15 Fascinating Facts About Cake Mascara

Who knew that a little black block of makeup could be so fascinating? Well, when it comes to Bésame Cake Mascara, there’s a lot more than meets the eye!

Though it looks like a tiny black cake, with one drop it comes to life. Just add water, rub the cake into a paste, and you have a classic mascara that's been around for 100 years! To find out how to use Cake Mascara (and see all the cool things you can do with it!), check out our Bésame Tutorials Series.

Now that you know how Cake works, here are even more intriguing facts about our unique mascara.

1. Get Three Products in One!

It’s not just mascara! The cake works beautifully on brows and makes an excellent liquid eyeliner. The liner stays in place all day without smudging or flaking. Use a thin brush for tight lining or an angled brush for the perfect wing. 

For brows, just run a spoolie through the cake mascara and brush it through your brows. It’ll cover every hair for a natural look, while the natural wax in the mascara keeps it all in place. 

Think about it. In a few months, how many eye products do you go through? With cake mascara, you only need one. That’s a lot of waste — and money — saved.

2. Formulated for Sensitive Eyes

Gabriela Hernandez (founder and CEO of Bésame Cosmetics) and her daughter both have sensitive skin, so she tests every product on herself before it goes out to market. That means that our Cake Mascara is designed with sensitive eyes in mind. If you’re prone to eye irritation or infection, this mascara will give you beautiful dark lashes...without the tears.

3. Minimal Waste

How many tubes of mascara have ended up in your trash over the years? With Cake Mascara, there’s nothing to throw away. One Cake lasts as long as about 13 tubes of regular mascara! Plus, each Cake comes in a reusable tin with a reusable brush. When you run out of mascara, you can buy a refill Cake that comes in a cute, compostable sleeve. No plastic. No waste.

4. Completely Cruelty-Free

No animal is ever bothered by any of our products, including the Cake Mascara. Since we don’t sell in China (where they demand that all makeup products are tested on animals), our makeup is entirely cruelty-free. Plus, we love bunnies too much to ever hurt them.

5. Clean, Clean, Clean!

From the natural ingredients to super hygienic packaging, Cake Mascara is the cleanest mascara you can get. In regular tube mascara, you use the brush on your eyelashes, that brush picks up all the germs, mites, and other critters that live in your lashes, then the brush goes back in the tube. Once inside, the bacteria thrives. And (this is a little unpleasant) all that bacteria goes on to your eyes the next time you use the mascara. Yuck!

With Cake Mascara, you clean your brush after every use, so there’s no bacteria buildup. If a lash critter or germ does get on the Cake itself, the Cake dries completely and gives the little germ no place to live. So, no bacteria on the brush, no bacteria on the Cake, no bacteria to bother your eyes!

Plus, the ingredients are all natural, paraben free, gluten-free, and practically safe enough to eat. Though, we don’t recommend the eating part.

6. Lasts and Lasts

Most mascara should be thrown away every three months, at least, due to bacteria buildup or the product simply drying out. Cake Mascara can last up to 2 years! Yes, you can keep a cake on your vanity and come back to it in 2022 and it’ll still be good. 

Since the product stays clean, it doesn’t really go bad. Now, if you use the mascara every day, the cake may not last a full two years, but it’ll last much longer than the three month lifespan of tube mascara. 

Plus, you can easily use every last bit. Ever notice how much mascara is still in the tube, even when it’s too dry to use anymore? You don’t have to worry about that kind of waste with Cake Mascara.

7. A Rare Mascara That Works On Lash Extensions

Most mascara melts the glue that holds lash extensions in place. Melted glue is not a great look for the eyes, so most people with extensions end up giving up mascara all together. But you don’t have to! Water based mascaras (like Cake Mascara) don’t harm the glue, so they’re safe to use on any extended lash. In fact, we have a whole article about the dynamic duo of Cake Mascara and lash extensions, if you’d like to check it out.

8. 100 Years in the Making

Tube mascara didn’t come around until 1958, but mascara was on the market since around 1917. From the 20s to the late 50s, everyone used cake mascara! From Joan Crawford to your grandmother (or great-grandmother!), cake mascara was pretty much the only way to get those dark, dramatic lashes. So every time you use Bésame's Cake Mascara, you experience an almost forgotten part of history and a beauty tool that's been around for 100 years!

9. Cake Mascara Went Viral 

Though this mascara is inspired by the past, it made a modern splash. When Cake Mascara first sold at Sephora, it sold out in 48 hours! Then, it was featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Hello Giggles, PopSugar, InStyle, Bustle, and our video by Insider got over 3 million views!

10. Perfect For Oily Eyelids

For once, oil and water mix! If you use an oil based product on oily eyelids, all that oil slides against each other and you wind up with smudged eyeliner and an not-so-flattering racoon look. But, when you use a water-based product (like Cake Mascara), the liner will stay in place and leave you smudge-free!

11. Black, Brown...And Purple?

Cake mascara now comes in a fun range of colors: black, brown, and purple! Black is great for the most dramatic looks, brown works on almost any brow color, and purple gives a subtle pop of color that really enhances the eyes. 

Fun fact: Purple mascara may seem like it’s an 80s throwback, but it’s been around for over 70 years! Maybelline sold blue mascara in the 1930s and TATTOO brand cake mascara of the 40s came in deep violet, gray-blue, and Surf Green!

12. Great For Travel 

Don’t worry about the 3 oz. rule! Since there’s no liquid in Cake Mascara, you can put it in your carry-on and not worry about breaking any TSA rules. Plus, there’s no risk of it breaking, spilling, and ruining your makeup bag. The Cake Mascara will stay in place and be ready to wear wherever you travel.

13. Jessica Lange Wore It

In American Horror Story: Freak Show, Jessica Lange’s character gets ready for the stage and uses only the best —  Bésame Cake Mascara! Bésame Cosmetics have been used in all kinds of Hollywood productions because of their authentic historical reproductions and long lasting formulas.

14. Covers Greys (For Men, Too) 

Have a touch of grey at your roots? Use Cake Mascara! Whether you’re between hair appointments or have a stray grey that just popped up, the mascara will keep it covered for the day. 

This isn’t just for women, men use cake mascara, too. Happy male customers have used it in their hair, beards, mustaches, and sideburns to make their salt and pepper looks err more towards the pepper side.

15. Made in California

Cake Mascara is locally made in California to decrease our carbon footprint and create more jobs for the community. Locally made, family-owned and operated, Bésame Cosmetics is small but makes a big impact — just like our Cake Mascara!

We could go on, but don't take our word for it. Thousands of happy Cake Mascara customers said they'll never go back to "the tube!"

Now that you know all the fascinating facts, it’s time to give Bésame Cake Mascara a try! For only $25, you can experience history while supporting sustainable, waste-free products that ensure a happy future.

Be a #BésameBeauty!

Sign up for exclusive promotions, event invites, and updates on future Bésame Cosmetics products.

Email Address

First Name

Website