These are the most highly reviewed tubing mascaras you can buy right now
IMAGE VIA @MECCAMAX/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY ENYA ROBERTS
Mascara that won’t budge.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone to the bathroom an hour after I’ve left the house only to find annoying black spots staining the outer corners of my eyes. Even worse is when I’m wearing waterproof mascara and I have to scrub off half my makeup just to avoid the dreaded panda eyes. It just doesn’t seem worth it for a product that can’t even hold a curl for longer than 15 minutes.
Thankfully, there are mascara formulas out there that are smudge-proof, long-lasting and hold a curl while being easy to remove at the end of the day. They’re called tubing mascaras – so called because of the polymers they contain which wrap around lashes, forming ‘tubes’. These tubes can be easily removed at the end of the day, with only warm water and light pressure.
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Since the polymers wrap around your lashes, you generally end up with an even, separated, natural look that makes your eyes appear lifted and awake. And for my fellow Asian lash people out there, tubing mascaras tend to hold and define whatever curl you apply without weighing down your lashes. So to find the best options in this category, I combed through online reviews to find the most highly rated tubing mascaras on the market. Here are the results.
Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara
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Star rating: 4.5 out of 2913 reviews on Mecca
With its small detailing brush, Kevyn Aucoin’s The Volume Mascara aims to thicken, separate and lengthen lashes, even those hard-to-reach ones in the inner and outer corners. While suited to all eyes, the mascara claims to be perfect for oily eyelids as well as hooded, watery or smaller eyes. The formula features jojoba oil that conditions your lashes and holds them in a clean, defined and voluminous look.
As the most highly reviewed on this list, this mascara has accrued tonnes of positive feedback, with one reviewer declaring they have “used this mascara for over four years” on their sensitive eyes and they “keep coming back”. The effectiveness of this mascara is best summed up by a reviewer who says they were “mind blown” after using it.
Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
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Star rating: 4.5 out of 903 reviews on Mecca
Smudge-proof, buildable and lengthening, this mascara promises to “unleash lash drama like never before”. Impressively, it’s garnered 669 five-star reviews on Mecca and was a finalist in the beauty retailer’s coveted Beauty Election this year. One reviewer exclaims “This is my third time repurchasing this mascara and I’m still hooked!”, while another adores the “full but natural” look it provides. As an added bonus, the Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara formula is vegan and cruelty-free, and five per cent of the proceeds from this product go to supporting animal welfare via the Nonhuman Rights Project, so you can wow with your lashes while feeling completely guilt-free.
Mirenesse Secret Weapon Super Volume Tubing Mascara
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Star rating: 4.3 out of 110 reviews on Adore Beauty
Mirenesse’s Secret Weapon Mascara is Australian-made and certified organic, with a long-wearing and volumising formula that claims to be even “sleep-proof”. Reviewers praise its gentleness on sensitive eyes as well as its appearance, with one reviewer gushing that it “gives such a pop to the lashes”. Another reviewer backs up the brand’s long-lasting claim, declaring that “this mascara is one that you can put on at 8am and still have amazing looking lashes at 10pm without having the reapply it”. Perfect for my fellow lazy makeup people.
Mecca Whiplash Tubing Mascara
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Star rating: 4.2 out of 505 reviews on Mecca
Mecca’s cruelty-free and vegan Whiplash Tubing Mascara boasts a “gravity-defying” formula that will lift, define and sculpt lashes while remaining flake-free and smudge-proof. Retailing for an affordable $25, this mascara is one of the more budget-friendly options on this list, with a reviewer claiming it’s as “great as those double the price!” As for the look? One review says it “Feels so light, isn’t clumpy [and provides] great length. Love it!”.
Velour Lashes Pretty Big Deal Peptide and Tubing
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Star rating: 4.1 out of 338 reviews on Sephora
Exclusive to Sephora, Velour Lashes’ Pretty Big Deal Peptide and Tubing mascara is a two-in-one lash serum and lengthening mascara. It contains hydrating ingredients and a peptide complex to protect lashes as well as promote growth for fuller, longer and healthier lashes that the brand states will be noticeable “in just four weeks”.
Aside from improving the health of your lashes, it’s said to give them a soft, feathery look that stays in place, which multiple reviewers claiming it looks just like “lash extensions”. Many reviewers with Asian lashes also praised the product, with one review proclaiming “I have short Asian straight lashes that never hold a curl… this is the first ever mascara I’ve used that not only lengthens (not spidery looking), [but] adds volume and keeps a curl for an eight-hour workday”. Another review highlights the long-lasting hold, stating “I can wear it to the gym for a workout without a single smudge”. Long-lasting indeed.
For an in-depth guide on how to get the most out of your mascara, try this.
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