Wary of raccoon eyes? The best tubing mascaras will put your mind at ease with their steadfast, smear-proof formulations. Unlike traditional mascaras that tend to transfer, smudge, and flake—all while requiring a tug-of-war during removal—tubing mascaras contain film-forming polymers to keep lashes separated and securely coated throughout the day. Despite their grip, the mascara sheds in snakeskin-like "tubes" using warm water and a most gentle pull. Read on for the best tubing mascaras for creating doe-eyed, wispy, and dramatic looks alike, as selected by Allure editors and makeup artists.

Our Top Tubing Mascaras

• Best Overall: Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara, $28
• Best Clump-Resistant: Too Faced Ribbon Wrapped Lash Tubing Mascara, $29
• Most Natural-Looking Finish: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, $33
• Best for Short Lashes: Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash Mascara, $26
• Best Wand: Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara, $24
• Best for Straight Lashes: Em Cosmetics Shapeshift Tubing Mascara, $26

Best Overall: Tarte Tartelette XL Tubing Mascara

Why it's worth it: Topping this list is Tarte's Tartelette Tubing Mascara, one of the most popular tubing mascaras out there. This best-selling, TikTok-viral mascara fends off flakes and resists dryness with a blend of shea butter, castor oil, and carnauba wax, making lashes look longer and softer. The wand is equipped with hundreds of tiny bristles, enabling you to reach under your lash line for a major lift and volume. Its classic tubing formula wraps each lash in a water-resistant, tear-resistant, and long-lasting veil of jet-black (or brown) color. Once it's time to remove, the mascara slips right off with warm water, or, if you so please, micellar water or makeup remover will do the trick.

Best Clump-Resistant: Too Faced Ribbon Wrapped Lash Tubing Mascara

Why it's worth it: Too Faced's Ribbon Wrapped Lash is a lengthening, separating, and lifting tubing mascara that seriously shows up for your lashes. The 24-hour, no-clump formula holds strong through sweat, humidity, and even tears—volumizing all the while and breezily washing off with warm water. The wand's bristles flare out to a fanned tip, gripping every last lash for a clean, defined sweep from root to end. The result? A fluttery, full look that feels as effortless as it looks dramatic.

Most Natural-Looking Finish: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara

Why it’s worth it: If the “extensions” element of the Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara turns you off (because not everyone wants a big, dramatic lash all the time), 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. And though it’s subtle, it’s buildable, so you can layer to your heart’s content.

Best for Short Lashes: Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash Mascara

Why it's worth it: If you've got short lashes, Kulfi's Badi Lash Mascara is your girl. Because nothing emphasizes stubby lashes like a clumpy, crusty formula—and luckily, you won't find that here. This one's all about clean separation and conditioning, thanks to a flared-tip applicator that catches even the tiniest inner lashes. The formula is also infused with castor seed oil, rambutan extract, and a tripeptide complex to soften and strengthen your lashes as you continue to use it.

Best Wand: 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 to give your lashes a dose of nourishing, softening love, and film-forming tubing ingredients like acrylates copolymer for a smudge-proof finish. The brand's "teddy bear brush" allows for fluffy, comprehensive coverage with every flick of your wrist. It's long-wearing, water-resistant, and a perfectly deep black—everything you could hope for in an everyday mascara.

Best for Straight Lashes: Em Cosmetics Shapeshift Tubing Mascara

Why it's worth it: Em Cosmetics' Shapeshift Tubing Mascara is a true lifesaver for the straight-lashed among us. This clever tubing formula adds serious length and volume without a hint of flaking or clumping, so each lash gets its own little spotlight. Want even more lift? Try curling your lashes after applying—the formula sets as it dries, locking everything in place for up to 24 hours of smudge-free wear.

More tubing mascaras we love:

• You’ll get a volumizing formula and a soft, curved brush in Blinc's Ultravolume Tubing Mascara. 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.
• Tiny, bottom lashes will appreciate MAC's Extended Play Gigablack, which makeup artist Lavonne points to 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," she says.
• Packed with nourishing vitamins E from rice bran and B5 to seriously enrich lashes without causing gooey smudges or clumps, testers love the balm-like consistency of Merit’s Best of Beauty-winning Clean Lash Mascara, which ends up feeling satisfyingly feathery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is tubing mascara different from regular mascara?

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, its composition can be conducive to a full-force scrub-fest for removal, and even worse, it often claims a few lashes as collateral.

What are the benefits of tubing mascara?

"Tubing mascaras are known for their excellent long-wear and ability to resist flaking and smudging that can occur due to oily sebum on the eyelids or watery 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."

How should I choose a tubing mascara?

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."

Meet the experts

• Lavonne, a Little Rock, Arkansas-based makeup artist
• Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist based in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist based in Parsippany, New Jersey

How we test and review products

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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