I’ve been testing tubing mascaras because my lashes love to look amazing for five minutes and then fall flat for the rest of the day. It makes a big difference for how awake I look if my mascara is doing its job, so I decided to finally try and find the right mascara for me. I’ve always heard the Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions is the best tubing mascara ever, except it weighs my lashes down so much that on me it barely looks like I did anything. Your lashes might be totally different.
So, I made a chart. One axis is how much a mascara weighs my lashes down (does it hold a curl or ruin it). The other axis is how bold it looks on the lashes vs how natural/wispy the effect is. I tried eleven popular tubing mascaras over the last few months to map them onto this chart, so if your lashes are like mine and you want that a bold look that stays all day, you’ll have a better idea of what might work. And if your lashes hold a curl easily or can handle a heavier mascara, you’ll probably like something in a different quadrant. Same if you want super lightweight and natural, there’s a quadrant for that too. All of these washed off with warm water super easily. They also did not smudge, no matter how much my toddler tried to get at my lashes. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.
Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara – This mascara adds length and definition and stays perfectly in place until you wash it off with warm water. The brush grabs every lash without clumping, and the formula feels super lightweight. I love that my lashes don’t fall quickly and stay curled much longer than with heavier mascara formulas. This honestly holds a curl the entire day without flaking or smudging and is just super reliable. It’s the one I always go back to, but I usually buy the mini because it’s expensive.
Finding Ferdinand LashLift Tubing Mascara – This tubing mascara was the first that I tried that was much lighter weight than the Thrive mascara. I love that my lashes don’t fall as quickly and keep a curl much longer than with the Thrive. It actually holds a curl longer than the rest of these mascaras except for the Hourglass and Heroine Make Long & Curl. This is one of the best options I’ve tried for getting a noticeable lash look without going too heavy, and I really like how my lashes seem to be doing after I use this consistently for a few months.
Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara Advanced Film – This one holds a curl really, really well (as you can see in the chart, the best). It’s not as bold and volumizing as the Finding Ferdinand or Hourglass, but it’s super pretty and absolutely one of my top three. This is actually the one I’m using right now and have repurchased since doing this test. I think this mascara is really well suited for to thin, straight lashes that need a lot of help to stay curled all day, which is exactly the lashes I have.
Persona Volumizing Tubing Mascara – I really liked this one but not enough to make it into my top three. It gives more volume and length than a super natural tubing mascara, but it’s not incredibly dramatic. It’s easy to wear, doesn’t feel fussy, and it’s the kind of mascara that just works when I don’t want to think too hard. I’d absolutely use it again if I happened to get it somehow but it doesn’t beat out my favorites for me to repurchase it.
Em Shapeshift Tubing Mascara – This one is not super bold, but it keeps my lashes looking lifted and defined all day without feeling heavy. It’s a good pick when I want something subtle but still want my lashes to stay up. In side by sides, it always looked like it had a bit more volume, length, and lift than the ones further down on the Y axis.
Urban Decay Tube Job – This looks very similar to Em in terms of how much mascara you see, but it feels a little heavier on me so my lashes don’t stay as lifted. It’s really nice, but side by side, Em looked better because it held a curl longer. I’m really happy I tried this one though because if I wanted a tubing mascara in an auburn or taupe, this is absolutely the one I’d grab. It works well enough, and it can be hard to find tubing mascaras in colors than black or brown.
Essence Lash Without Limits Tubing Extreme Lengthening & Volume Mascara – This is my most lightweight, natural option. It gives super light separated lashes that are more “my lashes but better” than anything else. If you want an everyday tubing mascara that’s comfortable and $5, this is great. I’ve actually been using it as a second coat on top of other mascaras to add a little extra boldness without adding a lot of weight, and that’s been working really well. Especially with the middle mascaras (Persona, Em, Urban Decay, Soshe, Caliray), a coat of this makes my lashes look much more thick and volumized without weighing down the curl at all. So, I’ll definitely be repurchasing this in a few months.
SOSHE Waterproof Tubing Mascara – This one leans pretty natural on me, but it also has a little more weight than I want for a “natural” mascara. It defines and adds some length, but my lashes don’t stay as lifted as they do with my favorites. I’ll use it when I want a softer look and I’m not prioritizing curl, but if I’m doing no makeup makeup, I’d still rather reach for Essence because it’s lighter and keeps my lashes up better. *Pictured is the refill, which you can actually buy on its own and use just fine if you do that by accident.
Caliray Come Hell or High Water 24-hour Volumizing & Lengthening Tubing Mascara – This one is way more natural than Em on me, and my lashes definitely fall more than with my favorites. I’m really glad I tried it, but it’s not becoming a staple. I’ll reach for it on super no makeup makeup days, but long term, if I’m going for that look I’d rather just use the Essence or the Urban Decay if I’m looking for a brown.
Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Tubing Mascara – This is maximum impact, and it builds fast. On me, the tradeoff is that it is so stiff and heavy, and my lashes fall so much faster compared to the lighter tubing formulas. If you want thick, dramatic lashes, this one definitely delivers, but it’s not my top pick when I’m prioritizing a lifted, curled look, which is almost always. That said, if you’re looking for a blue, berry brown, or grey, they do have those options, and it might be worth the trade off.
Tarte Tartelette Tubing – This one was way too natural on me for how little it held a curl. It basically did nothing on my lashes, and it’s the only one in this group that I just don’t recommend at all. If you want a truly natural look, Essence does it better, and if you want lift and curl hold, pretty much anything else here is a better use of your money.
What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog and some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
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