Byrdie / Jaclyn Mastropasqua
TL;DR
Overall, our favorite tubing mascara is Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara because of how effectively it adds both length and fullness to lashes. We also loved our best budget option, essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara for its long-lasting effects that didn’t flake or smudge, and a very affordable price point of $5.
There’s no denying the long-lasting nature of waterproof mascaras. The downside is that they take some elbow grease to remove, which can take a toll on your delicate lashes. Enter tubing mascaras, the Japanese invention that paints your lashes with pigment, essentially shrink-wrapping each lash with tiny tubes. The result? Not only a long and lengthened effect, but increased staying power to boot. “Tubing mascaras provide lashes with more long-wear benefits, natural lash extension effects, and are easily removable without any flaking or smudging,” says celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. “Most traditional mascaras are prone to flaking or clumping, but tubing mascaras are super lightweight with buildable volume to ensure the formula never budges.”
When you’re ready to remove your tubing mascara, a little warm water and a washcloth or cotton pad will do the trick. (FYI, newbies, you will see the little tubes coming off, but don’t worry, those aren’t your actual lashes.) We conducted hours of research and tested the best tubing mascaras we’ve found in the marketplace, evaluating them on their ingredients, benefits, and shades. After considering dozens of brands and consulting with a makeup artist, we landed on the following unbeatable formulas.
Best Overall
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara
Amazon
Adds volume, lift and length
Clump-free
Removes easily
Coating is a bit thick
Benefits: Infused with volume-building fibers to thicken, separate, and lengthen lashes | Size: 0.18 oz | Shades: Rich Pitch Black | Waterproof: No | Cruelty-Free: No
Consider this the OG mascara of the bunch. As a general rule, tubing mascaras are usually best for adding extra length based on the way the tubes wrap around and extend each lash. But when you want both length and added fullness, reach for this option. Volume-building fibers and bold black pigments help thicken and separate lashes, while added jojoba oil conditions them. The super skinny brush makes swiping and application easier than ever and we love how it never leaves you with raccoon eyes, a major win in our book.
Who It’s For
If your lashes could use a little love, this formula will help noticeably lengthen and thicken them.
Byrdie / Ashley Rebecca
Byrdie / Ashley Rebecca
Best Budget
essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara
Amazon
Can last all day without smudging
Free from parabens, artificial fragrance, and microplastic particles
Volumizes and defines the lashes
Can dry up quickly
Benefits: Lasts without smudging, flaking, or running | Size: 0.3 oz. | Shades: Black | Waterproof: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This tubing formula from Essence (a brand famous for its mascaras) is only $5 but performs like a much more expensive product. You get a mascara that defines and volumizes while coating each individual lash in its extremely waterproof formula for wear that won't smudge or flake throughout the day. It's easy to remove with warm water—and without heavy rubbing. We also love that it's free of artificial fragrance, meaning it won't irritate sensitive eyes.
Who It’s For
If you want impressive lashes on a budget, this $5 formula can’t be beat.
Best Volumizing
Blinc Original Tubing Mascara
Amazon
Adds volume
Smudge- and flake-free setting
Can layer multiple coats
Glue-like consistency
Benefits: Water-resistant for maximum hold and conditioning | Size: 0.17 oz | Shades: Black, Dark Brown | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Blinc’s Original Tubing Mascara is formulated in Japan using acrylic copolymer, a molecule that forms a water-resistant film around each lash. This active ingredient provides not just length but volume, too, creating an impressive lash extension effect. You can layer multiple coats until you achieve your desired thickness, just make sure to swipe them on within two minutes of one another and brush them through with a lash comb if needed. Once the formula sets, it sets, so you don’t have to worry about smudges or flakes.
Who It’s For
If your eyelash length is decent but you need a thickness boost, this volumizing formula will work wonders.
Best Conditioning Formula
DHC Perfect Pro Double Protection
Amazon
Infused vitamin E adds sheen and conditions
Flexible wand reaches tiniest lashes
Smear-free
Can be a bit flaky
Benefits: Conditions and strengthens the eyes with infused beeswax and vitamin E | Size: 0.17 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No
This super-lengthening Japanese formula contains beeswax which strengthens and solidifies, and vitamin E, which conditions the lashes, keeping them soft and pliable while also giving them an alluring sheen. We especially love the mini wand, which has fine but soft bristles to effectively coat lashes in the formula. It's also a long-lasting formula that never clumps while applying (which can be a problem with some tubing mascaras).
