bareMinerals Mineral Makeup vs Hypercurl Mascara: which is safer?

bareMinerals Mineral Makeup is the clear pick. Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

bareMinerals Mineral Makeup

Bare Minerals

bareMinerals Mineral Makeup

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 88/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

not stated

Confidence

100%

PossibleHeavy metals in mineral pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium)

PossibleFragrance allergens and skin irritation

PossibleBismuth oxychloride sensitivity

Maybelline Hypercurl Mascara

Maybelline

Hypercurl Mascara

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

wax, polymers, waterproof coating (unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleFragrance allergens / skin sensitization

PossibleFormaldehyde releasers in preservatives

PossibleBacterial or fungal contamination from applicator or tube

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Heavy metals in mineral pigments (lead, cadmium, chromium), Fragrance allergens and skin irritation and Bismuth oxychloride sensitivity on the Bare Minerals and not on the Maybelline.
  • We flag Fragrance allergens / skin sensitization, Formaldehyde releasers in preservatives, Bacterial or fungal contamination from applicator or tube and PFAS in waterproof coating (undisclosed) on the Maybelline and not on the Bare Minerals.
  • The gap is 70 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Bare Minerals is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Maybelline grade, at 35% confidence against 100%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More cosmetics, see the full ranking