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I’ve Always Dealt With Smudged Mascara—Until I Discovered These Two That Never Budge

By

Alyssa Kaplan

Published on February 06, 2025 06:00PM

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Woman testing the Caliray Come Hell or High Water Tubing Mascara and the Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara on eyelashes — Byrdie

A makeup product’s potential downfall always has the power to ruin a great makeup look, be it foundation separating, patchy blush, lipstick bleeding, etc. These downfalls lead to gripes that we rail about forever to friends or in online forums. My main grievance is smudged mascara. Despite setting my skin with powder (oily skincare can sometimes cause mascara to smudge) and not over-applying, I’d consistently look in the mirror just a few hours after applying my makeup to find smeared mascara under my eyes, taking my look from polished to messy. You might be thinking: why not just go for a waterproof formula? For me, the hassle of removing a waterproof mascara often isn’t worth the payoff. (Sometimes you just want to go to bed at the end of a long night, amirite?).

Over the last year, I made it my mission to find the best smudge-proof mascaras out there. After testing more than 30 options, I quickly discovered that tubing mascaras are where it’s at. These formulas create tiny polymer tubes around the lashes rather than coating them in pigment, leading to smudge-proof results and a shockingly easy removal process. But like anything, not all tubing mascaras are created equal. Many offer length but no volume, and some flake. That said, I’ve found two formulas that give me stunning, full-looking lashes and, most importantly, perform beautifully with zero smudging or flaking.

Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara

Credit: Sephora

$25 at SephoraView on Caliraybeauty.com$14 at Kohls.com

If you want a classic black mascara that offers a balanced dose of length, volume, and lift, there’s no better smudge-proof option than this one from Caliray. It has densely packed bristles and a fairly wet formula, making it easy to build up with minimal effort. You’ll find that many tubing formulas aren’t super buildable, but this one is different; in just two coats, you get dramatic volume without weighing down the lashes. I also love that it separates each lash and gives them lift, leaving me with defined, full-looking lashes. Once it sets, it remains locked in all day. I remove it while washing my face with my usual face wash, but I’ve noticed it also comes off effortlessly with warm water in the shower.

Caliray Tubing Mascara being shown on woman's face before and after application — Byrdie

Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara

Credit: Sephora

$15

$15 at Amazon$28 at Sephora$28 at Ulta

Chocolate brown mascaras are hard to find, but chocolate brown tubing mascaras are even harder. So when this one launched, I was keen to try it, and after just one use, it immediately became a staple in my makeup rotation. The brown color is warm and saturated, the brush separates and evenly coats the lashes, and the formula is next-level good. It adds a healthy dose of volume and dramatic length, and once it dries, it doesn’t budge. Seriously, I’ve used it upwards of 50 times, and it looks just as good at the end of the day as it does freshly applied—every single time. Plus, it’s the easiest mascara to remove that I’ve ever tried. Just a few splashes of water and lightly brushing your lashes with your fingers remove it in seconds.