100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown vs Caviar Extravagant Mascara: which is safer?

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Laura Mercier Caviar Extravagant Mascara carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown

Burt's Bees

100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 67/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base)

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers

PossibleBacterial growth and contamination in wax formula

Laura Mercier Caviar Extravagant Mascara

Laura Mercier

Caviar Extravagant Mascara

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 5

Material

Pigments, waxes, oils, waterproof film-forming resins

Confidence

45%

PossibleHeavy metals in pigments (lead, cadmium, antimony)

ReportedUndisclosed Teflon-family coating (PFAS family)

LikelyMicroplastics from caviar spheres and applicator fibers

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Fragrance allergens and undisclosed sensitizers and Bacterial growth and contamination in wax formula on the Burt's Bees and not on the Laura Mercier.
  • We flag Heavy metals in pigments (lead, cadmium, antimony), Undisclosed fluoropolymers (PFAS family), Microplastics from caviar spheres and applicator fibers and Formaldehyde releasers or preservative allergenic response on the Laura Mercier and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • The Burt's Bees is Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base) where the Laura Mercier is Pigments, waxes, oils, waterproof film-forming resins, 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 Laura Mercier 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