11 Melt-Proof Mascaras to Carry You Through the Summer

11 Melt-Proof Mascaras to Get You Through the Summer

Summer is here—and chief among the gripes beauty obsessives will be exchanging in the blazing heat is how to deal with makeup that smudges, smears, or just plain vanishes when sweat and humidity become a daily obstacle. The predicament extends not just to foundation—which can feel like an oppressive mask on a 100-degree day in mid-July—but to mascara as well, which dissolves into a sticky mess as the mercury rises. It’s why semi-permanent lash extension appointments tend to spike this time of year. Ditto cheaper, less-involved lash staining: letting a mix of graphite and blue-black vegetable dyes set for five to 20 minutes, which produces a dark, thickening effect that can last up to five weeks. “It makes lashes look like a mink!” says Jimena Garcia, an aesthetician who provides the service at Tenoverten in New York City.

But if time or opportunity for regular in-salon treatments is limited at the moment, there are a bevy of smart, seamless waterproof mascara options that offer a quick melt-proof fix. Eyeko’s Lash Alert Mascara features water-resistant microfibers designed to lock onto lashes for a fuller look that will stand up to balmy temperatures, while L'Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara's dense wavy bristle brush grabs even the littlest hairs and sets them in a smooth inky black pigment. Dior's latest Pump'N'Volume delivers heft from a squeezable tube and promises a full day of rich, dark coverage that won't flake. With staying power like that, the only raccoon eyes you'll encounter are the kind that temporarily happen from soaking lashes in a good oil-based [makeup remover] just before a full night's beauty sleep.