13 Best Tubing Mascaras 2024 for Long, Smudge-Proof Lashes | Allure

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Wary of raccoon eyes? The best tubing mascaras will put your mind at ease with their smear-proof formulations. Unlike traditional mascaras that tend to transfer, smudge, and flake—all while calling for a tug-of-war during removal—tubing mascaras contain film-forming polymers to keep lashes separated and securely coated all day. Despite their steadfast grip, the mascara sheds in snakeskin-like "tubes" using warm water and a gentle pull.

We love tubing mascaras for creating doe-eyed, wispy, and dramatic looks alike. Read on for the best tubing mascaras, as recommended by Allure editors and pro makeup artists, featuring insight from cosmetic chemists.

Tarte

Dermstore

Tarte

Allure shopping contributor Annie Blackman applying the Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara

Why it's worth it: Topping this list is Tarte’s Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara, one of the most popular tubing mascaras out there. This best-selling mascara fends off flakes and resists smudging using a peptide blend and biotins that make lashes look longer and softer. It's a rendition of the original, non-XL Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara which got major TikTok hype. This version offers the same benefits as its predecessor but with a little more oomph.

Blackman before applying the Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara

Blackman after applying the Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara

Tester feedback: "I usually steer clear of mascara because it always travels to my under eyes within hours, but the Tartlette XL Tubing Mascara has proven me wrong," says shopping contributor Annie Blackman. "This stuff stays put, and I love the chocolately brown hue that keeps things looking natural."

Key ingredients: niacinamide, biotin, panthenol, shea butter, castor oil | Shades: 1

Thrive Causemetics

Thrive Causemetics

Allure shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis applying the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

Why it's worth it: The Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award for its falsies-like effect and Orchid Stem Cell Complex, an antioxidant-rich, proprietary ingredient blend that helps lashes appear longer and fuller as time goes on. Shea butter and castor seed oil work wonders for conditioning, offering a flexible formula that's super easy to apply. Apply the mascara in zig-zag motions as you move the wand toward your brow bone for an even more lifted effect.

Trakoshis before applying the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

Trakoshis after applying the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

Tester feedback: “This is kinda the OG when it comes to tubing mascaras,” says shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis. "I actually was introduced to it by my mom (also a tubing mascara fan) and I've loved it ever since. Its flexible wand coats each last with ease and the removal process, like many tubing mascaras, all you need is water."

Key ingredients: shea butter, castor seed oil | Shades: 6

Kevyn Aucoin

Bluemercury

Kevyn Aucoin

Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara

Why it's worth it: Don't be fooled by Kevyn Aucoin's The Volume Mascara's svelte tube—the formula packs a super-volumizing punch. Lashes look lush after one coat of "Rich Pitch Black" and stay flake-free all day. You can use it alone or as a base under another mascara to amp up your separated-lash look.

Han before applying the Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara

Han after applying the Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara

Tester feedback: "My short, barely-there lashes love a teensy brush—otherwise, things get messy, fast,” says commerce editor Sarah Han. “This brush latches onto every lash, coats them evenly, all without causing them to clump. I look instantly more awake but it's not an overly dramatic look.”

Key ingredients: carnauba wax, jojoba seed oil, squalane | Shades: 1

Caliray

Sephora

Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein applying the Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

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 film-forming tubing ingredients like acrylates copolymer. We also love the mascara's "teddy bear brush" which is fluffy and covers every last lash with a swift flick of your wrist.

Hussein before applying the Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

Hussein after applying the Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

Tester feedback: “Though it feels weightless on my lashes, Caliray’s mascara is exactly what I swipe on when I want the ever-so-slightest oomph to them,” says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “Kudos to its slender brush, which coats just about all of my lashes in one swipe.”

Key ingredients: argan oil, acrylates copolymer, carnauba wax, synthetic wax | Shades: 1

Blinc

Amazon

Sephora

Why it's worth it: Blinc's Ultravolume Tubing Mascara is a souped-up, volumizing version of the brand’s original Best of Beauty Award-winning trendsetter. The mascara features a soft, curved brush that imparts a lengthening your-lashes-but-better look and doesn't budge, flake, or smudge throughout the day. Its copolymer-based formula is even tear-proof, which we're definitely not crying about. Heads up: You only have 60 to 90 seconds to apply this stuff before it dries down, so it's not ideal for topping up throughout the day.

Tester feedback: “For years, I'd resigned myself to a more low-key look by virtue of the fact that that's what most tubing mascaras could offer,” associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh said in her review of Ultravolume. “But in a single coat, this stuff gives length and volume I could previously only achieve by curling my lashes and applying several layers of conventional mascara (and crossing my fingers it wouldn't smudge).”

Key ingredients: copolymer, iron oxides, | Shades: 2

Essence

Amazon

Why it's worth it: In terms of its lash-enhancing abilities, Essence’s Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara means business even though it costs less than an oat milk latte. This oil-free formula lengthens and defines in seconds, leaving you with fluttery lashes that last all day.

Editor's tip: This mascara is easy to take off, using only warm water, but if you want to go a more official route, try out the brand's Remove Like A Boss Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover.

Key ingredients: carnauba wax, synthetic beeswax, kaolin | Shades: 1

Wyn Beauty

Ulta Beauty

Why it's worth it: Swipe on Wyn Beauty’s Big Vision Lengthening & Defining Tubing Mascara to reach sky-scraping (or, rather, brow-grazing) lengths with your lashes. This lengthening mascara contains conic polymer tubing technology that wraps snugly around each lash to enhance the length of each. This formula tag-teams with a curved, double-comb brush to define and remove any risk of clumping or webbing.