Who It’s For
The moisturizing vitamin E in this formula will condition and soften your lashes, leaving them with a glossy, healthy-looking finish.
Best Drugstore Option
L'Oréal Paris Double Extend Mascara
Ulta
Easy to remove
Long-lasting formula
Lengthens lashes up to 80%
Glue-like consistency
Benefits: Lengthens the eyelashes up to 80% | Size: 0.33 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: No | Cruelty-Free: No
This two-step formula promises impressively long lashes, especially for a drugstore brand. The dual-sided tube contains a base coat infused with conditioning ingredients such as ceramides (part of a complex family of fats or lipids that work to repair the skin barrier and lock in moisture) and panthenol (a moisturizing compound derived from vitamin B5). Swipe this on first to protect and strengthen lashes while also creating a base for the tubes to come. Next, apply the tubing top coat (there’s no need to wait in between) for instant length. We love how well it stays on without smudging, even on lower lashes, but we didn’t love the consistency, which was a bit glue-like.
Who It’s For
This effective tubing mascara with a nourishing base coat is conveniently available at most drugstores, so you’ll have no trouble tracking it down.
Byrdie / Lauren Levinson
Best for Sensitive Eyes
Clinique Lash Power Mascara
Amazon
Holds up for watery eyes and oily eyelids
Lengthens even the tiniest of lashes
Long-lasting 24-hour wear time
Not the most effective formula for volume
Benefits: Stays put for 24 hours | Size: 0.6 oz | Shades: Black Onyx and Dark Chocolate | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No
As anyone with sensitive eyes will tell you, mascara can quickly cause irritation and itchiness. Happily, this lengthening formula is both allergy-tested and ophthalmologist (AKA eye doctor) tested, fragrance-free, and won’t irritate contact lens wearers. It also touts an impressive 24-hour wear time. We love that the thin and slightly tapered brush makes it easy to reach your bottom lashes, as well as the tiny ones on the inner and outer corners of your eyes, creating an impressive lengthening look. The only disappointing things are that it didn’t add more volume, and it can flake a bit.
Who It’s For
If you have eyes that are easily prone to irritation, this sensitive formula will give you significant length without compromising on comfort.
Best Natural Formula
Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
Thrive Causemetics
Powered by plant stem cell technology
Buildable fibers create length and volume
Comes in three shades
Can be messy to remove
Benefits: Infused shea butter and castor seed oil condition lashes during wear along with stem cell complex for healthier-looking lashes | Size: 0.38 oz | Shades: Rich Black, Deep Blue, Brown Black | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This award-winning tubing mascara is a favorite among those who try to prioritize natural ingredients in their cosmetics. Buildable fibers add faux lash-like length while Korean plant extracts including orchid stem cells (an ingredient shown to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin) strengthen lashes. In addition, a combination of vitamin B5 and sodium hyaluronate (a water-soluble salt derived from hyaluronic acid, which can penetrate deeper into the skin due to its lower molecular weight) work to moisturize, which is why it glides on oh so smoothly.
Who It’s For
If you try to avoid chemicals in your cosmetics wherever possible, this popular natural tubing mascara should be in your makeup case.
Byrdie / Joy Kim
Byrdie / Kathryn Cossi
Byrdie / Joy Kim
Byrdie / Jessica Juliao
Byrdie / Jessica Juliao
Best Humidity-Proof Formula
Surratt Beauty Relevée Mascara
Amazon
Infused microfibers add more volume
Slim, angled brush simultaneously lifts and fans
Recyclable packaging
Can clump
Benefits: Humidity-proof Japanese tubing formula hyperextends lashes | Size: 0.2 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Celebrity makeup artist Troy Surratt’s eponymous makeup line is largely inspired by Japanese technologies and innovations, so it’s no surprise that he created a tubing mascara. Our choice for muggy summer days, the humidity-proof formula contains microfibers to extend lashes, along with a slim and angled brush that helps lift and fan them out simultaneously. Also nice: The packaging is recyclable, which is not often the case with cosmetics. Annoyingly though, it can become a little clumpy, so keep an eyelash comb handy.
Who It’s For
If you live in a place that’s warm and sunny or you’re about to go on vacation (lucky you), this humidity-proof mascara will keep your lashes in place.
