‘Kush’ Mascara Is a Thing Now, and I Tried It

Marijuana has been making the rounds lately, making a cameo in everything from weed tampons (which may alleviate cramps) to Cynthia Nixon’s campaign for New York governor (she’s made marijuana legalization a cornerstone of her campaign). No small wonder, then, that you can now find the green stuff in Milk Makeup’s new Kush Mascara. The brand is known for pushing boundaries, as well as coming up with some seriously innovative formulas, like its “invisible foundation,” so this seems par for the course.

But before you call the Jeff Sessions I-Think-I-Smell-Weed hotline, know this: You’re not going to find a dime bag in this mascara. Instead, it’s infused with cannabidiol, or CBD, oil, a compound from the cannabis plant that’s becoming increasingly popular in the health, wellness, and, yes, beauty spaces. Not to be confused with THC—the cannabis compound that gives marijuana its psychotropic properties—CBD oil can purportedly ease muscle aches and help with insomnia, among other claims. Still, the research is limited, particularly when it comes to CBD oil’s skin care perks. Only a handful of studies have been conducted, and we’re currently in the honeymoon stage, meaning the risks haven’t really been tested or addressed.

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This hasn’t stopped the beauty world from embracing CBD oil. However, Milk is the first to use it in a mascara. The Kush Mascara formula thickens lashes with heart-shaped fibers, which create a sort of web over lashes for peak fullness and curling power, versus the usual, cylindrical tubes, which primarily add length (and can therefore result in spidery lashes). Here’s where the CBD comes in: Instead of using beeswax to adhere the fibers to lashes, the cannabidiol oil serves as its new, vegan alternative (since the brand recently went vegan). Plus, because it’s an oil, the CBD conditions lashes as you wear it and gives the formula a creamy texture, making it easier to apply.

I loved the brush off the bat, which was nice and fat and didn’t load on too much product at once (which historically makes my lashes stick together. Plus, the tapered tip of the brush made it easy for me to get the little lashes at the corners of my eyes, as well as the bottom lashes. See the effects for yourself:

The most obvious difference is in the volume. My lashes looked thicker for sure—and somewhat longer—but with zero clumps, a real feat if I ever saw one. If you’re a fan of extensionlike, out-to-there lashes, this may not be the mascara for you, since it’ll make them longer, but not to “Um, are those real?” proportions. Long lashes aren’t my thing, so I don’t care about this. However, if you’re pretty chill about your lashes and just want to give them a healthy, full appearance, or you’re looking for a solid vegan formula, look no further than this mascara. If this doesn’t make a solid case for CBD oil, I don’t know what will.

Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara, $24, sephora.com

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