By Sarah Han , Angela Trakoshis , and Deanna Pai
In the face of sweaty situations, oily lids, and anything else that makes mascara run, smudge, and flake, the best tubing mascara will hold firm. Unlike traditional mascaras, these contain polymers that wrap around the lashes so they don't smudge or flake during the day, cosmetic chemist Ginger King explains. Blush Case
While waterproof mascara may offer longer staying power than its traditional counterparts, many require a full-force scrub-fest to remove — and even worse, they often claim a few lashes as collateral. Tubing mascaras tend to be gentler: Instead of rigorously wiping your eyes with makeup remover or thoroughly massaging mascara away with cleansing oil, these "tubes" slide off with warm water and some gentle pressure. "Think of it as the saran wrap on your lashes," King says. "They add some bulkiness and are flexible enough to stretch for an eyelash extension look."
If you've given them a go before, you may already be familiar with the oddly satisfying visual of your lashes appearing to shed, like snakeskin, while your real lashes thankfully stay intact. (On the other hand, if this is your first try, don't freak out when you see lash-like, little tubes going down the drain!)
Below are our tried-and-true, flake-free, and smudge-proof favorites — recommended by Allure editors and makeup artists — that'll give your lashes the illusion of extensions. They're that good.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Why It's Worth It: Blinc Mascara is the original tubing mascara that started the trend and its legacy is still going strong, as evidenced by its 2023 Best of Beauty Award seal. It's since branched out into six different colors (like burgundy and navy) and features a soft, curved brush and formula that imparts a lengthening, "your-lashes-but-better" look. It doesn't budge, flake, or smudge throughout the day, and it's even tear-proof.
Editor Tip: You only have about 60 to 90 seconds to apply this stuff before it dries down and becomes un-buildable, so it's not ideal for topping up during the day.
Key Ingredients: Iron oxides | # of shades: 2
Why It's Worth It: Like the rest of the brand's offerings, Tower 28 Beauty's MakeWaves Mascara is safe for sensitive skin — or, in this case, sensitive eyes. This Best of Beauty Award winner features a curved "Triple-Wave Wand" made up of three flexible suspended bands to pick up every single lash. Use the shorter bristles on the inner side of the curve to amp up the volume, and then go in with the longer bristles to lengthen and define.
Editor Tip: It uses patented technology that keeps mascara from running even in high humidity.
Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, oilve oil esters, sunflower seed wax | # of shades: 2 (Drift, a warm espresso brown is only available at tower28beauty.com right now.)
Why It's Worth It: Long-wearing mascara for just $5? Sign us up. Despite the cute name, Essence's Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara means business: This cruelty-free, vegan (it uses synthetic beeswax), and oil-free formula lengthens and defines lashes in seconds, leaving you with fluttery lashes all day long.
Editor Tip: The formulation is also free of parabens.
Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, synthetic beeswax, kaolin | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Caliray's Best of Beauty-winning Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara is formulated with conditioning argan oil and tubing technology that is water-resistant yet easy to remove. Not to mention, there are film-forming agents in it, too, so lashes look extra long and voluminous.
Editor Tip: It won't leave lashes crunchy, so reapplication is easy.
Key Ingredients: Argan oil, carnauba wax, synthetic wax | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Tarte's Tartelette Tubing Mascara is the brand's very first tubing formula in its beloved, award-winning mascara category. Made with conditioning shea butter, moisturizing castor oil, and carnauba wax to lengthen and volumize, people will question whether or not you have lash extensions with just a few coats.
Editor Tip: The brush has almost 300 bristles to separate and coat each lash.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, castor oil, carnauba wax | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Need proof Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is the real deal? It won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award for its falsies-like effects that become apparent from the very first swipe. Countless Allure editors have raved about its abilities to bless lashes with sky-high length that never flakes, thanks to its innovative tubing formula that wraps around each individual lash. And, with the addition of shea butter and castor seed oil, lashes stay looking healthy and conditioned during wear.
Editor Tip: It's been opththalmologist- and dermatologist-tested for safety around the eyes.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, castor seed oil | # of shades: 3
Why It's Worth It: Give eye shadow a rest with a colorful mascara. This one offers a rich pigment (in black, teal, or purple) as well as lengthening properties for a stand-out eye look. It's also been ophthalmologist-tested and lasts all day.