Best Curling Formula
Tower 28 Beauty MakeWaves Mascara
Sephora
Holds a curl all day
Gentle for contact lens wearers
Unique brush and packaging
Can flake over time
Benefits: Humidity-proof curling technology, moisturizes and strengthens | Size: 0.3 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes
One nifty trick for accentuating your eye shape and creating the illusion of larger eyes is to curl your lashes. Although this mascara is marketed for its lengthening and volumizing properties, it also cups the lashes upward and seals the curl, resulting in a lifted-eye look without the need for an eyelash curling tool. The brand notes that the mascara works in the same way hair styling products do, with a memory hold that lifts and locks lashes into place while remaining soft, not crunchy. It's also one of the safest for sensitive and allergy-prone eyes, and makes lashes look wispy and feathered without the need for false eyelashes.
Who It’s For
This formula creates a dramatic curl without the need for an eyelash curler, making it useful for those with straighter lashes.
Byrdie / Shannon McHugh
Byrdie / Joy Kim
Byrdie / Joy Kim
InStyle / Joy Kim
Best Strengthening Formula
Velour Lashes Mascara
Amazon
Contains peptides
Angled brush lifts and extends lashes
Creates noticeable length
Not for volume
Benefits: Peptide complex, tubing formula | Size: 0.3 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Velour Lashes is known for its glamorous false lashes, so it makes sense they would create a nourishing, lengthening mascara. This inky-black formula doubles as a lash serum, with peptides (strings of amino acids, which are the "building blocks" of proteins) to strengthen the lashes with each application. The angled brush lifts and extends lashes to a feathery, natural-looking finish without clumping or smudging. Our one criticism is that it doesn’t do much to volumize lashes.
Who It’s For
If you have fragile lashes that fall out occasionally, wearing this strengthening mascara daily will help nourish and fortify them.
Best Clean
Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara
Sephora
Conditions lashes with with fatty acids and olive oil esters
Defining and separating formula
Doesn't smudge
Not as dramatic as other formulas
Benefits: Nourishes the lashes to lengthen, define, and separate | Size: 0.3 oz | Shades: Black | Waterproof: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you're looking for a clean mascara, we recommend this formula from Merit. It’s formulated with rice bran wax (a natural thickener) to add structure and length to lashes, plus fatty acids and olive oil to hydrate and condition. While it won't give you the most dramatic lashes in the world, it's still able to define and lift the lashes for a separated look with no clumping.
Who It’s For
Clean beauty obsessives will appreciate this award-winning clean formula, which offers long-lasting effects that won’t smudge.
Byrdie / Joy Kim
Byrdie / Emma Brink
What to Look for in Tubing Mascaras
- Wand type: Do you prefer curved wands, or do you find yourself opting for cone-shaped wands? Mascara wands can differ in shape, size, number of bristles, and material. You’ll be adding several coats of tubing mascara and possibly even a mascara primer to get the maximum amount of fibers on the lash, and the right wand shape can help lift, coat, separate, and curl. Many options on this list have a curved wand to help curl lashes. Fluffy brushes are usually good for adding volume, while nylon or flexible bristles separate and define lashes.
- Color: Tubing mascaras come in different colors, from chocolate brown to jet black. Some tubing mascaras might come in a wider range of colors, while others might only come in a single shade. Before purchasing a tubing mascara, look at the color or colors offered so you can ensure it will be best suited for your skin tone and lashes. Black formulas often provide the most dramatic effects.
- Formula type: Like traditional mascaras, tubing mascara comes in a variety of formulations. While traditional mascaras contain a wax base, tubing mascaras typically use a polymer or blend of polymers to essentially encapsulate each lash, building length and volume. Brands will often highlight the ingredient that is responsible for the tubing effect, but you can also look for "polymer" or "copolymer" in the ingredients to be sure. And it doesn't stop there: If you swear by mascara that’s ophthalmologist-tested, or you are dedicated to only using cruelty-free products, be sure to check a tubing mascara’s formula. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, have sensitive eyes, or are allergic to ingredients often found in mascaras opt for a sensitive formula.
Why Trust Byrdie
Melanie Rud is a Chicago-based writer with 10 years of experience covering beauty. She covers all things skincare for Byrdie, from ingredients to acne advice. Byrdie contributor Esme Benjamin also updated this article in November 2023 with new product picks and reporting.
They consulted the following expert for more insight on this topic:
- Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist and founder of the brand JamieMakeup.
