I've Been Trying Merit's New Tubing Mascara All Week—It Made My Lashes Look Better, Not Just Bigger

Finding your perfect mascara is a minefield. Everyone's lashes are different, everyone wants something different, and what works for one person is irrelevant to another. But I've tried enough of them to know a gem when I see it—and with thoroughly average lashes, I'd argue I'm a reliable test case.

Merit has a habit of launching things that actually deliver, so when Clean Volume landed on my desk, I was already half-convinced. It's a tubing mascara, which is my preferred formulation, and if you haven't tried one yet, I'm not sure what you're waiting for. They don't smudge, they don't budge, and they slide off with warm water at the end of the day. The only mascaras I'll actually wear in real life are tubing ones—panda eyes simply aren't a risk I'm willing to take.

The Hype

There was a lot of buzz around this launch in beauty circles, and it wasn't hard to see why. The clinical stats were impressive—100% of participants showed increased volume, length and lift, while 96% agreed it volumised without clumping—and the formula sounded genuinely innovative. A Japanese-made tubing mascara that promises precise, buildable volume without any heaviness or smudging is, on paper, a difficult problem to solve. Add in a first-of-its-kind petite precision brush designed to lift and separate each lash individually, a 16-hour wear claim, and easy warm-water removal, and the excitement starts to make a lot of sense.

The application

The fact that this is a tubing mascara doesn't change how you apply it. The difference is that tubing mascaras wrap your lashes in a film-like tube, rather than just coat them in colour that can run and smudge. When it comes to removal, the tubes just glide off without any rubbing required.

So, as normal, you comb the wand through your lashes from root to tip. It’s a buildable mascara, as long as you keep combing it through while they’re still wet. Then all you have to do is wait for the film tubes to form around your lashes as they dry.

The Verdict

Merit is all about minimal, clean-looking, uncomplicated beauty, and this is reflected in the new Clean Volume Mascara. You are not going to get a false lash look with this. It’s for people who want increased length, volume and lift in a natural looking, but still defined, way. This mascara focusses on defining each lash individually with a precision wand, rather than just packing on product. It gives me exactly the look I want – natural lashes that look better all-round, with no clumping in sight.

When you compare one eye with this mascara to one without, you can clearly see how it makes my lashes more impactful, defines each lash, and visibly boosts length, volume, and lift. But the key fact is—they still look like my lashes, i.e., they look light and not like I am wearing much mascara.

I can wear this mascara from breakfast to bed at night, with no signs of flaking or smudging. Even in the sweaty hell of a spin class, I’ll only see a few flecks under my eyes when I leave—the little tubes that can be just swiped away in one motion.

I have very sensitive eyes, and I love how this mascara is effortless and gentle to remove too, without any rubbing to the eye area. It’s a mascara that I can rely on completely, to stay in place and look great all day long, taking seconds to remove at bedtime. You need this mascara in your life. You won’t be disappointed.