It started on a red carpet. At the New York premiere of The Odyssey in July, Zendaya stepped out with luminous, sun-kissed skin, soft cheeks, glossy lips... and not a trace of mascara. Within days, the beauty internet had a name for it: no mascara summer.

At Benefit, we make some of the world's most-loved mascaras. So you might expect us to sit this one out. Instead, we did what we always do: we found the Benefit way in. Because the no-mascara look is not about doing less. It's about skin, brows and cheeks doing more.

THE LOOK, DECODED

The no-mascara trend grew out of the clean-girl aesthetic: glowing, even skin, fluffy brows, a natural flush and lips with a soft sheen. The eyes are left almost bare so the rest of the face reads fresh and effortless. In a humid summer, it has a practical bonus: nothing to smudge.

THE BENEFIT WAY TO GO BARE

Skin that glows: The POREfessional Pore Minimizing Primer, then The POREfessional Concealer only where needed. Blurred, not covered.

Brows that frame: with no mascara, brows carry the eye. Mighty Fine Brows and set with 24-HR Brow Setter for a full, laminated finish.

A real-looking flush: glide Juice Stick Dewy Blush onto the apples of the cheeks and blend up with fingertips. The hydrating gel-cream gives a juicy, dewy flush that's sweatproof and humidity-proof, exactly what a bare-faced summer look needs. Press Benetint onto the lips to match, and add Hoola lightly where the sun would hit.

A hint of light: a touch of Cookie on the cheekbones and the inner corners of the eyes to keep the eye area bright, not bare.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT MASCARA: HOW TO FAKE IT

We get it. For some of us, no mascara is not a trend, it's a threat. Good news: with the right BADgal, you can cheat. The goal is an open, fresh, wide-awake eye that looks like you might have skipped mascara... but definitely didn't.

The brown cheat. Swap black for BADgal Bounce Volumizing Mascara in Pump'd Up Brown. One coat with the fine-tooth comb side separates and lifts, and the soft brown reads as "naturally dark lashes" rather than "mascara." Fuller, fluffier, and nobody can tell.
The one-coat trick. Apply a single, light coat of BADgal BANG! to the upper lashes only, wiggling from root to tip. The aero-particle formula gives lift and definition without heaviness, and its 36-hour wear means no smudging, no touch-ups, no evidence.
Top lashes only. Leave the lower lashes bare. That's the tell of a true no-mascara look, and it instantly opens the eye.
Comb, don't coat. Before the formula sets, run the comb side of BADgal Bounce through the lashes once more. Separated lashes look real. Coated lashes look like mascara.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

A fresh, open, wide-awake eye that looks effortless

Pump'd Up Brown for a softer, more natural lash than black

Smudge-proof, flake-proof formulas built for summer heat

Brows, skin and cheeks that carry the look

The freedom to go bare, or to fake it beautifully