Editor Tip: The formula is the work of Donni Davy, the head makeup artist for Euphoria.
Key Ingredients: Panthenol, polymers, glycerin | # of shades: 3
Why It's Worth It: No7's Stay Perfect Mascara is quite glossy and wet upon application, but when it dries down, this mascara leaves nothing except smudge-free, ultra-black lashes — which, true to its name, actually do stay perfect all day. The brush is made from hard, relatively inflexible plastic, which separates every last lash.
Editor Tip: It's actually waterproof, too, for up to 24 hours of wear.
Key Ingredients: Beeswax, kaolin, jojoba wax | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Merit's Best of Beauty-winning Clean Lash is packed with nourishing vitamins E (from rice bran) and B5 to seriously condition lashes without causing smudges or clumps. And because it's made with tubing technology or polymers that hug each individual lash and boost volume, Clean Lash satisfyingly slides off into your sink with a bit of warm water at the end of the day.
Editor Tip: It has a buildable formula, so you can layer it on for extra thickness.
Key Ingredients: Rice bran wax, olive oil esters, fatty acids | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Too Cool for School's Dinoplatz Escalator Mascara has a particularly special feature: a twistable cap that expands and contracts the wand's bristles, so you can totally customize this mascara to your precise lash preferences. An extended brush gives you length, while a contracted brush zones in on fullness and volume — or combine both tactics for va-va-voom lashes.
Editor Tip: It shares the same anti-smudging and easy-wash-off characteristics as other tubing mascaras.
Key Ingredients: Collagen, allantoin | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Don't be fooled by Kevyn Aucoin's The Volume Mascara's svelte packaging — the formula itself packs a super-volumizing punch. Lashes look lush after one coat of "Rich Pitch Black" and stay flake-free all day. Side note: This mascara produces one of the most apparent gummy-like "tubes" when you wash it off, which might be something to consider if you're in it for the oddly satisfying removal process.
Editor Tip: It works well for layering (as a base) under other mascaras.
Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, jojoba seed oil, squalane | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Em Cosmetics Pick Me Up Volume + Length Mascara is composed of lightweight fibers infused with a nourishing mix of provitamin B, hyaluronic acid, rice extract, and camellia oil that wrap around individual lashes for buildable volume and length. Allure commerce editor Sarah Han says this mascara works wonders on her short, stubby lashes, and it's a piece of cake to gently remove with warm water at the end of a long day.
Editor Tip: Coat both sides of your lashes for the best lengthening effect.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, rice extract, tsubaki | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: The ophthalmologist-approved Clinique Lash Power Mascara formula lengthens lashes without irritation, so it's great for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Still, it's powerful enough to lengthen and define lashes for hours.
Editor Tip: We love the brush's tapered end, which makes grabbing every last lash a breeze.
Key Ingredients: Carnauda wax, beeswax, jojoba seed oil | # of shades: 2
Why It's Worth It: Makeup artist Lavonne points to MAC's Extended Play Gigablack Lash as an industry-pro standard. "I specifically use it on bottom lashes for its tubing effect," she says. "It never runs, and it paints on each lash strand with precision." It resists water and sweat for up to 16 hours of wear time, too.
Editor Tip: Lavonne recommends lightly dusting your lashes with a little loose powder before applying the mascara for added longevity, as well as a dab underneath the eyes to prevent transfer.
Key Ingredients: Kaolin, carnauba wax, synthetic beeswax | # of shades: 1
Why It's Worth It: Estée Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge is a glossy, intensely pigmented mascara that has gained a following for its volumizing and lengthening formula, which keeps undereyes smudge-free — no raccoon eyes here. The brush features both long and short bristles for double the chances of coating every last lash.
Editor Tip: When we tried this stuff, it lived up to its smudge-proof claims, even through a sweaty workout (although it's not tear-proof or waterproof).
Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, kaolin, green tea extract | # of shades: 1
More from Allure The BEAUTY EXPERT
Empty Eyelash Tubes © 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices.