By Sarah Han and Angela Trakoshis
No matter what time of the year it is, we don't bat our eyelashes at sweaty situations, oily lids, and anything else that makes our immaculately applied mascara run, smudge, and flake. While waterproof mascara has longer staying power than its traditional counterparts, many of those formulas require a full-force scrub-fest to remove — and even worse, they often claim a few lashes as collateral. Gift Hamper Wooden Box
Allow us to introduce you to tubing mascaras. Unlike conventional, wax-based mascaras, these contain polymers that wrap around the lashes so they don't smudge or flake during the day, cosmetic chemist Ginger King explains. 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're 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 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.
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. Et voila, instant drama.
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.
Tarte's first-ever tubing mascara, Tartelette, is made with conditioning shea butter, moisturizing castor oil, and carnauba wax to lengthen and volumize. With just a few coats of this magic, people will question whether or not you have lash extensions.
Caliray's Best of Beauty-winningvCome 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.
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.
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.
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.
The ophthalmologist-approved Clinique Lash Power Mascara formula lengthens lashes without irritation, so it's great for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. We love the brush's tapered end, which makes grabbing every last lash a breeze.
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.
Blinc Mascara is the original tubing mascara that started the trend; it has since branched out into six different colors (like burgundy and navy). It 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.
One caveat: 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. That said, it's super simple to start fresh (just add gentle pressure and warm water to remove).
Makeup artist Lavonne shouts out 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."
While MAC claims that it lasts up to 16 hours, 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. Your lashes will be unstoppable.
Too Cool for School's Dinoplatz Escalator Mascara has a particularly special feature: a twistable cap that expands and contracts the wand's bristles. 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.
In terms of formula, it shares the same anti-smudging and easy-wash-off characteristics as other tubing mascaras. You'll be serving looks all day with a single application.
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.
While many all-natural mascaras fall flat, DHC's Double Protection Mascara lengthens and separates like the best of them. The formula contains polymer fibers that wrap around lashes plus beeswax and vitamin E to give them a healthy sheen and conditioning treatment to boot.
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. The brush features both long and short bristles for double the chances of coating every last lash. 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).
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