There are lots of things that a wedding makeup test will prepare you for—including the success of your big-day look in settings from sunlight to candlelight (and every camera flash in between)—but it might not take into account your in-the-moment overflow of emotions. To avoid accidentally muddling an expertly applied face with blackened tears of joy, opt for waterproof mascara. According to L.A.-based makeup artist Beau Nelson, who regularly turns out eye-opening looks for Kristen Stewart and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley finding the right one is simple—and thanks to summer’s latest launches, more customizable than ever.
Both in person and on camera, Nelson says years of experience have proven that nothing will make your eyes pop like jet-black mascara. For this, he prefers a volumizing formula, which “is the closest to a false lash” doe-eyed look you can get. If the goal, on the other hand, is feeling like the most beautiful version of yourself, fair-haired women (whose lashes are often pale) may be more at home in black/brown or brown hues. Brides with shorter lashes will enjoy the fringe-extending benefits of “lengthening” formulas, while “curling” mascaras will give gravity-defying shape and hold to those with stubbornly straight hairs.