Do you have a tricky time finding a perfect mascara—one that lengthens while actually staying in place? For whatever reason, I had a bear of a time finding a mascara that didn’t give me raccoon eyes after a few hours of wearing. I’ve tried a handful of natural mascaras and mascaras from drugstore and luxury brands alike. Certain “holy grail” mascaras that do wonders for some just make a smudgy mess on me. I’ve even sampled mascara primers that really help build volume (but leave me wanting when it comes to staying power). Whether the skin around my eyelids is a bit oily or I’m simply cursed, this challenge was at the forefront of my makeup woes for a long time.
Then finally I discovered tubing mascara.
Rather than coating your lashes with an oily or wax-based formula like most mascaras, a tubing mascara creates tubes around each lash. (When you remove your tubing mascara with a cotton ball, you’ll probably see bits of the tubing fiber in addition to black smears—but don’t worry, these aren’t your lashes coming off!) The good news is that tubing mascaras are applied in the same way that standard mascaras are, and the product inside looks pretty similar. In other words, you don’t need special skills to successfully apply and wear a tubing mascara.
How exactly are tubing mascaras different? Tubing mascaras create a lacquer coating around each eyelash, forming a tube that extends up and out. Stila makeup artist Sarah Lucero explains, “It’s like you’re actually stretching out the lashes. You can keep building length at the end. It gives you a precise, pristine, retouched look.”
The special thing about tubing mascaras is that the formula tends to be water-resistant and perhaps more importantly, oil-resistant, meaning that the oils from your skin or makeup products are less likely to interfere with your lash game. For a vegan, cruelty-free tubing mascara, check out Blinc Mascara, which sculpts extension-like tubes over your lashes. In my many months of using Blinc, I’ve yet to experience any running or smudging—yet a little eye makeup remover or a gentle soap removes that mascara without fuss.
Another cruelty-free tubing mascara to try: Cargo TexasLash Tubing Mascara (contains beeswax)
But what about waterproof formulas? Waterproof formulas may also fit the bill if you’re prone to raccoon eyes, but they’re often tough to remove, which can lead to rough handling of the delicate eye area. Plus, waterproof formulas tend to be more drying, causing damage to lashes over time. Save waterproof formulas for special events.
Have you tried tubing mascaras?
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Photo: Kim Carpenter on Unsplash, Pexels, Respective Brands
