100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown vs ColorStay Full Time Mascara: which is safer?

Burt's Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara, Black Brown is the clear pick. Revlon ColorStay Full Time 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

Revlon ColorStay Full Time Mascara

Revlon

ColorStay Full Time Mascara

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

water-resistant film-forming polymer coating on bristles/lash

Confidence

35%

PossibleFormaldehyde releasers and preservatives

PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance chemicals

ReportedEye irritation from removal solvent residue

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 Revlon.
  • We flag Formaldehyde releasers and preservatives, Fragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance chemicals and Eye irritation from removal solvent residue on the Revlon and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • The Burt's Bees is Wax, pigments, natural oils (typical mascara base) where the Revlon is water-resistant film-forming polymer coating on bristles/lash, 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 Revlon grade, at 35% 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