Rant & Rave: Tube Mascara

I really like tube mascara. I wear contact lenses and it never annoys them like MOST other mascaras. But I also have been blessed with long, dark, thick eyelashes, so I mostly just use mascara for definition.

I swear by my Buxom mascara, nowadays, but for a while there, my lashes HATED mascara. Transparent without it, but they’re so thick and long that one coat of something like Benefit Bad Gal or Diorshow would just make them look like barbie hair, after you style it with a blowdryer. And Removal was a NIGHTMARE! I’d go over it three times, and STILL have raccoon eye from all the pigment trapped in the bases of the lashes!

I used to wear and love a tube mascara by Mirenesse. It gave me just enough definition and volume, but most importantly was easy to remove. I dread removing mascara at night and hate seeing those few eyelashes that get removed in the process. I used to get good deals on 2-packs from HSN, but since they stopped carrying the line a few years ago, I haven’t bought any. Can’t justify the cost to get it from Australia. I have since been on the quest for my next HG mascara. Haven’t tried any of the other tube mascara brands because the reviews are usually just so-so.

I only know of three tube mascaras — Fiberwig, Blinc and L’oreal Double Extend.

Do you know of any others out there?

I’ve used both Blinc and L’oreal and I love L’oreal Double Extend!

I love tubing mascaras. I have oily lids and oily undereye area, and they eat regular and waterproof mascaras like you wouldn’t believe. My fave is Philosophy’s The Supernatural. It holds my curl (I have to crimp), adds volume and length, still feels relatively soft and pliable on lashes (not stiff), and doesn’t dry out before I get to the bottom of the bottle. And I love how tubing mascaras remove with just warm water and a tug.

There are several tubing mascaras out there – here’s what I have tried, and some quick comments:

Blinc Kiss Me Mascara – my introduction to tubing mascaras – formula is a little on the wet side
Philosophy The Supernatural Mascara The Anti-Mascara – my Holy Grail of tubing mascaras. The brush head shape on this is what works best for my application style. Adds some volume and length. formula is not too wet and not too dry.
L’Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes – great drugstore version. Wish they’d offer this without the primer, since I don’t really need that part.
Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula – great department store version. Better for natural looks, not drama.
Mirenesse Secret Weapon Mascara – love this one too, and it comes in a variety of brush head styles… but hard to get in the US. (it’s based in Australia)
Prestige Lash Matrix in Black – formula was too dry
CARGO Better-Than-Waterproof Mascara – smudged on me
TheBalm Two Timer Mascara – also smudged on me
Imju Fiberwig – okay. gave me spidery lashes if I swiped too much on – maybe it was my technique.
LORAC Publicity Stunt Lashes – so-so.
Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara – removed the crimp, therefore of no use to me
Too Faced Lash Injection – regular and Pinpoint – pretty good but the formula is a little dry for my preference.

I didn’t like wearing mascara every day (constant panda eyes the next morning and I am allergic to most eye makeup removers) until I tried mac Opulash, which is a tube mascara. It holds curl, it doesn’t budge and is really easy to get off, even though it doesn’t move when I sweat!

I was so impressed and as my lashes are very fine, not thick or dark or long–but Opulash it just enough to make my face/eye makeup look more polished. Although, I have to say the first time I used it, I hated it–it seemed to ‘wet’ but the next time I used it, all was ok, so perhaps it was just me.

(I am allergic to fiberwig, tried it once and was in pain for a week)