Editor's tip: If you want a more voluminous look, we recommend cocktailing this mascara by applying a volumizing pick of your choice first.

Key ingredients: conic polymer tubing technology (acrylates copolymer), synthetic beeswax, jojoba esters, hydrogenated olive oil | Shades: 1

Milk Makeup

Sephora

Milk Makeup

Why it's worth it: We get it: Sometimes you want a mascara that does it all. Reach for Milk Makeup’s Kush High Roll Tubing Mascara, a tubing mascara that defines, lengthens, and volumizes in one swipe. The smudge- and flake-proof formula also has conditioning benefits courtesy of hemp seed, castor, and sunflower seed oils to leave lashes looking and feeling fuller and thicker than before.

Editor's tip: Keep the good times rolling with the brand’s original Kush mascara, a conditioning volumizer perfect for a day when you want more drama.

Key ingredients: acrylates copolymer, hemp seed oil, castor oil, sunflower seed oil, carnauba wax, jojoba wax | Shades: 1

Hourglass

Amazon

Nordstrom

Why it's worth it: If the “extensions” part of the Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara makes you think this is over-the-top, good news: we can guarantee that it has more of a wispy, natural-looking finish, kind of like a very subtle falsies set. Its tapered brush evenly coats your lashes with this ultra-light formulation, which stays put without flaking or smudging all day long.

Editor's tip: Though it’s subtle, it’s buildable—so you can layer this formula to create a more voluminous effect. Just make sure to give each layer a minute to dry down and set in places.

Key ingredients: acrylates, ethylhexyl acrylate copolymer, glycerin, dimethicone | Shades: 1

Merit

Merit

Sephora

Why it's worth it: Merit's Best of Beauty-winning Clean Lash is packed with nourishing vitamins E from rice bran that adds structure, and B5 to seriously enrich lashes without causing gooey smudges or clumps. Users like the balm-like consistency, which ends up feeling satisfyingly feathery.

Editor's tip: It has an especially buildable formula so you can layer it on for extra thickness.

Key ingredients: rice bran wax, olive oil esters, fatty acids | Shades: 1

MAC

Nordstrom

Ulta Beauty

Why it's worth it: Makeup artist Lavonne points to MAC's Extended Play Gigablack Lash as an industry 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 also resists water and sweat for up to 16 hours of wear time, and the deep carbon color is an excellent choice for people who want drama, drama, and more drama.

Editor's tip: Lavonne recommends lightly dusting your lashes with a little loose powder before applying the mascara for added longevity, as well as a touch of powder underneath the eyes to prevent any transfer.

Key ingredients: kaolin, carnauba wax, synthetic beeswax | Shades: 1

Clinique

Amazon

Nordstrom

Why it's worth it: Clinique’s Lash Power Mascara formula is guaranteed to stay put for 24 hours, making it the ideal mascara for long days (and nights) out. This mascara’s no-budge formula lengthens and keeps lashes defined for hours with its natural black pigment and mess-free brush applicator. If you want a subtler hint of color, this mascara is also available in a Dark Chocolate shade.

Editor's tip: Hold the wand vertically when tackling your lower lashes for extra precise application.

Key ingredients: carnauba wax, beeswax, jojoba seed oil | Shades: 2

KVD Beauty

Ulta Beauty

Sephora

Why it's worth it: The lightweight formula behind the KVD Beauty Full Sleeve Long + Defined Tubing Mascara gives intense tint, fanned-out lashes, and all-day wear. If you look closely—and we mean closely—you'll find tiny hook-shaped branches coming off the contoured applicator. They're designed to grip from the root to the tip of the lash, coating all the while.

Editor's tip: For the cleanest application, make sure to wipe off any excess formula on the brush against the rim of the tube before applying.

Key ingredients: carnauba wax, acacia Senegal gum, sunflower seed oil, bamboo extract | Shades: 1

Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos explains to Allure that while there is plenty of overlap between the ingredients in tubing mascara and regular mascara, there are also crucial differences, the main one being the former’s ability to wrap around lashes. "The overall ingredient list for a tubing mascara might resemble a traditional mascara emulsion with traditional waxes and emulsifiers, but polymers are necessary to form a 'tube' around each lash," says Dobos. "The polymers have just enough adhesion to the lashes to hold them in place until you wiggle the tubes free with gentle pressure for removal."

Tubing mascaras tend to be easier to take off. Instead of rigorously wiping your eyes with makeup remover or thoroughly massaging mascara away with cleansing oil, the polymer-formed tubes slide off with warm water and gentle pressure. While waterproof mascara may offer comparable staying power, their composition can be conducive to a full-force scrub-fest for removal—and even worse, they often claim a few lashes as collateral.

"Tubing mascaras are known for their excellent long-wear and ability to resist flaking and smudging that can occur due oily sebum on the eyelids or tears watering eyes," says Dobos. The film formed by the polymers acts like a protective sleeve around each lash, which means higher resistance to the elements and more durability.

"Think of it as the saran wrap on your lashes," cosmetic chemist Ginger King says. "[The mascaras] add some bulkiness and are flexible enough to stretch for an eyelash extension look."

When choosing a tubing mascara, check the ingredients list for key players. "If you're looking for more volume, ingredients like silica microspheres will help fatten the appearance of lashes and allow for a smooth application," Dobos explains. "And tiny rayon fibers can bring additional lengthening."

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best tubing mascaras, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, makeup artists, and cosmetic chemists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear, longevity, and resistance. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

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