The Best Tubing Mascaras, According Kaley Cuoco's Go-To Makeup Artist

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As a beauty editor with short eyelashes, I’m always looking for a way to enhance my fringe. False eyelashes are useful for an instant dramatic effect, but not super practical when rushing to the office. And sure, traditional mascaras are an easy-to-use option for lengthening, but in my experience, tubing mascaras are even better — and I’m not the only fan.

“Tubing mascara creates a natural lash extension effect. The formula is super lightweight, buildable, easily removable, and is typically oil-based like traditional mascaras, so it’s not as prone to clumping, flaking, or transferring throughout the day,” explains Jamie Greenberg, a celebrity makeup artist and founder of JamieMakeup.

Greenberg, who works with Kaley Cuoco and Rashida Jones, even calls tubing mascara her holy grail beauty product — so you know they’re legit. “I’m constantly gravitating toward these formulas over traditional ones. They are also incredibly easy to remove, with warm water and a washcloth, gently wipe and you’re good to go,” says Greenberg.

Keep scrolling for Greenberg’s guidance on shopping for tubing mascara, along with her no-fail product recommendations.

The Best Tubing Mascara

• Best Overall: caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

• Best Budget: essence cosmetics Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara

• Best for Sensitive Eyes: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

• Best for Coating Every Lash: Westmore Beauty 60-Second Lash Effects Mascara

• Best for Colorful Lashes: HALF MAGIC Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara

What to Consider

Formulation

The main component Greenberg considers is the tubing mascara formulation. “I look for lash-conditioning formulas that benefit not only the appearance of my lashes but also enhance their overall health,” Greenberg says. A few standout ingredients found in our tubing mascara recommendations include argan oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and Panthenol.

Mascara Wand

When I’m shopping for a new mascara, tubing, or traditional, I also examine the wand.

• Tapered cone mascara wands, such as the ones found on Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara and HALF MAGIC Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara brushes, have a thinner end that ensures I’m able to hit every lash from the inner to the outer corner.

• Traditionally shaped mascara wands, like those on caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara and essence cosmetics Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara, are excellent for creating volume, fullness, and fluttery lashes. I also find they’re gentler on my sensitive eyes compared to plastic bristles.

• Skinny mascara wands, including the one in Westmore Beauty 60-Second Lash Effects Mascara, are incredible for shorter lashes because they ensure the latter is fully coated from root to tip. They also help deposit more product at the root of the lash line to create the illusion of a thicker base.

What are the Pros and Cons of Tubing Mascara?

Greenberg notes tubing mascaras provide long-wear performance, and since most formulas are water-resistant, this optimizes the volume and length without all the messy clumping.

And good news: The LA-based pro argues the one downside of tubing mascara is not necessarily a negative thing. “Sometimes tubing formulas take a lot of layers to build the volume, and while some don’t define this as a con, it can take a few strokes to achieve great volume,” she says.

How We Chose

I have been a long-time subscriber of Greenberg’s YouTube tutorials, and fully trust her expertise in all things makeup, including tubing mascaras. So naturally, I asked Greenberg to reveal her all-time favorite tubing mascaras to achieve major #eyelashgoals. I also shared the woman-owned, small business pick that made me an instant fan of tubing mascaras.

After carefully researching dozens of other tubing mascaras, I also found a couple of impressive selections that I’d be willing to purchase. One is less than $5 while the other was created by a makeup artist who works with everyone from Zendaya to Sydney Sweeney.

Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

Greenberg and I are both obsessed with caliray’s Come Hell or High Water Mascara, so I knew it was worthy of the best overall distinction.

“This stuff is legit – it’s waterproof and performance-wear, so it’s guaranteed to last you throughout the day. It’s also formulated with argan oil for lash-loving conditioning and the brush has multi-dimensional fibers to define and curl,” explains Greenberg.

I agree with her sentiment and it’s one of the only mascaras that doesn’t give me dark circles under my eyes. I recently wore this mascara during a 5-mile walk after work and it held up perfectly when I got home! Consider this a no-fail tubing mascara that can keep up with your active lifestyle but can be amplified for nights out.

And for those looking for an extra gift-worthy option, caliray created a limited-edition duo with full-sized and mini tubes of mascara for only $25.

More: First Apartment Gifts That Will Transform a Small Space Into a Sanctuary, Tested and Reviewed

Bye Bye Panda Eyes Tubing Mascara

Dark undereye areas are incredibly cute on pandas, but most of us don’t want shadows under our eyes. essence, maker of the viral Best Tested Lash Princess Mascara, created a smudge-proof product that promises lash volume and definition. The best part? It costs just under $5, so you can freely replace the mascara every few months without breaking your beauty budget.

“Easy to put on (no clumping, separates and lengthens my lashes), lasts all day even during my workouts, and washes off with ease (no panda eyes to scrub off)! Will definitely purchase [it] again — and buy [it] as stocking stuffers for my girls and my sister,” says a 5-star Ulta review.

Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

Having sensitive eyes can be a burden, especially when shopping for mascara. Greenberg’s solution is to swipe on the viral Thrive Cosmetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara. “This one is great for sensitive eyes and it’s available in different colors,” she says.

It’s free of common irritants, such as parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. Instead, it relies on easy-to-pronounce ingredients, we know and love, like castor seed oil, shea butter, carnauba wax, and B5 complex. There’s also a proprietary orchid stem cell complex that encourages healthier-looking lashes.

Users will be impressed by the ability to create maximum length and coat the tiniest lashes at their inner corners and bottom lash lines with the tapered end of the wand.

60-Second Lash Effects Mascara

Greenberg’s third and final pick is from Westmore Beauty. It earned snaps from her because the tubing formula and defined brush create an ultra-lengthening, defined look. “It has a detailed brush to help define those inner corner lashes and provides a tight-lined ‘tubed’ effect,” she says.

Like the caliray mascara, 60-Second Lash Effects Mascara contains skincare-quality ingredients, including shea butter, Panthenol, and hyaluronic acid, that promise to improve your lash appearance over time.

Online reviewers are also keen on using this tubing mascara from Westmore Beauty. “This is the most amazing mascara I have ever used. It’s like magic. The applicator provides awesome control, the mascara itself makes my lashes crazy long, and it doesn’t come off until I take it off. This is going to be my go-to mascara forever forward,” gushes one Westmore Beauty reviewer.

Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara

Rounding out this list is a tubing mascara designed to give you an enchanting look. Created by Euphoria’s head makeup artist Donni Davey, Eyelectric Extreme Lengthening Mascara, features a tapered wand with evenly spaced bristles that comb through the lashes like a dream.

What you’ll love most about this tubing mascara is that it’s available in electric shades: Violet Act, Teal Widdit, and Urchin (black). You can experiment and just add a pop of color to the tips of your lashes, or go for a bold look and wiggle the wand from root to tip to make your eyes pop.

It’s also made with 11 ingredients — a relatively low number for makeup — including Panthenol and glycerin to help nourish your fringe.

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