Are Ghost Lashes (the Minimalist Lash Trend) Replacing Heavy Mascara?

What Exactly Are Ghost Lashes?

Ghost lashes are the nuanced alternative to traditional mascara. Their goal is a wispy, almost invisible effect that subtly enhances your natural lashes without obvious pigment or clumps. 

Losing a super-pigmented mascara doesn’t mean losing definition, either: “It’s the in-between where the eyes still look open and defined, but the lashes don’t take over the makeup,” Briceno explains. “Lashes are curled, separated, and lightly tinted, often without applying mascara in the lower lashes.” Ghost lashes have a clean and light finish—think definition without the drama.

So why is going—or at least, looking—mascara-free having a moment right now? “Beauty has been moving toward fresher, less overworked makeup,” says Briceno. “People still want polish, but they don’t necessarily want heaviness.” 

This might be the first time you’ve heard of ghost lashes, but you’ve definitely seen them before. Hailey Bieber, Addison Rae, Gigi Hadid, and other celebrities have all hopped on the trend, while we also noticed barely-there lashes on the spring/summer 2026 runways, including Calvin Klein, Simone Rocha, and more. 

Why Everyone Is Trying the Ghost Lash Trend

The best part about ghost lashes is that they’re super low maintenance. Plus, your lashes stay healthier since you’re wearing less mascara overall. 

Ghost lashes also give your look a softer vibe. “[Ghost lashes] keep the eye looking open, fresh, and lightweight,” Briceno says. 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. “From a practical standpoint, it can also mean less smudging, less clumping, and less maintenance than a heavier mascara look,” adds Briceno. 

How to Get the Ghost Lash Look

Another benefit of ghost lashes? There are plenty of different ways to get the look, and all of them are beginner (and time) friendly. 

The simplest version to get the look is just curling the lashes and leaving them bare, says Briceno. “That lift alone makes the eyes look more awake and defined.” The Shiseido Eyelash Curler is his go-to.

“If you want a touch more polish, add one very light coat of mascara, focusing on the roots and pulling it through,” Briceno adds. “Glossier Lash Slick is great for soft, separated definition. For an even subtler look, swap black for brown, like Mineral Fusion So Classy Volume Mascara in dark brown, or go clear with Maybelline Great Lash Clear.” No matter how you choose to get your ghost lashes, Briceno likes pairing them with fresh, even skin, brushed-up brows, and a soft wash of shadow or a diffused liner that sits close to the lash line.

Our Favorite Ways to Wear Ghost Lashes

1. Hailey Bieber’s Barely-There Lashes

Go full minimalist with Hailey Bieber’s version of ghost lashes. To get the same lightness, opt out of mascara altogether and simply curl your natural lashes. Pro tip: You can get a better, longer-lasting curl by slightly warming up your eyelash curler—make sure it’s a safe temperature first—then curling your eyelashes. 

2. Laura Harrier’s Beachy Lashes

Ghost lashes are perfect for the summertime, when the heat and humidity can make makeup feel heavy. Take a note from Laura Harrier and go for wispy, beach-friendly lashes. To do away with smudging altogether, try curling your lashes and swiping on a clear mascara. 

3. Jasmine Tookes’ Smoky No-Lash Look

You can still bring the drama without mascara, as Jasmine Tookes proves. Here, the eyeshadow does all the talking. Make your eyes pop by dusting a light brown shadow all over, making sure to smoke it out underneath your bottom lash line too. Then, use a smudging brush to add a darker brown shadow to your upper lash line, sweeping the shadow outward and up. Finish the look with a quick curl of your lashes.

4. Addison Rae’s “Woke Up Like This” Lashes

Want to take no-makeup makeup to the next level? Try Addison Rae’s “woke up like this” look. It’s perfect for when you’re feeling low-key (or running late to work). Curl your lashes, working the curler up your lashes to get a feathery look. Add a bit of blush across your cheeks and nose—almost like a sunburn—and fill in your brows with a tinted gel, like the HUDA BEAUTY BOMBBROWS Full N' Fluffy Fiber Gel. Throw on a lightly tinted lip stain and you have an easy, ethereal look. 

5. Odessa Young’s Shimmery Eyeshadow

A little bit of shimmer goes a long way. Odessa Young’s peachy makeup look uses a golden eyeshadow, like this AF94 Shadowboxer Eye Crayon in shade “Suite & Low,” to highlight the eyes. You can use a brown mascara to replicate her look, or skip it altogether—just add some rosy boyfriend blush to top off the look. 

6. Paloma Elsesser’s No-Makeup Makeup

Model Paloma Elsesser could teach a masterclass in no-makeup makeup. Lightly filled-in brows and a subtle brick-colored blush allow her natural beauty to shine through. When recreating, keep your eye look limited to just curled lashes and mascara. Briceno recommends topping off the look with a lip that feels either understated or intentional. 

7. Havana Liu’s Winged Eyeshadow

You can fake the look of mascara without wearing any at all—just ask Havana Rose Liu. Makeup artist Kirin Bhatty created this low-key look on the actress by tightlining the upper lash line with a black eyeliner, then adding a hint of smudged shadow at the root of the upper lashes. Flicking that smudged shadow up into a subtle wing will give you the same lifted effect as mascara. 

8. Gigi Hadid’s Bronzed Beauty

Gigi Hadid knows the perfect way to complement barely-there lashes is with bronzed, glowing skin. Use a smudgy brown eyeliner like the ICONIC LONDON Smokey Eye Duo Kajal Eyeliner in shade “Natural Neutral” to tightline your upper lash line, then sparingly swipe a matching brown mascara over your lashes. Fluff up your brows and add a soft mauve lipstick to round out the look.

9. Jenny Slate’s Au Naturel Makeup

With ghost lashes, your whole look feels effortless. To get Jenny Slate’s understated look, diffuse a light brown eyeshadow by your upper lash line, then apply a very thin layer of brown mascara. Groom your brows with a clear eyebrow gel, like the V KOSMETIK Brow Gel Fixx in Clear, and add a satin-finish lipstick with just the right amount of color. 

10. Margaret Qualley’s Cat-Eye Liner

Barely-there lashes can be glam too! In fact, they “pair beautifully with sculpted blush or a softly contoured cheek, because the face stays lifted and modern without the eye looking overdone,” says Briceno. To get this look, makeup artist Nina Park placed a soft red blush starting at the cheekbone, swiping upward to sculpt the face. Tightlining the upper lash line with a pigmented liquid liner and flicking it upward helps give the eyes a more prominent look without too much mascara. Here, it looks like just a single coat of black mascara was used. We like the KULFI BEAUTY Badi Lash Smudge Proof Volumizing Tubing Mascara.