Smokey Eye Mascara vs 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown: which is safer?
Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Bobbi Brown
Smokey Eye Mascara
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyBacterial and fungal growth in mascara tube
PossibleFragrance allergens and sensitizers
PossibleHeavy metals in pigments (iron oxides, carmine)
Our pick
Burt's Bees
100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers
PossibleBacterial growth and contamination in wax formula
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Bacterial and fungal growth in mascara tube, Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, Heavy metals in pigments (iron oxides, carmine) and Contact lens incompatibility and particle shedding on the Bobbi Brown and not on the Burt's Bees.
- We flag Fragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers and Bacterial growth and contamination in wax formula on the Burt's Bees and not on the Bobbi Brown.
- The Bobbi Brown is wax, film-forming polymers, waterproof coating where the Burt's Bees is Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Burt's Bees is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Bobbi Brown grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: 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 waterproof mascara: see the full ranking