Some beauty products come with so much hype, it’s hard to believe they’ll actually deliver. That basically sums up Milk KUSH Mascara, our best volumizing mascara that’s inspired thousands of five-star reviews, landed on best mascara roundups, and even won an Essence Beauty Award. It’s a lot to live up to—but with only a single swipe, you’ll understand why everyone is obsessed. (Don’t just take it from us: As MilkMakeup.com reviewer Amylyn T. says, “The packaging bomb! The mascara dynamite! You put it on your lashes and bam! You look like you’re wearing false lashes!”)
Read on for everything you need to know about our best mascara for volume, including a guide to its waterproof twin: KUSH Waterproof Mascara.
What is Milk Makeup KUSH Mascara?
KUSH Mascara is everything you need for a badass false lash effect—combined with the ease of a conditioning mascara that keeps your lashes soft and healthy. For days when you want your lashes dialed all the way up, it’s your BFF. (Alternately, for days when you want a subtler, more everyday look that leans into the “clean aesthetic” trend, try our lengthening and lifting RISE Mascara. We wrote a guide that’ll help you choose between KUSH vs. RISE here.)
“I love the drama that KUSH mascara gives without any fallout,” says Sara Wren, our Director of Artistry. “It’s perfect for getting quick high volume.”
We started with a vegan formula that delivers super thick, full, high volume lashes from root to tip. It’s also formulated to be clean, cruelty-free, paraben-free, silicone-free, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, gluten-free, and coal tar-free. Not to be confused with a tubing mascara, KUSH contains natural heart-shaped fibers that wrap your lashes to trap the formula for full, fluffy results. It’s also safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
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All About KUSH Waterproof Mascara (and How to Remove Waterproof Mascara)
Our KUSH Mascara is so popular, we made a waterproof version, too. It comes with all the volumizing, conditioning benefits of our original formula with an added waterproof bonus that lasts through sweat, rain, and tears.
“I tend to use it when I’m traveling to humid climates, or have allergies or watery eyes,” says Sara. “It’s also great for anyone who has smudging issues.” Her favorite tip is to use our KUSH Waterproof formula on her bottom lashes (an area that tends to flake more) for locked-in drama.
If you’ve heard that waterproof mascaras can be bad for your natural lashes, that’s because many waterproof formulas can cause your eyelashes to become brittle and dry. To counteract that effect, we formulated ours with hemp-derived cannabis seed oil (more on this below) to keep your lashes soft and healthy, never crunchy.
To remove KUSH Waterproof Mascara, grab our Hydro Ungrip Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm. It emulsifies to gently melt off even the most stubborn makeup without pulling or tugging at the delicate eye area. Check out our guide on how to use cleansing balm for more tips on how to remove makeup totally and completely.
Why We Formulated Milk KUSH Mascara With Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Our KUSH Fam gets its conditioning powers from hemp-derived cannabis seed oil, also known as cannabis sativa seed oil. This THC-free ingredient contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants that help nourish both your skin and hair. In our KUSH Mascara, it creates the creamy base of our formula and feels like a conditioning lash mask when applied.
While it’s an oil, it won’t make your lashes feel greasy; it’s there to keep them looking soft and healthy with every application. One of the many reasons why our Milk Fam loves KUSH is that even after removing it, their lashes still feel great. That’s cannabis sativa seed oil hard at work.
Case in point, this testimonial from MilkMakeup.com reviewer Megann: “My lashes are short and straight so I usually have to apply a lot of mascara and that usually leaves my lashes clumpy and crunchy hard. But with this mascara I applied up to three coats and my lashes still felt fluffy and soft when I touched them! This mascara is magic and you NEED it!”
How to Use Milk KUSH Mascara
The beauty of KUSH is its buildability; you can pile it on and on continuously with no clumps in sight. To add even more drama, Sara always starts with a coat of KUSH Lash Primer. “This builds even more volume and has extra conditioning ingredients,” she says. “I always suggest this under KUSH Waterproof too.”
Load the brush with formula, then start at the base of your lashes and slowly wiggle the wand upwards for a full, fanned-out effect. “If I’m going for a cat eye shape, I love to build it up on the outer corner of my lashes, pulling the brush toward my temples,” she says.
The tapered brush also makes it easy to coat your lower lashes without getting mascara everywhere. Hold it vertically so that you can lightly coat and define each lash for an instant wide-eyed effect. As our Milk Fam would say, it’s nothing short of dynamite.
Meet the Expert
Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.
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