will rank top of the list for many. But if you’ve paid close attention to the spring/summer 2025 runways (or been around TikTok recently), you may have noticed a surprising shift: we’re going mascara-free. Enter ghost lashes—the minimalist lash look that ditches thick, inky formulas in favor of a more natural, softer vibe. The look could be seen at Gucci’s Cruise show back in May, as well as on the runways at Valentino, Sacai, Rick Owens, and more. Some have called it revelatory, while others have deemed the trend a “recession indicator.” Below, we tapped New York City-based makeup artist Suzy Gerstein to break down the quiet power of ghost lashes: why is going mascara-free having a major moment right now? Who does it work best for? And how can we recreate it?

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What are ghost lashes?

Ghost lashes refer to the barely-there, ultra-natural alternative to traditional mascara. Instead of bold, voluminous lashes, the goal is a wispy, almost invisible effect that subtly enhances your natural lashes without obvious pigment or clumps. “Sometimes leaving off mascara or using a brown mascara is just the thing to keep a makeup look balanced,” says Gerstein. “When your eye doesn’t register the lashes, it allows the softer and more nuanced elements of a makeup look to come into play without overpowering.” In other words, ghost lashes create space for the rest of your look to shine, allowing subtle details like dewy skin, flushed cheeks, or a glossy lid to take center stage without competing for attention.

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