Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Hanna Flanagan
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If you’re tired of using your makeup remover of choice along with several cotton pads just to get rid your eye makeup (and giving yourself raccoon eyes in the process), it might be time to try a tubing mascara. They provide all the benefits of a traditional mascara — like definition, length, curl, and volume — with just one or two coats, so you don’t have to worry about buildup, weighed-down lashes, or irritation around the eye area. Not sure where to start? Keep reading for answers to your most pressing tubing-mascara questions and about the best ones I’ve tried out as a shopping editor.
So, you’re looking for the best tubing mascaras?
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ FAQs
➼ Our experts
Our top picks
The Overall Best Tubing Mascara
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Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara
Wand: Short, molded bristles with a 360-degree lash extension comb | Key ingredients: Formulated with shea butter, castor oil, and carnauba wax | Colors: Black and brown
I was excited to try this mascara after reading so many positive reviews, and I’m happy to report that it lives up to the hype. The short, firm bristles make it easy to coat the lashes from root to tip and inner corner to outer corner — without getting mascara all over your eyelids and making a mess. I also love the fact that the formula is infused with ingredients like shea butter and castor oil, so it hydrates and conditions my lashes throughout the day.
The Best Lengthening Tubing Mascara
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Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Lengthening Mascara
Wand: Short, molded brush that target every lash | Key ingredients: Formulated free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, and mineral oil | Colors: Black
This mascara has never failed me, which is why it’s one of my longtime favorites. No matter how rushed I am (or how shaky my hands are from drinking too much coffee), the application is always seamless and mess free. It offers all the things: definition, length, lift, and a fanned-out finish.
The Best Volumizing Tubing Mascara
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Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
Wand: Tapered shape with short and stiff bristles | Key ingredients: Formulated with shea butter, castor seed oil, carnauba wax, and youth B5 complex to condition lashes | Colors: Pink, green, deep blue, purple, brown black, and rich black
This cult-favorite tubing mascara is water-resistant, dermatologist-approved for sensitive eyes, and formulated with an orchid stem-cell complex to support healthy-looking lashes. Even though I was a bit disappointed in the lengthening effect, I loved how much volume this product provided. It’s available in black, brown, blue, green, and pink.
The Best Affordable Tubing Mascara
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Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes! Smudge-Proof Volumizing and Defining Mascara
Wand: Soft, wispy bristles | Key ingredients: Water, Carnauba wax, synthetic Beeswax Colors: Black
If you have naturally straight lashes, you’ll love this $5 tubing mascara. It provides so much curl, volume, and length with just one swipe. My only complaint? The formula is pretty wet, so I had to use a lash separator to break up some of the clumps.
The Best Tubing Mascara for Natural-Looking Lashes
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Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara
Wand: Long and dense bristles that help define and lift the lashes | Ingredient callouts: Formulated with plant-derived rice bran wax to add structure and length, fatty acids and olive oil esters to nourish and condition lashes | Colors: Black
Merit has mastered the art of clean, minimalist makeup — if that’s your vibe, you’ll definitely want to add the brand’s tubing mascara to your rotation. It made my lashes look soft, fluttery, and defined but still fairly natural. I’ll continue to reach for this product on light makeup days when I don’t want heavy mascara to overpower my look.
The Best Tubing Mascara for Dramatic Lashes
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Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara
Wand: Short and stiff bristles, 360-degree lash extension comb for fluttery lashes | Key ingredients: shea butter, castor oil, carnauba wax, biotin, and niacinamide | Colors: Black
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is Tarte’s brand-new tubing mascara: If you want big, bold, look-at-me lashes, the Tartlette XL will deliver. It definitely lives up to its name! Keep in mind that the formula dries down quickly, so you’ll need to work fast if you want to shape the lashes and break up any clumps. (On the plus side, though, this also means it won’t flake off or smudge throughout the day.)
More tried-and-true options
Another Affordable Drugstore Option
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e.l.f. Cosmetics Lash XTNDR Mascara
Wand: Tapered silicone brush |Key ingredients: Jojoba seed oil | Colors: Pitch black, soft black, and deep brown
For just $7, this e.l.f. mascara will give you drama and length without feeling heavy, flaking off, or smudging. It looks good all day long while also conditioning your lashes with jojoba seed oil.
The Best Mascara for Short Lashes
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Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula
Wand: Small but densely-packed detail brush that helps define lashes | Colors: Black onyx and deep chocolate
If you love the look of long, spidery lashes and hate when a mascara wand can’t reach your inner corners, try this tubing formula from Clinique. It has a unique wand that’s denser on one side to help coat and lengthen even the shortest of lashes. Another benefit? The formula is super-gentle and will come right off with a bit of warm water.
The Best Cruelty-Free and Vegan Tubing Mascara
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Catrice Cosmetics Glam & Doll Easy Wash Off Power Hold Volume Mascara
Wand: Curved elastomer brush that helps separate lashes |Key ingredients: Water, carnauba, synthetic beeswax, butylene glycol | Colors: Black
Higgins loves this option from Catrice Cosmetics because it’s affordable, cruelty-free, and vegan, “which is a rare find in the tubing-mascara category,” she says. “This formula can last up to 24 hours, but as it says in the name, the formula is easy to take off at the end of the day. Perfect for people who have a hard time with mascaras running down their face throughout the day.”
The Most Long-Lasting Tubing Mascara
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Blinc Amplified Tubing Mascara
Wand: Oversized wand with microwoven, dense bristles | Key ingredients: Water, glyceryl stearate, beeswax/cera alba,| Colors: Black and dark brown
This tubing mascara never flakes, smears, smudges, or runs (no matter how much your eyes water). As one reviewer wrote, “nothing else holds up like Blinc.”
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