BEAUTY
THE GHOST LASHES TREND, EXPLAINED
By Ayis Stephen-Diver, 4 August 2025
A beauty shift is upon us – we’re swapping the Russian hybrid lash set for something more minimalist: ghost lashes. First came Pamela Anderson swearing allegiance to a bare face, then came selfies from It-girls Addison Rae, Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner showcasing a more minimal makeup look. Want to stay ahead of the curve and get the tea on ghost lashes? You've come to the right place.
WHAT ARE GHOST LASHES?
Ghost lashes tap into a growing trend of either skipping falsies and mascara altogether, or using a tiny amount of mascara to subtly amplify your natural lashes. The former obviously doesn’t need a tutorial, but the latter surprisingly takes more than just whipping out your everyday bottle to pull off effectively. With beauty trends favouring a softer, clean-girl aesthetic right now – ghost lashes will give you the minimalist fresh finish everyone’s after.
Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
HOW HAVE MASCARA TRENDS EVOLVED WITH TIME?
We all know the Ancient Egyptians knew a thing or two about kohl eyes, but let's skip ahead for a whistle-stop tour starting from the 60s. In this era, Twiggy made spidery lashes iconic and everyone started clumping on mascara like it was an Olympic sport. Fast forward to the 90s, and minimalism and grunge took centre stage with smudgy eyeshadow and bare lashes doing all the talking. By the early 00s, subcultures including Gyaru in Japan brought the volume back with huge lashes, and the 10s handed us a YouTube-fuelled obsession with falsies and razor-sharp winged liner. In recent years, lash extensions – from wispy to spiked designs – have offered a more convenient and permanent way to alter your look, but the mantra in 2025? Less is more.
Picture: ASOS
WHY ARE GHOST LASHES EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW?
A full beat can be overpowering and we're shifting towards softer and imperfect makeup looks. But old-school grunge makeup is having a moment thanks to It-girls like Gabbriette who often dusts on eyeshadow alongside barely-there lashes. Plus, internet royalty Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber have recently been seen forgoing falsies for bare lashes in the name of everyday glam.
HOW DO YOU DO THEM?
First off – and we’re going to hold your hand when we say this – put those thick mascara wands down. For ghost lashes, thin long wands with tiny bristles are best… you know, like the mascaras made for the lower lashes. With a steady hand and light flick of the wrist, apply a few strokes of your mascara starting from the outer edge and end around two-thirds of the way in. If your lashes grow straight, curl them prior to mascara to further enhance their look. And don’t stick to black – there’s nothing more natural than dark browns and shades that match your hair colour.
THE MASCARAS OF THE MOMENT:
Pictures: ASOS
